Vale Joe Lodding

RIP RAMBLERS’ ELDER STATESMAN

Joe Lodding, the man who brought the Ramblers Club to Canberra, has passed away over the weekend.

In the 1970s, Joe and Barb Lodding – herself an institution in Canberra Capitals’ folklore – stopped over in Canberra en route to Sydney from Griffith to begin a new life. They never left – and both have made significant contributions to basketball in the ACT.

As part of settling in to their newly adopted home they also moved into the Canberra basketball community and thought it would be good to establish a club modelled on their Griffith club – the Ramblers. What eventuated was one of the strongest clubs in Canberra throughout the halcyon 1980 days and on to today where Charnwood Ramblers still operates as one of the biggest clubs in the ACT.

Canberra led Australian basketball through the 80s with the Canberra Cannons one of the game’s powerhouses and the Canberra Capitals moving into the WNBL, also coinciding with the Australian Institute of Sport having a prominent influence in the sport. Ramblers revelled in the environment with Barb and Joe both prominent in the club and ACT basketball.

Barb’s role as long-term manager of the Capitals is well recognised in the Caps’ rise and success – and celebrated. Joe, apart from being the spiritual leader of the Ramblers (in more ways than one) also worked closely with the ACT Academy program, including as their manager and bus driver for many years (in a less spiritual role).

Their Ramblers’ legacy saw many players and coaches at the club going on to NBL, national and international success – names such as Guy Molloy, Rob Beveridge, John Stelzer, Tony Wall, Michelle Hocking, Tina Stelzer, Dave Nelson and Mark Warmington among many.

Vale Joe Lodding, passed away at age 80, survived by Barb, Shauna and Patrick.

*   *   *   *   *   *   *