Wayne’s Hard News - 2007 NABBA/WFF Australia report and results.

This month my Hard News is a report on my return to shooting the NABBA/WFF Nationals. Here is my report and the complete results. Some photos will be added when received from the official photographer. My special thanks to Tina Gallasch and Graeme Lancefield for their support and help on the day. Graeme commissioned the special Australian NABBA Universe winners DVD, released at the Nationals along with his NABBA/WFF magazine. Please click here for full details on these items. For the full contest results please click here.

2007 NABBA/WFF Australia report and results.

The NABBA/WFF Australian Bodybuilding & Fitness Championships was staged by Graeme Lancefield in Melbourne on October 7th at the Camberwell Civic Centre. This venue has become the Mecca of Bodybuilding in the state of Victoria.  83 competitors took part and it was the highest standard seen for some years.

Here are a few highlights that I can recall, in that I was behind the video camera all day, as GMV will be producing the event DVDs again, same as we did for many years on video. Not every class winner can be named of course but all winners were thoroughly deserving of their titles. It was a wonderful event with MC Nick Jones doing a tremendous job.

THE MEN

MASTERS DIVISIONS

In the Masters Over 40 years it was a resounding victory to DARREN SMITH of Tassie. Darren later went on to take the overall title of Mr. Australia for 2007. I believe this has only been done once before when Kim Johncock also won the Overall Mr. Australia title from the Masters Over 40 class.

In the WFF Masters over 60 winner HENRY WEST was outstanding and over 70 winner RAYMOND MOON could only be described as incredible. He will be 80 later this year! 

TEEN/JUNIOR CLASSES

In the Junior Class ADAM KENNEDY from Qld was a convincing winner while VICTOR ISKANDER from Victoria took out the teenage class.

MR. ATHLETIC OVER 35 CLASS

In this class, WAYNE WILSON now of Qld completely destroyed this class in the best condition I have ever seen from Wayne. Over the years I have filmed him many times in the WFF Universe in Germany but never in this condition. He was full yet lean and shredded. He does the rope and vacuum poses, 2 poses rarely seen these days.  If he can hold this quality of form and his physique next time he competes overseas, that elusive first place award should be his.

MR. ATHLETIC

There were 4 WFF classes here being the tightest part of the event. Class 4 went to ZAC AHMADYAR of WA, with Class 3 going to GLEN BAKER of WA and Class 2 going to my old friend IAN PERCIVAL of Adelaide, SA. Ian looked the best he has looked, shredded with nice size and overall shape. He also poses like a pro! Must be all those DVDs he studies.

Class 1 of this section went to ALASTAIR WHITE who would subsequently go on to take the overall crown in this hotly contested division.

NOVICE MEN

The class went down to the wire with DONNY HENDERSON-SMITH of Victoria taking it from a young guy with huge potential called GLENN GATTELLARO of S.A.  Donny had the more defined legs and Glen has the better genetics and will go on and be a major force in the near future. To picture what Glenn looks like, he is the spitting image of a young Paul DeMayo!

MR. CLASS 4

This year the class was down a bit in numbers, but that did not take away from MICHAEL GALLEY of Qld who was a worthy winner.

MR. CLASS 3

This was the “Rolls Royce” class with JASON BEDNARZ of SA winning with his silky smooth physique, displaying perfect symmetry, incredible abs and the best overall condition of any man in the whole contest.  It was a richly deserved victory and I hope he will take the opportunity to compete in the Amateur Mr. Universe in Southport, England on October 27th.  All major NABBA winners from this contest qualify for the NABBA Universe and WFF winners qualify for the WFF Worlds in November.

MR. CLASS 2

MIKE HOLTON of Victoria won this class quite convincingly from SERGE DESANTIS who did not take his defeat very well. Serge was great but lacked separation in the legs and was overall a little too soft and carrying water under the skin.  

MR. CLASS 1

The 2 tall guys turned it on this year with the huge ripped South Aussie TONY GRIFFEN having a little too much size and shape for RICK MOORE of the ACT. A well deserved Australian title for Tony who has worked hard for this for a number of years.

OVERALL MR AUSTRALIA

DARREN SMITH took the title quite clearly from in my opinion runner-up Mile Holton, with Jason and Tony pushing them very hard. Jason had the condition and Darren had the huge size, muscle maturity and pretty good condition. I hope he does well at the Universe. Jason can win this overall title with a fraction more size if he hold his razor-sharp condition.
BTW our leg workout with Ronnie Coleman was shot at Jason’s Powerhouse Gym in Adelaide, exactly 2 years ago.

THE WOMEN

FIGURE OVER 35

This class saw a huge battle between former NABBA Universe Physique class winner in TAYLOR YOUNG of NSW and the eventual winner KAREN JEFFREY of Qld. Taylor still “had the goods” but the judges seemed to prefer the sleek lines of Jeffrey.

FIGURE CLASS 2

It was a hard fought victory for CHRISTINE HAJJAR of WA over the perennial champion and 2001 Miss Universe Figure champion, TERRI ROBERTS of S.A.   Both women looked fantastic and it will be interesting to see if these placing get reversed at the Universe.

FIGURE CLASS 1

There is no stopping LEIGH JARRETT of South Australia as she dominated her class and made it a double for the Prospect Powerhouse Gym. Leigh competed at the Universe several years ago with distinction.

However CHRISTINE HAJJAR took the overall Figure Miss Australia title and will no doubt do very well at the Universe this year. Her posing style was a little different and was most entertaining. I am sure she will win her Universe class if she persists.

MISS PHYSIQUE

The winner was MARIAN WILFORD of Sydney and coached by Charles Duca. Her physique was mature, symmetrical and quite outstanding with incredible calves and quads. She also won the Lou Barrie Most Charismatic Award. Not to mention a very nice posing routine for the appreciative audience.

WFF MISS FITNESS/ATHLETIC/GLAMOUR Classes

There were many classes for the WFF women too numerous to mention in great detail. Every single competitor was a credit to the sport and to herself and provided a wonderful competition.

The overall Results were as follows:

WFF MISS GLAMOUR    GEORGIA THEOPHILOS         
             
WFF MISS FITNESS    BROOKE DUNLOP                                                                                                 
             
WFF OVERALL MEN    ALASTAIR  WHITE                 
                                                                                                                                                                                                                          
 WFF OVERALL WOMEN    ELLENA TSATSOS                  
            
NABBA WOMEN OVERALL    CHRISTINE HAJJAR        
                     
NABBA MEN OVERALL WINNER    DARREN SMITH       
                    
LOU BARRIE Most Charismatic Award    MARIAN WILFORD