Who did/do you play for

[Twodogs]

Most of us seem to have played cricket. A few of us are still plying their trade so which clubs have you played for?


I started at Footscray YMCA and played u/14s for two years. Another club offered me the chance to play seniors so at the ripe old age of 13 I requested a clearance to Footscray ANA where I promptly broke my jaw, actually the opposition quick did it for me, in my first open age game. The sledging toward me in the first junior game we played against my old team was incredible-kids can be so cruel!


I played twelve or thirteen years at ANA and well more than 100 games and held a couple of club fielding records in a couple of grades until I discovered sex, drugs and rock'n'roll and decided cricket was to much of an impost on my social life. I played one unspectacular game at a club whose name I cant remember, I can only recall that they kept the salt and vinegar chips in the fridge, and then didnt pick up a bat for nearly twenty years.

I continued to regail my then wife with stories of my prowess and finally she called my bluff. She found an article in the local paper about a club looking for players and told me it was time to stop telling her how good I was and start proving it. I rang the number and have spent the last three years losing myself in club culture and enjoying every second of it. The club I play for now is called The Reds. We play in the Mercantile association on magnificent turf wickets around the city. I'd forgotten just how much I loved playing this game and how difficult, demanding and downright hypnotic it can be.

[The Coon Dog]

Re: Who did/do you play for

Growing up in Braybrook I used to go to Totty North Primary School. Totty Tech was right next to it so I started playing with the kids that trained there.

We played in the Western Suburbs Churches comp. which meant we played on Saturdays only. My club was Totty Baps (Tottenham Baptists). There were only 2 clubs in our comp who were any good, us & Barkly Street. Fair dinkum the rivalry between the 2 teams was like Carlton & Collingwood. Alf Murray ruled our club & Jack law ruled Barkly Street.

The worst aspect was that we played on the mats as as the home team we had to take the mats out before hand & peg them in, then take them out & carry them back to the clubrooms/trailer after stumps. They were bloody heavy, particularly if it rained.

As kids we played u12's, u14's & u16's in the morning. I usually went to the fish & chip shop in South Road for lunch then turned up in the afternoon to play C Grade. Fun times, great memories & terrific people who contributed to a great club culture.

[Twodogs]

Re: Who did/do you play for

As kids we played u12's, u14's & u16's in the morning. I usually went to the fish & chip shop in South Road for lunch then turned up in the afternoon to play C Grade. Fun times, great memories & terrific people who contributed to a great club culture.

For about three years I played two games every saturday and trained 5 nights a week.

[Sockeye Salmon]

Re: Who did/do you play for

All of my junioprs at Melton.

Seniors were mostly at Gellibrand on Dougie Pde.

I spent 3 years in Adelaide playing for Athelstone (later called Torrens Valley) on ATCA. Except for living in Adelaide, it was the three most enjoyable years of cricket - heaps of runs and even managed 11 wickets one year bowling the worst leg breaks you've ever seen, and that was before Warnie made it trendy.

[Twodogs]

Re: Who did/do you play for

All of my junioprs at Melton.

Seniors were mostly at Gellibrand on Dougie Pde.

I spent 3 years in Adelaide playing for Athelstone (later called Torrens Valley) on ATCA. Except for living in Adelaide, it was the three most enjoyable years of cricket - heaps of runs and even managed 11 wickets one year bowling the worst leg breaks you've ever seen, and that was before Warnie made it trendy.

One thing that amazed me when I took the game up again after my 20 year sabbatical was how many blokes bowled leg spin! The first time around leg spin was what you bowled at training when you were to tired to bowl medium pacers anymore or it got to dark for the batsmen to see the quicks properly.


The other two aspects that didnt use to exist was velcro belts on pads (hooray!) and stretching before training and playing.

[dog town]

Re: Who did/do you play for

I live in Sunbury but play for Diggers Rest which is just outside Sunbury. Generally bat anywhere in the top 4 and field in either second slip or any other catching position I can. I dont even bowl at training due to having bad shoulders from footy and could not bowl to save myself when I could roll my arm over. Cant really throw either hence the mainly catching positions in the field. Had a pretty ordinary year with the bat last year. Spent plenty of time at the crease and got alot of starts but couldn't crack it for a big one. Pretty solid sort of a batsmen with not alot of flair.

[Go_Dogs]

Re: Who did/do you play for

I played cricket in junior school, from years 5-7, I was the only year 6 selected in the year 7 A side. I was a tall, leg spin baller. My best figures I recorded during these years were 4/9. I was also a reasonably handy batsmen, technically pretty sound but not overly aggressive and ferocious with my batting, which probably held me back a bit in the juniors. After this I played tennis for half a season, before taking up rowing which took all of my time up from that point till I had finished school.

Over the past 2 years I've played indoor for a few teams just in recreational competition, but it has been great to get out there again and be involved in some cricket.

I would love to go out and play outdoor again, but it's so time consuming. Perhaps when I'm a bit older.

[The Coon Dog]

Re: Who did/do you play for

One thing that amazed me when I took the game up again after my 20 year sabbatical was how many blokes bowled leg spin!

My son is 9. He plays for the local club in the U-11's, Werribee Centrals. At training he was one of 3 of them bowling leggies!!

He played last season. It was terrific. 10 kids per team. 20 overs per innings. All kids bowl 2 overs. Each over they move anti-clockwise & after their over fielding at mid off, they bowl the next over. They bat as a pair for 4 overs, facing 3 balls per over from all 4 bowlers. At that age it's all about participation. Works bloody well too!

[hargs37]

Re: Who did/do you play for

Played a little out in the east at Knox City and recently at UFTG. Played mainly lower grades as Baseball on sundays was the main game.

[Mantis]

Re: Who did/do you play for

Played for Wyndham Vale in the Willi comp from the age of about 8 to 21. I then played for Williamstown in the VSDCA for about 5 years, had 2 years back at Wyndham Vale and have spent the last 2 or 3 years at Willi again.

I am semi-retired at present, playing golf instead.

[The Underdog]

Re: Who did/do you play for

Played about 5 years of junior cricket at St Andrews Gardiner in Glen Iris area.
Then played one for Upwey-Tecoma.
Then I started getting drunk on weekends and sticking to footy cos I was ok at it.

Just last week I had a massive urge to play again. Can't imagine I'd be too flash, however I work too many saturday nights to really make it worthwhile. I get the feeling I'm gonna get to 50 and wish I'd played more footy (probably to late for that) and cricket.