By RUSSELL BENNETT
BACK in the day, Kooweerup Cricket Club legend Matt Davey made his top flight debut for the Demons just two days after his 15th birthday.
And on Saturday, some 25 years later, Matt’s son Mitch debuted for Kooweerup’s Premier team on his 15th birthday – lining up in the same side as his old man.
Matt is one of the most credentialed players in Kooweerup’s history – there’s not much he hasn’t achieved – but Saturday was a first for him, and a particularly special moment.
“I’m definitely very proud,” he told the Gazette, less than two hours before lining up alongside Mitch against Upper Beaconsfield.
“It’s probably happened a little bit earlier than expected too.”
Matt coached Mitch in the Demons’ under-16 side on Saturday before they both faced the Maroons later that afternoon.
Mitch is already heavily involved in the representative cricket scene – including the South East Sharks, and at Vic Country.
The tall, left-arm seam bowling all-rounder seems to have finally overcome the injury concerns that plagued him last season – having battled Osgood-Schlatter Disease (OSD), a painful knee condition that affects growing youngsters. He shows plenty of real promise in the next few years as he continues to develop.
Matt admits that, with his own calf injury this season and a lack of form, he started to question whether he’d get the chance to play alongside Mitch in Premier – particularly given that he’ll be 40 in two weeks. But he top-scored for the Demons with a stellar 83 on Saturday, including putting on a 39-run stand with Mitch for the seventh wicket.
Matt said he was continually amazed at the speed in which Kooweerup’s youngsters – including Mitch – were improving in their cricket.
“There’s Mitch Cammarano, Cody Miller and Jason Cox as well,” he said.
“Hopefully a few kids will get rotated through that Premier side this year and if they get their chance and take it they’ll probably stay in.
“We’re in a pretty good position where we can bring some kids in this year. If we’re not playing that well – as we haven’t been – then it’s probably the perfect time to do that.”
Matt said Mitch had grown up around the club, and learnt from the likes of Chris O’Hara and Michael Giles. Now he’s also learning from new recruit Jess Mathers.
“The good thing with Mitch is that he probably doesn’t listen to me, but he listens to those guys,” Matt laughed.
“I don’t mind that. My dad coached me as well and I was the same.
“As long as he’s learning, it doesn’t matter who it’s from.”
Matt played a few games alongside his dad Graham, or ‘Daisy’ as he’s commonly known, in C Grade.
“That was great for me – playing with him and guys like Ron and Jack Ingram,” he said.
“That’s the way you learn your trade out in the middle.”
And while Matt and Mitch both made their top flight debuts in eerily similar fashion around their 15th birthdays, there was one notable difference – as Matt was more than willing to point out.
“I said to Mitch the only difference is that I took seven-for in the twos the week before and he got none!” he said.
But he was just as quick to point out how proud he was of Mitch.
“Hopefully he goes well and stays in the side,” he said.
“If he gets a couple of wickets then who knows, he might stay there.
“If he goes well with us, they might look at that when it comes to his Vic trials as well.”
