By David Nagel
Tooradin claimed its second CCCA Premier Division flag in three years on Sunday with a stunning eight-wicket victory over Pakenham.
The premiership meant so much to the players; from three-time heroes Cal O’Hare, Tom Hussey and Dylan Sutton, right through to Mick and Peter Sweeney who played in their first-ever flag together.
We caught up with the players as the celebrations began at the Tooradin Recreation Reserve on Sunday.
MICK SWEENEY (CAPTAIN) – FIRST-EVER PREMIERSHIP
Skipper Mick Sweeney couldn’t wipe the smile off his face after living the dream of playing in his first-ever premiership, alongside his brother Peter.
He came to the crease and played a sublime innings, full of intent, to complement the great platform built by Cal O’Hare, Josh Lownds and Peter Sweeney.
“It was the perfect finish to a great season; we couldn’t have asked for much more and it’s certainly living up to expectations.”
“Cal was already on a score when I got out there and had earned that right to have the fielders out.
“He hit the boundaries and had earned that defensive field, so if I was to come out and not score, they could have bowled maiden after maiden to me like we did.
“Even though I was new to the crease, I had to bat within the landscape that Cal had already set.
“He played a hand in the way I went about it; his innings was really important in more ways than one.”
Josh Lownds and Peter Sweeney set the scene on Saturday, bowling 26 overs at one stage for 1/23.
“Josh has the ability to change his pace; and change his flight and angle with the same arm action.”
“We seemed to have the field in the right spot and it was a vital part of the match.
“It built pressure and meant Pakenham was always under that pressure to build a score.
“Pakenham has some great players; so it was great to get there in the end.”
CAL O’HARE – OPENING BAT/101*/LEX DUFF MEDALIST
“This is what we play for and it’s been a great bunch of blokes all year, and to look at the sidelines towards the end of the game and see so many smiling faces, with two teams (A and B Grade) already home; it’s similar feelings to 11 years ago.
“From the day I made that 160 against Clyde I started watching the ball really hard and playing really straight.
“I went out a few times LBW to balls pitching on leg stump, but when I play straight that’s when I bat my best and that’s what I concentrated on.
“I’m not bowling much anymore; so putting more focus into my batting.
“I used to be a bowling all-rounder; but now all I bowl is pies, so batting is my number-one thing.”
O’Hare took two sharp catches; the opening two of the match to remover Jack Anning and Chris Smith.
“They were a good moments too.
“Let’s be honest, I’ve probably underachieved in finals over my career, but I’ve improved that performance the last couple of times.
“This is when you want to play your best cricket; so it’s very satisfying.
“It means everything; this club means so much to me.
“I’ve been here for 16 or 17 years now; heading towards the backend with maybe only a few years left, so it means so much to win this flag with so many great people.”
PETER SWEENEY – DELIVERED ON THE BIG STAGE
The lefty all-rounder played in a senior premiership at Dandenong in 2011, while his brother Mick was 12th man and missed out.
“I was 21, 22 winning a senior premiership at that age, and you think that’s what cricket is; you’re going to win them all the time.
“Since then, we’ve lost seven in a row in seniors; and I probably didn’t appreciate that 2011 flag as much as I should.
“It would have been great to play with Mick that day, but you can’t leave James Pattinson out and unfortunately it had to be Mick that missed out.
“I don’t think I can put this into words to be honest.
“It’s a really special day for the family; they’re the only words to describe it.”
Sweeney had a great battle with Pakenham skipper Dale Tormey on day one.
“I’ve known Dale since we were 10 or 11 years old, playing juniors together, all the way through to Dandenong…and he’s just a special talent.”
“He was a special player as a kid, and still is now, but as a bowler you want those battles and want to get the best player out.
“If you don’t want to get the best player out, you probably shouldn’t be bowling.
“Those battles are always special; even though he might have got the better of me yesterday.”
On his bowling partnership with Josh Lownds.
“It’s been nice bowling with Josh; we bowl a little bit differently; Josh is probably a bit cleverer with flight and things like that; he likes bowling with the wind, where I like bowling into it.
“On a ground with short straight boundaries like this, that’s not always a positive, but it all worked out well I suppose.”
Peter enjoyed the positive batting of his brother Mick on Sunday.
“That’s something that Mick has taken to his cricket in the last couple years; to play the way he wants to play, a higher risk game, but a game he is capable of playing.”
“When you’ve got guys like Huss and Russ, and Dyl Sutton coming behind you, you can play that higher-risk style and know there are players that have your back and can fix things up if it goes wrong.”
