The Gazette reviews all the sport news of 2022.
This is part one of the series.

JANUARY
Nick Henwood took out the Garfield Bowling Club men's singles, defeating his longtime rival Stephen Whyte in the final.
Meanwhile, Elsie Hefford and Andrew Glover took out the singles titles at Warragul Bowling Club.
The Wild Dog Triathlon Club held its first race of the year, as dozens of locals swam, biked and ran their way around town. Damien Smith took out the men's category, while Steph Andreata won the women's.
Warragul's own Jasmine Ferguson made a stunning debut in the AFLW for North Melbourne, where she has now become a mainstay of one of the league's best defensive units.
Western Park young gun Jack Walsh had the chance to represent Gippsland at a state level in cricket, playing at a Youth Premier League cricket carnival in Wodonga.
In the local cricket, it was Yarragon that sprung a trap on Western Park, defeating the top four side and causing a major boilover in division one.
Brenton Jones and Cyrus Monk put Baw Baw on the map from a cycling perspective, placing fifth and 24th respectively in the Ballarat National Championships.
Warragul held its annual Pro AM tournament, with a great turn-out including PGA Tour player John Onions making an appearance.
Neerim District Bowling Club held its annual Australia Day tournament with a new format. Triples teams were the order of the day for the club, replacing the teams of mixed fours, as Neerim's own Jim Fallon, Greg Bond and Colin McKay took out the title.

FEBRUARY
Drouin local Matthew Guy pulled off what many thought impossible when he scored an Albatross at the Drouin Country Club.
By scoring a two on a par five hole, Mr Guy became just the third person to have achieved the feat, which many have described as even more difficult than a hole-in-one.
The Warragul Swimming Club had 28 competitors travel to Mildura for the Victorian Country Championships, where they enjoyed some great success in the pool.
Local Madison Ashley broke into the top 200 tennis players in Australia, and the top eight for her age group in Victoria. The then-16-year-old secured a number of important wins in tournaments across the state to improve her ranking.
The Warragul Warriors men's team enjoyed a dominant season with a disappointing finish in the Country Basketball League, losing the grand final to the Traralgon T-Birds. The Warriors had won every game up until the final, where they were defeated 67-90.
The junior basketballers, meanwhile, out on a show as more than 1000 kids descended on West Gippsland for the annual Warragul Tournament. Featuring competitors from as far as Phillip Island and Lakes Entrance, there was plenty of talent on show.
In squash, the Hurricanes were crowned as champions of the Baw Baw Squash Club's summer competition, defeating the Thunder in the final 3-10-187 to 1-4-160.
Longwarry's Daniel Pullen scored runs for fun in division three cricket, scoring two centuries in as many weeks to dominate at the crease. Fans were able to get in on the action and watch the local leagues live for the first time, with some clubs taking up new technology to stream their matches to YouTube.
The hockey saw a striking new name for one of its teams as the Gippsland Bulls Hockey Club were transformed into the West Gippsland Strikers. Wearing the green and gold, the change came about after club members voted to merge the Bulls the West Gippsland Hockey Association in early 2021.
Hallora teenager Rhylee Stewart qualified for the Australian Track and Field Championships in Sydney in the 800 metre race. This came after shaving a whopping 14 seconds off his personal best.
Drouin found some good form in the bowls, knocking off the division one ladder leaders in Traralgon. Winning three of their four rinks to record an overall 44-shot win, they gave the opposition a lot to think about with finals on the horizon.

MARCH
Drouin Bowling Club's Samantha Atkinson scored a come-from-behind win in the women's state singles for Strzelecki, earning a qualification at the Victorian Championships in Bendigo.
Atkinson, 28, won the women's singles, triples and fours, as well as the mixed pairs.
Warragul Parkrun celebrated its 300th run, enjoying a solid field of 95 runners.
Korumburra Wildcats basketball Meg Cooper of Warragul was part of the team that won the division one Victorian State Country Basketball Championships, staking a claim as the best girls under 16 team in Country Victoria.
Sophie Taylor continued female basketball success, earning a spot in the Victoria Country team at the Australia Junior Championships in Perth in July.
Buln Buln resigned Warragul to the wooden spoon in division one cricket, scoring a four wicket win over the Gulls in a high scoring affair. Lachie Jagoe (50) and Wilson Pollock (52) top scored for the Lyrebirds.
Warragul Little Athletics held its championship day to conclude the 2021/22 season. The club also congratulated its 19 athletes who had qualified for the Victorian State Track and Field Championships, where Fraser Aubrey scored a bronze medal in the 1500m walk.
It was a thrilling finish to the bowling season as Warragul and Drouin played out an incredible draw in the final round of division one, both finishing on 99 shots each. Drouin went on to qualify for finals, but were defeated in week one by Trafalgar.
In division four cricket, the previously undefeated Bunyip suffered their first loss of the season in their semi-final against Hallora, losing nine wickets for just five runs in a monumental collapse. It didn't get much better for the Bulls, as they went out in straight sets after another defeat to Ellinbank.
In division one, Ellinbank broke a 28-year drought after successfully chasing down Hallora's score of 200 to claim the premiership.
Longwarry claimed the division two title, Catani won division three, Ellinbank made it a double with a division four win, while Longwarry did the same in division five. Ellinbank's great fortune continued as they claimed the under 16s title.
In the soccer, Warragul United made a brilliant start to their year, scoring a 10-0 win over Mazenod FC. Incredibly, United already had six goals on the board before half-time.
The seventh annual charity golf day was a raging success, raising $24,000 for the West Gippsland Hospital and the Warragul District Specialist School.
Trafalgar had a strong presence in the Victorian teams at the National Polocrosse Championships in Ballarat, with 12 club players selected in teams ranging from under 12s through to masters.
In the midweek bowls finals, Trafalgar took out division one as Newborough swept divisions two through four.
Newborough's success continued in the Saturday pennant, as they claimed the division one grand final. Morwell won division two, Garfield won division three, Traralgon won division four, Churchill won division five and Trafalgar won division six.

