Everybody’s talking

Glenn Marinic has returned as Beaconsfield Cricket Club coach for season 2014-15. 117338 Picture: JARROD POTTER

By RUSSELL BENNETT

THE rumours are true … to an extent.
The Beaconsfield Cricket Club has been arguably the most talked about in local circles since the last West Gippsland Cricket Association (WGCA) season wrapped up in March, and for good reason.
A key group of its premiership-winning District side has departed – for the most part headed to Aura Vale in the Ferntree Gully and District Cricket Association.
Wicket keeper Matt Brown will coach the Lakers from this season with middle-order batsman Troy McDermott signing on as captain and former Tigers stalwart Jason Dodd also helping out the FTGDCA club.
McDermott scored 467 runs in District last season at an average of 35.92 – with a highest score of 154 – and took 14 wickets at 18.57; while Dodd averaged 24.43 with the willow and took 29 wickets at just 14.17. That’s a lot of firepower gone.
Tigers club treasurer Mick McMahon said: “There certainly have been players who’ve left for various reasons – most of them family-oriented – and it all just seemed to happen at once,” he said.
“We’ve never been the sort of club to not clear players (who wanted to go elsewhere).
“Doddy wasn’t going to play this season but he’ll help out at Aura Vale.
“He always knows where home is.”
Top-order stabiliser Brad Miles – another Tigers favourite – has taken a step back from cricket due to his hectic schedule as a police officer and he, too, will be a massive loss on the eve of the club’s return to the Premier grade. He belted 498 runs in District last season at a shade under 50, including two hundreds and a half-century.
“It’s definitely an interesting time in the next couple of years,” McMahon said of his club.
“We’re moving into turf (competition) for the younger ones and that’s where the club is heading.
“Over time, the sorts of players between 25 and 35 won’t be playing in ones or twos.
“There are a lot of kids in between 17 and 24-years-old now who will be.”
Beaconsfield unashamedly wants to emulate Pakenham, which has an exciting young core to build around for years to come. McMahon said over the next two to three seasons, it’s all about development for the Tigers.
But, having returned to Premier, they’re not interested in just making up the numbers.
Club coach Glenn Marinic – who scored 389 runs at 39 in District last season – has been reappointed for 2014-15, while run machine Brendan Johnson will also return.
The Berwick local took the WGCA by storm last season, scoring 803 runs in District at an average well in excess of 61.
McMahon can’t wait to see what Johnson can do in Premier competition after a brilliant 2013-’14 campaign in District.
“He’s a guy with a lot of talent and time at the crease, and he plays the ball along the ground,” McMahon said.
“He’s the perfect role model for our younger players – he leads by his actions.”
Looking forward over the next 12 months, the Tigers’ aims are clear: to be competitive in the Premier grade, to fast-track junior development and to start focussing on the move to turf cricket. The Gazette understands that the Tigers are currently at the point of negotiating the best time to put their turf wicket in.
“There’s definitely a lot of work going on behind the scenes,” McMahon said.
Beaconsfield will take on a new venture – the Milo T20 Blast – this season and will have six junior sides and five seniors, plus the over 35s in the DDCA masters competition.