TOM HUSSEY – SETTLING INTO A NEW ROLE
The elegant right-hander was the number-one player at Tooradin for many years but is now content to sit back and play his role.
It’s taken some adjusting; but he’s now settled into the role beautifully.
“I used to walk out and open the batting every week, make my runs, but I don’t care about that anymore.
“I now care about when I make my runs, whether a 20 or 30 not out can help us win the game; that’s the important thing for me these days.
“Even if I’m zero not out and misfielded a few balls…I’m still happy; we’ve just won another flag and it feels unbelievable.
“Yes there was (a focus on him), but at the same time the team needed me to score and make plenty of runs back then
“It takes adjustment, but I seriously couldn’t care less about my own performance each week, just as long as I can help the team to get a win.
“Lowndsy (Josh Lownds) is as hard as anyone to get away and Pete (Sweeney) had the tough job into the breeze; and did a great job with a strong player like Dale at the crease.
“That was the plan, to grind, grind, grind, and the bowlers did a great job.”
On his great mate Cal O’Hare.
“His concentration is as good as anyone and you’re talking about a bloke who is 6’5; has long levers, and can bang them anywhere, but just bats within himself knowing that we need him to do that to anchor around.
“It was a very special moment and I hope there are a few nice photos to capture it.”
Josh Lownds – Opened/Bowled first change
The classy left-hand bat, right-arm offie, was involved in two of the great partnerships of the season; opening the batting with Cal O’Hare and sharing long spells with Peter Sweeney.
“It was great batting with Cal this year, picking the right bowlers, picking the right times of games, and even though we had a focus on getting through to tea, if there was a bowler we liked we’d take the opportunity to score quickly.
“We’d take the game on; he’d score quickly, then I’d score quickly, we just worked really well together.
“Pete always asks what I end I want, and I always pick the end with the breeze (chuckles), but to his credit he’s always stood up, bowled into the breeze and done the hard work, and finds a way to get wickets.
“He knows I’m at my best with the wind, tying an end up, and that helps us both at the end of the day.
“He’s been a pleasure to bowl with this year.
“It’s very surreal at the moment, but we had the Sweeney’s come in and we stuck to the same gameplan all year and just backed each other in; we played for each other and this is the icing on the cake.
“We’ve built a strong group that has all played with each other for quite a while now, we all know what our strengths and weaknesses are and we all stick to those.
“It’s unreal actually, it’s surreal, because we’ve won six premierships as a club, three seniors and three juniors, and we’re a whole club here, from juniors right through seniors, and to have the whole club come together tonight; it’s going to be special and one we won’t forget in a hurry.”
BEN PARROTT – WICKETKEEPER/PRESIDENT
Was the thinking in getting Mick and Peter Sweeney to the club?
“We felt we were missing an experienced bat or two through the middle order; if our top four or five didn’t make runs it didn’t leave a lot left.”
“Those two coming in really stretched out our depth; I was batting at 11 some weeks and I’d like to think I can bat a bit.
“To know that every player batting before you can get the job done; it’s a great feeling.
“Dylan Sutton at seven, Brad Butler at eight, these are really talented cricketers.
“Mick and Pete have added to that, but more importantly they’re great people; I couldn’t speak more highly of them both.”
Who are the unsung heroes behind the scenes?
“I have to think carefully about that one, because I don’t want to miss anyone, but people like Nicky Simpson, who looks after our juniors and cares so much about this club; Dave Adams, he’s been here every game doing scoring, and got a medal today because of that, and of course Barry Freeman.
“This club doesn’t function and have juniors without the likes of Barry Freeman.
“Benny Mantel, he’s moved from President to Secretary and been a great help to me; Tom Hussey has been a guiding figure, not just in cricket, but in life as well and Aaron Avery on the committee has been great.
“Everywhere you look there’s guidance and advice and more often than not it’s good advice.
“I’m only as good as the committee around me; and we’ve got a bloody good one.”
BRAD BUTLER – OPENING BOWLER
The lightning-quick opening bowler took his game to new levels in this year’s finals series, taking two five-wicket hauls, and attributes some of that to a greater understanding of the game.
“Having Mick and Pete in the side, blokes who have had a lot of coaching, is great because they’re able to transfer their knowledge across, which helps a lot.
“There are a lot of good local cricketers, but they haven’t had the training, so they don’t fully understand why they’re good cricketers.
“They just play; but Mick and Pete really understand the game and they’ve been great in that aspect this year.