APRIL
The Iona Cricket Club made history as they inducted its first life members in its 27-year history.
Bob Rogers, Russell Ferguson, Jeanette Ferguson, Michael Neilson, Luke Ferguson, Andrew Davidson and Daniel Tomasetti all had their names etched on the club's new honour board.
Football season began in earnest, with Warragul and Drouin failing to get off to winning starts in the Gippsland League. The Gulls went down to Moe in a competitive match, while the Hawks were demolished by Traralgon.
Neerim-Neerim South opened their year with a win in the Ellinbank District Football League, scoring a narrow 15-point victory over Buln Buln in what turned out to be a grand final preview.
In the netball, Drouin scored a strong win over Maffra in A grade, as did the Warragul Industrials and Ellinbank in their respective season openers.
The tennis season wrapped up, with Drouin Gold winning the Riverside section one doubles, Moe Blue claiming the section one singles and Hallora taking out the section two doubles.
It was a case of striking gold for local brothers Glenn and Grant Pask, along with mate Jamie Baxter, when their greyhound Vice Grip took out first place in the Group 1 Sky Racing Perth Cup final, with a $150,000 prize on offer.
The Mid Gippsland Football League kicked off a week after the other leagues, as Hill End claimed victory at Mirboo North for the first time since 1999.
Former Longwarry, Warragul and Nyora footballer Brett Osler was selected to represent Australia in AFL Europe's Anzac Cup game against France.
The Neerim Wolves made it a double in the junior basketball as they won both the under 10 and under 12 grand finals in the Warragul District Junior Basketball Association.
In harness racing, Gippsland born and bred driver Michelle Phillips returned home to secure an emotional win in Easter Sunday's $35,000 Warragul Pacing Bowl Cup.
The Gippsland League's Western Derby saw Drouin take the senior football honours over Warragul in the 100th meeting between the clubs.
Local identity Bruce Pratt umpired his 500th game. It's been a long and illustrious career for Bruce, who first began umpiring in 1998.

MAY
Junior sport was in full swing, as kids of all ages got involved in their local netball, football and soccer teams. This included the Drouin Dragons Soccer Club, whose under 14s looked impressive as they demolished Wonthaggi 6-0.
Sunny weather greeted the Warragul Swimming Club as they competed in the Victorian Age Championships and Victorian Country All Junior event.
Nicolette Wight and Callum Halloran-Lavelle also made the journey to Adelaide for the Australian Age Championships.
Players throughout Victoria descend on Warragul for the croquet club's singles tournament. Drouin's Bob Quayle scored a win in the section two competition.
Samantha Atkinson's success in bowls continued as she teamed up with fellow Drouin players Maureen Leighton and Sheryl Atkinson to win gold at the Victorian State Triples Championship at Bendigo.
This followed Samantha claiming third in the women's singles and the mixed doubles events, as well as fifth in the women's fours.
Wet weather proved a great equaliser in the Gippsland League football, as the Warragul Gulls played a brilliant pressure game to win their first match of the year against Traralgon.
Longwarry's C grade netball side featured not one, but two, mother-daughter combinations taking to the court.
Renee McDonald played alongside her daughter Chloe Browney while Debbie Hickford lined up with daughter Jessica Hickford. The duos proved a lethal combo too, as Longwarry defeated Yarragon 73-20.
Warragul local Damien Smith earned the chance to trade the streets of Warragul for the shores of Hawaii as he qualified for the Ironman World Championship thanks to a great showing in Port Macquarie.
Trafalgar Football Club claimed bragging rights in the Waterloo Cup as their senior side downed Yarragon by 14 points. It was a competitive match, but some poor goalkicking from the Panthers ultimately handed the Bloods another one-up in their historic rivalry.
Ex-AFL superstar Dane Swan pulled on the boots for Nyora in the EDFL. Although he couldn't help them secure the win due to a nine-goal haul from Lang Lang's Daniel Lewis.

JUNE
Ellinbank netballer Joanne Gaul became the first player to achieve 500 club games in a blue and yellow dress in June.
The popular figure on and off the court has achieved a netball record many can only dream of - 11 premierships, league A grade best and fairest, 13 club best and fairest awards and life membership, all for her beloved Eagles.
The Dusties youth girls football team won an absolute thriller, scoring a late goal to seal victory over Bairnsdale.
Garfield Stars had no chance of even formulating a proper plan as they faced a team boasting ex-AFL legend Shaun Burgoyne.
In the polocrosse, two locals went international, as Angus Templeton and Taylor Radford, both from Trafalgar, represented Australia in test series competitions against New Zealand.
They weren't the only ones aiming big in their sport, as Gippsland Strikers players Zizi Pozzebon and Bianca Zurrer were chosen to represent the School Sports Victoria under 16s team at the hockey national championships.
The Drouin Hawks put their plans for the future in place early, as they appointed Brent Clinnick as their 2023 senior football coach.
Gippsland League enjoyed one of the most thrilling rounds of football you'll ever see, as four of its five round 10 matches being decided by margins under 10 points. The only exception was Drouin's loss to Maffra, which even then was a mere 11 points.
Mercedes Ince made the pitch at Pakenham her playhouse for an afternoon as she scored a hattrick during the Warragul United women's team's 6-0 victory over the home team.