ANNUAL REPORT
2023 - 2024
WOULD LIKE TO THANK THE FOLLOWING PARTNERS FOR THEIR SUPPORT
OFFICE BEARERS
Lydia Dowse
Penelope Cleghorn
Ross Hepburn (Chair)
Melissa McConnell
Shaun Richardson
Sharyn McNeill
Paul Sealey
Chris Bulford
Harish Rao
Delegates 2023-24
Casey-South
Dandenong
Essendon
Fitzroy Doncaster Matthew
Footscray
Frankston Peninsula Cameron
Geelong Michael King
Greenvale Kangaroos Bruce Kent
Kingston-Hawthorn
Brett Sebire
Melbourne Andrew Kent
Melbourne University Nic Brian
Northcote
Prahran
Mark Sundberg
John Raglus
Richmond Peter Gigliotti
Ringwood
Greg Macklin
St Kilda Paul Meddings
VCCL Keith
VMCU
Craig Mundy
Jennie Deckker
Ken Hutchinson
Danny Stevenson /Tom Brain
Marcella Torre
Christopher Reid
Grant Gardiner /Matthew Heafield
Phil Williamson
Paul Gilchrist
Chris Nash
Cricket Victoria Patron
Malcolm Gray AM
Camberwell
Women’s Premier Cricket Panel
Adam Di Giacomo
2023-24
CHAIR AND CEO REPORT
NICK CUMMINS
As we reflect on the reporting year, it has been a period of considerable growth and new horizons for Cricket Victoria (CV), all while maintaining our steadfast commitment to supporting and growing Victorian cricket at all levels.
We complete the reporting year with the organisation well-positioned to excel in our new opportunities and focus on challenges from a position of strength and unity.
We are pleased to say that this performance is underpinned by a strong culture of collaboration and support from right across the Victorian cricket community and we thank every member of our cricket community for your support.
The journey ahead for Victorian cricket is an exciting one and we are confident we speak for many in knowing how much can be achieved in partnership with our affiliates, clubs and associations.
THIS PERFORMANCE IS UNDERPINNED BY A STRONG CULTURE OF COLLABORATION AND SUPPORT
The 2023-2024 season delivered a number of important outcomes our game:
COMMUNITY CRICKET
• Across the state the total numbers playing cricket continued to climb from pre-pandemic levels with Victoria leading the nation in overall participation. While national growth was 5% overall, Victoria’s men’s and boys’ numbers grew 7.3%. Our women’s and girls’ participation grew significantly to 14.3% (over 14,700 participants) with further upside ahead of us. Additionally, over 41,000 boys and girls were registered in our crucial 5-12 age group. This is testament to the hard work being undertaken by our 73 associations and 954 clubs across the state under the guidance and support of our Community Cricket team and our Regional Managers.
• Running cricket clubs continues to be a demanding challenge for the thousands of volunteers across the state. CV continues to work with our affiliates, associations and clubs to ease the burden where we can. A number of associations have partnered with our Community Cricket team to employ professional administration managers. CV continues to be involved in conversations with the Victorian Government as all sporting codes work together to retain and support our volunteers.
ROSS HEPBURN
• PlayHQ has been rolled out and while the new program is not yet perfect, it is delivering benefits over the former system, MyCricket. PlayHQ is providing some excellent insight into Victorian cricket which is driving the direction for strategic growth.
• After a lot of hard work across all clubs and associations in conjunction with CV, the new Member Protection Policy is now at the implementation stage. This has seen every club in the state sign up for the policy which aims to protect both players and administrators. Following some changes to the CV constitution at this year’s AGM, clubs and associations will be more readily able to access support from CV and refer matters to the CV Tribunal. This is a significant stride forward in our cricket governance and we commend all involved in the process for getting us to this milestone.
PREMIER CRICKET
• In Kookaburra Premier Cricket, we congratulate and thank all clubs, volunteers, coaches and players on delivering a successful season. We especially congratulate the Carlton Cricket Club on winning the Men’s Premiership in a thrilling game against a valiant Casey South Melbourne at Windy Hill. We also congratulate Melbourne Cricket Club on taking all before them in the Women’s Premier Cricket competition.
• Stephanie Townsend from Geelong Cricket Club and Brett Forsyth from Dandenong Cricket Club were worthy winners of the on Una Paisley and Jack Ryder medals respectively. It was a particularly momentous award for Stephanie and the Geelong Cricket Club, with Geelong having only joined the Women’s Premier Cricket Firsts competition for the first time in the 2023-2024 season.
