By RUSSELL BENNETT
THE Nyora Cricket Club is down, but not yet out.
The playing list has been decimated by departures, and the club is without a vice president or a coach – all extremely worrying signs as many clubs around the West Gippsland Cricket Association begin their pre-seasons.
But Maroons president Blair Lynch is adamant his club will get there.
“Yes, it’s tough to survive, but we won’t be falling off the face of the earth,” he told the Gazette earlier this week.
The Maroons have lost up to 90 per cent of last season’s Sub-District side and a drop from around 40 club players down to just 17 has meant they’ll realistically be looking to field two senior teams this season instead of three.
But Blair remains optimistic that a “full restructure” of the board – which now includes some of the club’s talented young players – will help take the Maroons into an exciting new era.
He said he understood why so many players left over the off-season, with many keen to try their hand at turf cricket. Like some other smaller WGCA clubs, a real issue for Nyora is its sheer location.
“A lot of our players were living in Endeavour Hills and Dandenong, those sorts of areas,” Blair explained.
“One guy lives in Murrumbeena and he’s been at the club for 20-odd years.
“The fact is we’re a small community and we’re not getting any bigger.
“Half of our players are over the age of 40 and most others are between the age of 18 and 28.”
A lack of junior players is hurting the Maroons badly, and Blair says the club is “about three months behind schedule” in its search for a new coach.
He spoke to his wife Shona prior to the season and they both again committed to helping the club stay afloat. While Blair will lead the club, Shona will be right by his side as secretary.
“It’s not just us though – everyone is getting to work and chipping in,” Blair said.
“We’ve got to stick together.”
While the Maroons lack for quantity in their juniors, they definitely don’t lack for quality – with two up-and-comers, at just 12 and 13 years-of-age respectively, set to play senior cricket in 2014/15.
“The club is in trouble, clearly, but we’re here to stay – we refuse to fold,” Blair said.
“Loyal players will stick by us and keep us going.”
Last season the Maroons fielded Sub District, E Grade, and One Day senior sides with both the Sub District and E Grade teams earning semi-final appearances. Clearly it’s in the club’s best interests to field those three sides again and the Maroons have put the call out for players of all abilities and ages to jump on board. Their coaching search also continues, while the committee still needs to fill its vice president, online data coordinator and junior coordinator positions.
For more information, call Blair on 0408 254 106 or Shona on 0409 941 250.
