John Ballesty

John Ballesty (Born 20th May, 1945 Sydney suburb of Strathfield, Australia).

Ballesty was an Australian rugby union player who also played rugby league for the Eastern Suburbs club.

Ballesty has the distinction of being the first Australian representative to come from the Eastwood rugby union club. In 1968, Ballesty kicked the match winning field goal in a test match against the French. The five-eighth played in 9 tests for the Wallabies before switching codes.

In 1970 Ballesty joined the Eastern Suburbs club where he joined former Wallabies team mates John Brass and Alan Cardy. In 1972 he was try scorer in the Eastern Suburbs team that lost to Manly Warringah in that year's grand final and received the player of the year award from rugby leagues major publication, "Rugby League Week". While at Easts he trained in club management before retiring from playing at the end of the 1973 season.

Ballesty returned to Eastwood rugby union club where he served as secretary manager for two years before joining the Canterbuy Bankstown Leagues Club in 1982 as General Manager. He remains general manager at Canterbury Leagues currently, it is financially Australia's largest single club.

Ballesty is married with 4 children, Martin, Brendan, Scott and Kate.

References

The Encyclopedia Of Rugby League Players; Alan Whiticker & Glen Hudson