• Men’s Premier Cricket was hosted at the MCG for the first time in more than a decade and a first-ever Women’s Premier Cricket match was held on the hallowed turf.
• Following a lot of hard work between Club Presidents and Delegates, the Premier Cricket Advisory Group and Premier and Cricket Performance staff at CV, the Pathways to State
Cricket were revised. Each Premier Club now conducts academies for up-and-coming young boys and girls from across Victoria during the winter months. This process leads into the Dowling Shield competition for boys and the Jennings Cup competition for girls. Successful participants then become Premier cricketers and from there come under the eye of Premier Coaches and State Selectors. This welcome change will see significantly more opportunities for talented youngsters to transition to senior cricket. We thank the Premier Clubs for their enthusiastic participation in this significant project.
STATE AND W/BBL CRICKET
• Both our Victorian State teams recorded strong seasons.
• The Victorian women’s team finished third on the Women’s National Cricket League, the side’s best finish since the 2020-21 season. We congratulate Sophie Molineux on her return to the captaincy after an extended layoff recovering from an ACL injury.
• The Victorian men’s team performed strongly but fell just short of a third consecutive Marsh Sheffield Shield final. We also congratulate Will Sutherland who assumed the captaincy of the Shield squad for the first time, taking over from Peter Handscomb who captained the Marsh One-Day Cup squad.
• In the KFC BBL and Weber WBBL, the Melbourne Stars and Melbourne Renegades both endured difficult seasons with mixed results.
• We don’t accept the results of the 2023-24 season and have spent considerable time and resources in the off season to ensure that we build a sustainably successful T20 program in this state. It will not be an overnight fix, but ultimately, we expect Victoria to be a leader in all formats. As the T20 format continues to grow in prominence, so too do our expectations around performance.
• On a more positive note, we would like to thank Aaron Finch who announced his retirement from the BBL during the campaign. His
leadership and contribution to the Melbourne Renegades over more than a decade is unparalleled and it was a fitting farewell in front of loyal fans at Marvel Stadium.
• We would also like to thank our more than 20,000 Melbourne Stars and Melbourne Renegades members for their loyal support throughout the WBBL and BBL.
INTERNATIONAL CRICKET
On the international stage we are proud to have ten Australian contracted players – six women and four men.
• The six women are Kim Garth, Ellyse Perry, Annabel Sutherland, Tayla Vlaeminck, Georgia Wareham and this year Sophie Molineux.
• The four men are Scott Boland, Glenn Maxwell, Todd Murphy, and now Matt Short.
• In international retirement news, we would like to warmly congratulate Meg Lanning AM on an extraordinary career with Australia. Meg dedicated 13 years to representing her country as a player, captain and exemplary ambassador to current and future generations.
Having burst on to the scene in 2010 at the age of 18, Meg represented Australia on 241 occasions, winning seven World Cups across One-Day International and T20 International cricket. Meg captained Australia 182 times in those 241 matches, scoring 17 centuries. A triple Belinda Clark medallist, Meg was made a Member of the Order of Australia (AM) in 2022 for her services to cricket. Meg’s international legacy is something Victorian cricket is particularly proud of and we look forward to seeing Meg continue to step out in navy blue with Victoria and the Melbourne Stars.
SUSTAINABILITY AND REVENUE GROWTH
• Recognising the scale and scope of Victorian cricket and the cap on returns from Cricket Australia in the current period, the Board and Management have taken a deliberate strategy to diversify how we do business and where we build our revenue from.
• Over the last two years we’ve entered the tertiary education space, launching the Melbourne Cricket Education Academy in partnership with our great friends at RMIT University. The MCEA provides fee paying students with a double diploma in Leadership and Management, vocational experience as well as cricket development opportunities for those interested in developing their playing careers. We now have four full time employees working at Cricket Victoria who have graduated through this course and what we hope will be many more to come.
• The Cricket Victoria Foundation completed its first full year of operations, and we’d like to thank our Chair Paul Gardner AM, the Foundation Advisory Group and the generous donors among them our Foundation First XI who support Victorian cricket so strongly.
The Foundation’s work supports some of the most vulnerable members of our community through our partnerships with Sacred Heart Mission and St Kilda Police and Citizens Youth Club. The Foundation also oversees Victorian cricket’s inclusion programs which support our Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander cricket programs and representative teams for cricketers with a disability.
• This year also saw the introduction of the Melbourne Cricket Academy – a cricket development and coaching program using Victorian expertise, hosted on-shore in India in partnership with the KheloMore Group.
