East Gippsland’s 12th Biggest Ever Blokes BBQ lunch last Friday saw 300 men gather in Cremin Hall for lunch and entertainment with comedian Dave O’Neil, AFL hall of famer Dermott Brereton, Australian tennis star Mark Philippoussis and veteran broadcast journalist and Channel 7 news reader Nick McCullum.
Nick drew the best out of a retired Philippoussis and a more flamboyant Brereton while O’Neil had the crowd laughing the afternoon away.
It was a full house at Cremin Hall with the 300 men sitting down for lunch supporting prostate cancer research and Bairnsdale’s prostate cancer specialist nurse, Ashley Leach.
According to Big Blokes BBQ committee chairman, Bob Yeates, this year’s event will probably be nearly as financially successful as 2023 when the event raised a net $80k split between the local cancer specialist nurse and the prostate cancer research foundation of Australia. “Without the wonderful support of the local business community and the great band of volunteers in the preparation and delivery of the lunch for the day and the energetic and resourceful committee, the event would never have enjoyed the consistent local support over the years,” he said.

IMAGE: Michael Osmond, Dave Lugton, Denis Gerrard and Adrian Chila were out and about drumming up support for the Prostate Cancer Foundation of Australia at last Friday’s East Gippsland Biggest Blokes BBQ at the St Mary’s Catholic Church yard prior to the highly successful luncheon at Cremin Hall. More photos pages 10 and 11.