Legendary Kyabramite Paul Newman named in best country side for 25 years

By Gus Underwood

Apr 17, 2025

Paul Newman has been named in *The Weekly Times* best Victorian country side in the last quarter-of-a-century. Photo by Aydin Payne

Record breaking former Kyabram Football Club coach Paul Newman has been named in The Weekly Times best Victorian country side in the last quarter-of-a-century.

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Newman has been named at centre half-forward and is the only Goulburn Valley League player in the team.

Newman kicked close to 1000 goals in his stellar career with Kyabram and also topped 100 goals in one season for Tongala in Murray Football League in 2015.

He holds the honour of coaching Kyabram to the longest winning streak in senior grade football in Victoria with a string of 62 successive GVL wins from 2016 to a grand final defeat by two points by Shepparton in the 2018 season decider.

Kyabram then won another 21 successive games after that loss.

While Newman was the only GVL player to make the All Victorian country team, he was one of five Kyabram players named in the best GVL team of the last quarter-of-a-century.

Three Kyabram defenders Lachie Smith (centre half-back), Ian Boyd (full-back) and Jason Morgan (back pocket) were selected along with Kaye Pettifer and Newman.

Pettifer was picked in a forward pocket and Newman at full-forward.

Steve Daniel, who coached Seymour and Tatura to premierships, was named coach of the team.

In the Murray league’s best team of the last 25 years, Tongala had only one player to get a mention, Jordan Souter, who was named on the interchange bench.

But Moama’s Rhys Archard, who played with Echuca and won a Morrison Medal, Brendon Parker, who played with Nathalia and Tongala, and Ashley Gemmill (Nathalia-Kyabram) were also named in the side.