• July saw the second year of Cricket Victoria’s relationship with the San Francisco Unicorns, one of six teams competing in Major League Cricket in the USA. The Unicorns were runners-up this year, no small thanks to the terrific work of our Cricket Performance team. David White, our former GM Community Cricket, has performed well in his new role as GM – Business Operations at the Unicorns. Our ultimate strategy is to support the growth of cricket in the USA while creating additional opportunities for our players, coaches and managers in our off season.
• We would like to thank the San Francisco Unicorns owners Venky Harinarayan and Anand Rajaraman together with our Head Coach Shane Watson for their partnership this year and look forward to ongoing success in the seasons ahead.
FACILITIES AND INFRASTRUCTURE
• Cricket Victoria, CitiPower and Powercor have signed a multi-year extension to the long-term partnership and naming rights agreement for the CitiPower Centre.
• The Board and Management are still committed to completing the refurbishment of the heritage listed grandstands at the Junction Oval and installing lights suitable for high-definition television broadcasts. While the State budget presents some challenges at the moment, we believe that our case is compelling and will continue to advocate to the State Government to support our aspiration to become the home of the Australian women’s team.
• The completion and opening of the Barwon Regional Cricket Hub at GMHBA Stadium in Geelong in partnership with the Victorian Government and Kardinia Park Stadium Trust will provide a significant boost for the local region.
• Our facilities and infrastructure program continues to lead the country, with another 60 projects to receive more than $1.3 million in investment through the Australian Cricket Infrastructure Fund. We are very proud of the work our infrastructure team do, leading the country in securing both the most projects and funding of any State Association in Australia.
FINANCIAL PERFORMANCE
From a financial perspective, Cricket Victoria concluded the year reporting a $184,000 deficit for 2023-24.
Pleasingly, key BBL revenue streams including ticketing and sponsorship continued to grow and return towards pre COVID levels. We also saw growth continuing across our new revenue streams – Cricket Victoria Foundation, School Holiday Programs and Melbourne Cricket Education Academy. Additional costs were incurred through the BBL season, as well as set up costs associated with the roll-out of new revenue initiatives that are planned for FY25 including the Victoria Health Club and Melbourne Cricket Academy.
Cricket Victoria also contributed to the cost of the Effectiveness and Efficiency Review undertaken by Boston Consulting Group across Australian Cricket.
The full year result also includes a $300,000 increase in the valuation of the CV investment properties.
THANKS
Cricket Victoria continues to receive wonderful support from our major partners and stakeholders. We would like to acknowledge and thank the following people and organisations:
Victorian Government
We welcome the appointment of the new Premier, the Hon. Jacinta Allan MP and look forward to continuing to work together with her Government including Minister for Tourism, Sport, Major Events, the Hon. Steve Dimopoulos MP and the Minister for Community Sport, the Hon. Ros Spence MP.
Our Key Sponsors and Partners
Our CitiPower Centre, Cricket Victoria, Stars and Renegades sponsors and partners ensure that we can operate efficiently and deliver the numerous programs and projects to cricket right across the state.
We’d like to thank CitiPower Chief Executive Tim Rourke and his team for his organisation’s renewed support of cricket in Victoria. Our partnership continues to evolve and support our shared objectives.
Our other Cricket Victoria partners including Manhari Metals, Kookaburra, Tinnies, New Balance, The Victorian Responsible Gambling Foundation and Oatley Wines give us wonderful support.
Similarly, our principal partners at the Stars and Renegades, Liberty and Dodo and major partners 13CABS and Marathon have been wonderful to work with. We truly appreciate your commitment to Victorian cricket.
Cricket Australia
The year has also seen strong collaboration between the State and Territory Chairs and Cricket Australia, and the Chair would like to thank the Cricket Australia Board, led by Chair Mike Baird AO for his engagement with Victoria and we look forward to building on our ongoing partnership.
The CEO would like to thank Cricket Australia Chief Executive Nick Hockley for his leadership of Australian cricket through the pandemic and the ongoing partnership that Cricket Australia and Cricket Victoria have in the pursuit of developing and growing our game.
The Chair also thanks the Victorian-based Directors on the CA Board – Sarah Adam-Gedge, Clea Smith and David Maddocks – they have all been important sounding boards.
