John Ballesty
John Patrick Ballesty (born 20 May 1945) in Strathfield, New South Wales is an Australian former national representative rugby union player who also played first-grade rugby league with the Eastern Suburbs club.
Rugby union
Ballesty was Eastwood's first Wallaby test player and the third Australian national representative to come from the Eastwood Rugby Club when he debuted against the All Blacks in Sydney in June 1968. That same year he kicked the match winning field goal in a Test match against the France. He played in 9 tests between 1968 and 1969 for the Wallabies at fly-half before switching codes. He captained Australia in three minor matches in 1969.[1]
Rugby league
In 1970 Ballesty joined the Eastern Suburbs club alongside former Wallaby team mates John Brass and Alan Cardy. In 1972 he was a try-scorer in the Roosters side that lost to Manly Warringah in that year's Grand final and he received the Player of the Year award from Australian rugby league's major publication, Rugby League Week. While at Easts he trained in club management before leaving to play for the Queanbeyan Blues under his Roosters coach Don Furner at the end of the 1973 season.
After football
Ballesty returned to the Eastwood Rugby Union Club in 1980 where he held the role of Secretary-Manager for two years before joining the Canterbury Bankstown Leagues Club in 1982 as General Manager. He remains General Manager at Canterbury Leagues currently, it is financially Australia's largest single licensed club. He is married with 4 children, Martin, Brendan, Scott and Kate.
Sources
- ↑ Howell p13
Bibliography
- Howell, Max (2005) Born to Lead - Wallaby Test Captains, Celebrity Books, Auckland NZ
- Whiticker, Alan & Hudson, Glen (2006) The Encyclopedia of Rugby League Players, Gavin Allen Publishing, Sydney