His involvement with sporting clubs and junior coaching has earned him the title of 2024 Godfather of the Year.
Soon to turn 56 years-of-age on April 8, Phibbs could not attend last Sunday’s Godfather Golf Day due to a prior commitment. He was, however, easier than on a football field to catch for a chat before he was out of town fulfilling that commitment.
“I enjoy coaching the kids and certainly wasn’t expecting this award,” the modest star told the Yarrawonga Chronicle.
Long time former Yarrawonga Football Netball Club President and reigning president of Yarrawonga Mulwala Cricket Club Glenn Brear said this year’s Godfather is very worthy of the recognition.
“I’ve known Pickles since he was a very young lad – he was always a competitive boy who wanted to be involved,” Mr Brear said.
“He came to play footy for Yarrawonga in 1990, and he was outstanding. He played 156 games straight and 165 in total, including plenty of games at interleague level. He starred for the O and M. He was a great contributor to the Pigeons over a 10-year period.
Glenn said Pickles, a left-foot kick, was a real speedster on the footy field. “Pickles would get the footy with an opponent close by, and he’d just take off and leave him in his wake,” he said.
“In the twilight of his football career he became a real asset to the Yarrawonga Mulwala Cricket Club. His input and ability to help out with lower grades has been terrific. He’s currently a valuable part of our C Grade.
“He was not shy when there were working bees on. Pickles was so reliable, and he’d bring others along with him.”
Pace on the field just came naturally to Pickles, and spectators loved watching him burst away from opponents, especially on the wing on the lawn tennis side – known by many as the ‘Peas Wing’ (Peter Stevenson; highly rated footballer with tremendous, penetrating kick).
“He regarded it as his wing. It was a pleasure to play on his wing!” Pickles said.
Currently co-coaching the Mulwala Under 17s, Phibbs has coached the Lions Reserves twice, including once to a premiership, and spent several seasons coaching the thirds and fourths.
Mulwala Football Netball Club stalwart Rod Sissons said Pickles has “enormous football knowledge”.
“He passes on his enormous football knowledge having played over 200 senior games of footy with Mulwala and over 150 senior games with Yarrawonga,” ‘Sisso’ said.
Premiership cricket captain of Mulwala Footballers Cricket Club back in the late 1980s and 90s Greg Stephenson said when he thinks of Dennis Phibbs, “I think about possibly the happiest sportsman I’ve ever had anything to do with”.
“His footy exploits are well known, but he was also a handy cricketer for Mul Footballers. He took a couple of surprise wickets against Rennie in a grand-final, nearly getting us over the line,” ‘Stepho’ said. “Always smiling, congratulations Pickles.”
Pickles, an acid tank operator at Thales in Mulwala, has played plenty of tennis too. “My Mum (Barb Phibbs) got me into it at a young age, and I’m still playing in the Wilby Association (with Mul Marone),” he said.
It’s that helping out with numbers, be it playing, coaching or generally assisting clubs with working bees that make the speedster Pickles a worthy recipient of the 2024 Godfather of the Year.