Cricket Victoria Members
We would like to take this opportunity to thank all of Cricket Victoria members and affiliates, including our Premier Clubs, the Victorian Sub District Cricket Association (VSDCA), the Victorian Metropolitan Cricket Union (VMCU) and the Victorian Country Cricket League (VCCL), for their support and leadership as we work together to grow and evolve Victorian cricket.
We thank all those who volunteered their expertise on Advisory Groups, Tribunals and a raft of advisory committees across Cricket Victoria’s business units to make cricket in Victoria more successful.
Supporter Organisations
In this annual report we would also like to give special recognition to the many groups who work hard all year round to promote cricket and foster cricket camaraderie and growth in a range of ways and especially in support of cricketers with diverse backgrounds or specific needs.
Finally, the Chair would like to thank his fellow Cricket Victoria Directors for their wise counsel, dedication and support this season and our Chief Executive Nick Cummins for his leadership, enthusiasm and drive as we embark on exciting new ventures.
The Chief Executive wishes to thank the Chair and Board for their support and advice as we work together on the next chapter of cricket in Victoria.
To our executive management and staff, players, members, clubs, and fans, thank you for everything that goes into making Victorian cricket the success that it is.
We look forward to seeing you around the grounds this season.
ROSS HEPBURN CHAIR, CRICKET VICTORIA
NICK CUMMINS CEO, CRICKET VICTORIA
ADVISORY GROUPS & MEMBERS
Premier Cricket Advisory Group
Penelope Cleghorn (Chair)
Nicolas Brian
Leah Caluzzi
Melissa McConnell
Geoff Collinson
Shaun Richardson
Sophie Strickland
Mark Sundberg
Marcella Torre Historical Society
Peter Binns
Anne Gordon
Ken Jacobs OAM
Paul Sheahan AM
William Rice
Hamish Jones
Community Cricket Advisory Group
Shaun Richardson (Chair)
Chris Bulford
Mark Keating
Phil O’Meara
Kelvin White Past Players Association
Cricket Victoria Foundation Advisory Group
Paul Gardner AM (Chair)
Harish Rao
Tracie Stoltenberg
Sharyn McNeill
Robert Quiney
Marcella Torre
Gail Schmidt
Ken Jacobs OAM
Megan Pauwels
Junction Oval Advisory Group
Nick Cummins
Michael Bullock
Hamish Jones
Paul Sealey
Jonathan Schomburgk
CONGRATULATIONS MEG LANNING AM
ON YOUR RETIREMENT
FROM INTERNATIONAL CRICKET
2023-24 SEASON
VICTORIAN STATE TEAMS
Both Victoria’s men’s and women’s teams headed into the 2023/2024 season focused on development and progression in our major domestic competitions.
After back-to-back Marsh Sheffield Shield final appearances, Victoria’s men’s squad began the new season under incoming captain Will Sutherland. The season began slowly with consecutive losses, before winning four of their next five matches, catapulting the side back into finals contention.
An agonising final round loss to eventual champions, Western Australia, would end Victoria’s season.
However, the growth, tenacity and resilience displayed by Chris Rogers’ young squad showed exciting times lay ahead for Victoria’s red ball team.
No player encapsulated these traits more than Fergus O’Neill, who enjoyed a breakout summer with the ball claiming 40 wickets at just 17.25 runs.
The 23-year-old’s stellar season would lead to O’Neill claiming the Bradman Young Cricketer of the Year award at the Australian Cricket Awards and the scooping the Bill Lawry Medal, Dean Jones Medal and John Scholes Award at the Victorian State Awards.
O’Neill shouldered the bowling load alongside Test star Scott Boland and Will Sutherland, with Boland claiming 34 wickets at 15.32 runs from just six matches, including boasting a competition-best 2.28 economy rate.
The 35-year-old’s dedication and ever reliable consistency saw Boland become Victoria’s leading wicket-taker in Sheffield Shield history, overtaking Paul Reiffel during his side’s clash against NSW in Sydney.
The experienced Peter Handscomb once again finished as Victoria’s leading Shield run scorer, scoring 593 runs including a memorable 114 against NSW, with Sam Harper (480 runs) and Marcus Harris (476 runs) finishing closely behind.
The Victorian men finished third in their Marsh One-Day Cup campaign which began in September.
In October, a stunning knock of 134 off 100 balls from Matt Short would propel Victoria to the fifth highest total of the season, as the men in navy blue claimed a memorable nineteen-run win over the Queensland Bulls in Mackay.
An extraordinary 196 runs off 142 balls from Tom Rogers – the sixth-highest score in Australian domestic one-day history – was not enough to prevent New South Wales claiming a final round win over Victoria, leaving our men’s side in third place.