“Mick has been really good with me, he understands how I bowl and he fills me with confidence, even if I go for a boundary or bowl a bit erratic.
“I’m in the side to take wickets, so he wants me to rip in, and that’s great for my confidence.
“If I’m being honest, I pretty much have three balls.
“Most of the time I’m trying to bowl the top of off stump, and hope natural variation helps, and then there’s the yorker and the short-one.
“I work on those three balls; but just playing a couple of years of two-day cricket now, bowling longer spells, helps you get into a rhythm and that helps with consistency a lot.
“It hasn’t sunk in yet, but right now it feels better than the first one due to the hard work in getting here and knowing that every year it doesn’t go your way.
“It’ll be a long night that’s for sure.”
BEN MANTEL – ROLE PLAYER/FORMER PRESIDENT
Ben Mantel played in the 2013 premiership, alongside Cal O’Hare, Tom Hussey and Dylan Sutton, but thought his top-flight days had come to an end.
“I thought I never play a Premier game again, but the opportunity came up when Huss got rubbed out and Mick asked me if I’d like to have a crack.”
“I said ‘bloody oath’, and he was great, he made me feel welcome, gave me a role in the team, made me feel part of it, and here we are today.
“My role (in 2013) was similar to this year, to bat if needed down low and bowl if things weren’t going well.
“To get another flag, 11 years after the last, is just unbelievable.
“The 2013 team was a great team, but this is the best team I’ve played in by a mile.
“It bats all the way down to 11, has eight bowling options, a great keeper in BJ, two great spin options; it’s a bloody hard team to beat.
“I’m 35 now and been at Tooradin for 27 years, so this is special.
“It’s a privilege and I feel blessed.
“My name probably doesn’t stack up with the other names on the list, but I feel really lucky and it’s a great thrill to be a part of it.
“As a club we have to be grateful for it and keep winning while we’re strong, because being strong doesn’t last forever.”
DYLAN SUTTON – THREE-TIME PREMIERSHIP STAR
“You look at scorecards from previous grand finals and it’s normally runs on the board that wins it, or teams chasing a mediocre score like we did in 2003, but I was super-confident last night, chasing 222, but knowing we only had to bat the way we did all season and we’d be a really good chance.
“Low wickets at tea; then forge on from there, that’s been the plan all season.
“It’s a great problem to have, but the hardest thing about Tooradin is that we have so many all-rounders, we probably need a couple of bowlers that just bowl, and batters that just bat (laughs).
“We have quality players batting in positions they don’t deserve to, but that’s just the way it is with so many all-rounders in the team.
“The fact that we’re all prepared to be role players if we have to, for the greater good of the team, is a real credit to everyone involved in this premiership.
“Mick (Sweeney) has celebrated individual roles really well.
“Even today, with Josh and Cal doing what they did at the top of the order; you get positive feedback and that gives you a lot of confidence whether you’re batting or bowling.
“He’s been really good, a calming influence and backs his players and steers us in the right direction.
“It’s pretty special to look back on the first one (2013), and now to win three is special because you talk to some people and they never get the chance to experience something like this.”
TYLER EVANS – THE EMERGING TALENT
“I think that’s what has been our edge over other teams, our overall depth and players with heaps of experience as well.
“We had a good mix of everything this year…I love it here.
“Mick’s a very smart cricketer who has played at high levels and he’s definitely made us think a lot more about our cricket.
“He’s also a great bloke so we’ve been very lucky to have him come to our club.
“It’s been one of my favourite years to play cricket.
“It’s one of the best innings I’ve seen Cal play and when he hit that six, to bring up his hundred, it made my heart beat a little faster.
“It’s one of the best knocks I’ve ever seen from Cal.
“I think my time will come; I just need to keep proving myself when I do get the opportunity.
“I think I’ve done that okay this year, with both bat and ball.
“I started bowling off-spin half-way through the year; so that’s another part of my game that hopefully I can develop.”
RUSSELL LEHMAN – OPENING BOWLER
The unassuming ‘Goose’ – who was successful in dodging his interview this year – opened the bowling and bowled steadily; with 0/26 off 10.
He was padded up to bat at five on grand final day, but was not required as Cal O’Hare and Mick Sweeney finished off the job two down.
Lehman was the Gulls’ best bowler in the early part of the season, taking 10 wickets in his four games, and lifted his batting output as the year rolled on.
He made 71 and 45 to finish the home-and-away season, and then made 35 against Cardinia in a thumping semi-final win.
The Seagulls were in good hands if the chase went to three-down.
TOM RUDEFORTH – 12TH MAN
