By Russell Bennett
The 33-game losing streak of the Nar Nar Goon Maryknoll first XI will be a thing of the past at the conclusion of Round 1 of the new West Gippsland Cricket Association (WGCA) season if the Marygoons’ new captain-coach has anything to say about it.
The last time the Marygoons won was in Round 9 of the 2014/15 WGCA season against Officer. Following that is the current streak.
The club should be down and out – but it isn’t.
The players should be completely spiritless – but they’re not.
Daniel Glen, last season’s playing-coach, still describes the Spencer Street club as his favourite place to play.
“I just love it, and that’s with me not really having played with any of these boys before,” he said recently.
“It’s turned into a good place to be, and it honestly probably shouldn’t be because of our lack of success in the ones.
“It should be a bit flat, but it’s just not. The boys’ ability to bounce back continuously after getting beaten and beaten is just incredible.
“They train twice a week, they show up on game day, they give 100 per cent and it’s just a shame that we don’t have enough depth for those boys to be able to play in the twos and be able to develop.”
The Marygoons put the call out last month for a new playing-coach, with Glen unable to commit to the role due to work, study, and personal commitments.
Kyle Dorman answered.
He’s come across from Korumburra in the Leongatha District Cricket Association – where he made 262 runs in A Grade last season – with a plan for the future already mapped out.
He’s focussed on developing the Marygoons’ players, and implementing a winning culture across the club right from Round 1 next season, and he’s bringing with him another couple of former Korumburra players – playing assistant Daniel Salmon, and Scott Hayes.
The trio’s cricketing journey together dates back to their junior days.
“I’m definitely looking forward to the captain-coach role,” Dorman told the Gazette from his new Spencer Street base on Sunday.
“I want to take that step up with my leadership, and as far as where the club was last year goes, I found that to be the perfect platform to come in on because we can build the group up.
“That was the biggest drawcard, and the boys who came over with me feel the same.
“We can build the guys up, put in place some winning habits, and hopefully build a winning culture to take that step up.
“We want to get up into Premier.”
Dorman hopes that the Marygoons can stay in the District division for the upcoming season, given their improved depth and with more player signings expected.
“Winning is important, but we want to see the club building from within,” he said.
“We don’t want to just come in, buy a few wins, and take off.
“We want to build a club, but breaking that 33-game losing streak is my number one priority to start with – I want that gone in Round 1.”
Korumburra’s captain-coach last season was former Kooweerup premiership captain-coach, Michael ‘Doofy’ Giles.
