The Willowfest Australian Country Cricket Championships has named former Australian Test cricket Ian Callen as the 2012 Ambassador.
Willowfest, held annually in Mildura between Christmas and the New Year, is one of the only cricket carnivals of its type in Australia.
Celebrating 35 years this year, Callen has been a regular at Willowfest carnivals over the years.
“To be asked to do it is a real honour, I’m pleased especially in the 35th year because it’s a significant milestone in Willowfest history,” Callen said.
“I would be encouraging everyone who has been involved in Willowfest to take part in the celebrations and get up to Mildura.
“We all know what a wonderful place it is and it has always been a great venue for a lot of people at that time of year to get up there and spend some time relaxing.”
One of Callen’s imprints he has left on Willowfest has been the invention of the Willowfest Whack, which continues to be one of the highlights of the four-day carnival.
Held in the evening of the third day of the carnival, the Whack sees which cricketer is the biggest ‘whacker’ of the carnival, with past measurements being up to 110m.
“It was an idea to keep people back after play to have a few drinks and get to know each other and it’s still going strong,” he said.
“It was always good to go back and have few quite beers and meet different people so that just adds something further to the week.”
Callen has been one of the key figureheads in Willowfest’s 35-year history, from playing, coaching and even sponsoring.
Callen said he remembers one particular Willowfest carnival that helped spark some much needed bowling form.
“I had a really poor pre-Christmas and I really needed to do something about it so I went to Willowfest to get some bowling under my belt,” he said.
“I started taking a few wickets and I bowled myself into some form and I went back to district cricket for Northcote and I think I took about 40 wickets after Christmas and we won the premiership.”
Willowfest president Anthony Telfer said not only was Callen a great Willowfest cricketer, but he was also a great character of the carnival.
“I remember playing against Ian back in the mid 80s in Willowfest where he was one of the quickest bowlers I had faced,” Telfer said.
“Then in 1996 I played against him when he was playing for Carlton and he had obviously dropped a yard or two, but even then he was an innovator of the game.
“He had the captain of Carlton wired with a two-way style radio and was
coaching and making suggestions from the boundary.”
Telfer said to secure Callen as the 2012 ambassador was a great coup for Willowfest.
“Previously we have had former international cricketers who had never participated in Willowfest be our ambassadors,” he said.
“To secure Ian, a former international high-profile cricketer, as ambassador who had previously played a number of years in Willowfest is simply fantastic for Willowfest.
“I’m sure he will have some great stories
and experience of his times as both an international cricketer and former player of Willowfest.”
The 2012 Willowfest carnival will kick off on December 27.
Teams and players interested in registering in this year’s carnival are encouraged to visit www.willowfest.com.au.