After a challenging opening month of WNCL cricket, \the Victorian women’s squad, produced one of the most exciting stretches of women’s cricket in recent history, claiming six consecutive wins with victories over New South Wales, ACT Meteors and South Australia.
Among the highlights was Round 10’s 92-run win over the ACT Meteors, in which Victoria scored the competition’s highest total for the season, finishing at 5/354 thanks to a stunning knock of 145 of 137 balls from Ellyse Perry and half-centuries to Tess Flintoff (54 runs) and Nicole Faltum (55 runs).
Our Victorian women would carry their red-hot form into a Round 13 clash against two-time champions Tasmania, claiming a memorable twenty-four run win thanks to half-centuries by captain Nicole Faltum (86 runs) and Meg Lanning (64 runs).
Victoria finished its season in third place, having won 7 of its last 8 matches to narrowly miss out on making the final.
Meg Lanning led our women’s side in scoring, totalling the second highest number of runs in the WNCL, with 492 runs at a league-best 82.
Sophie Reid impressed in just her second season of contracted cricket, averaging 49.55 on her way to scoring the WNCL’s eighth highest runs total with 446.
Wicketkeeper-batter Nicole Faltum was again at her consistent best, scoring three half-centuries on her way to registering 361 runs at an average of 32.81, while also claiming the second-highest number of dismissals in the competition, with 12 catches and 4 stumpings.
Skipper Sophie Molineux led the Victorian bowling attack, finishing with an outstanding 17 wickets at 14.47 runs from just six matches, including a competition-best 6/45.
Molineux’s stellar form would be rewarded by regaining her Cricket Australia contract alongside Kim Garth, Annabel Sutherland, Tayla Vlaeminck, Georgia Wareham and Ellyse Perry.
The Victorian State team would like to thank CitiPower, Manhari Metals Kookaburra, New Balance, Masuri and Fulltrack AI , for their support in 2023/2024.
2023-24 SEASON
MELBOURNE RENEGADES REVIEW
The Melbourne Renegades had a season of mixed results in the Big Bash, falling short of expectations across both WBBL and BBL tournaments.
In the absence of skipper Sophie Molineux through injury, the WBBL squad was ultra-competitive but inconsistencies impacted performances.
Similarly, the BBL team frequently found themselves in strong positions but struggled to seize crucial moments and turn games in its favour.
On a positive note, the Renegades had much to be excited both on and off the field.
The offseason saw a significant boost in the team’s roster with the recruitment of world-class spinners Adam Zampa and Nathan Lyon, alongside one of the premier T20 players, Quinton de Kock, who was secured at the draft.
Additionally, Hayley Matthews, Harmanpreet Kaur, Mujeeb Ul Rahman and Akeal Hosein rejoined the team, enhancing the squads’ depth and talent.
The past season saw the emergence of promising young talents. Emma de Broughe burst onto the scene, showcasing her skills with the bat, while Jake Fraser-McGurk enjoyed an electrifying season which was rewarded with a spot in the BBL|13 Team of the Tournament.
Georgia Wareham and Will Sutherland further demonstrated their world-class skill and leadership.
The Renegades also bid farewell to club greats Jess Duffin, Shaun Marsh and Aaron Finch.
Finch’s departure was marked by an extra memorable farewell at the Marvel Stadium Melbourne Derby, where 41,205 fans paid tribute to his contributions in a fitting send-off, including the retirement of the iconic number 5 jersey.
The Renegades’ community also saw a significant rise, with over 11,000 members signing on - a club record - and a fantastic TV audience. This growth reflects the Renegades’ expanding presence both domestically and internationally.
Fans got to enjoy the Gades Arcade again which increased its footprint inside Marvel Stadium and housed the Channel Seven commentary team. While activations and partnerships including the Long Walk and FMX were key features of our home game and amplified the game-day experience.
The Renegades Roadshow, School Holiday Programs, Family Day and Super Clinic again showcased the club’s strong connection with the community while its partnership with the Geelong region was amplified through the Beach Bash at the waterfront and hosting of Festival of Sport ahead of the club’s home fixture at GMHBA Stadium.
More than a million viewers tuned into the third season of Renegades Recruit while Champions League was expanded to include a female competition with India (men’s) and Sri Lanka (women’s) taking out their respective tournaments.
The Melbourne Renegades would like to extend its thanks to Liberty, Marathon, Trikon, TCL, Goldline, Hyundai, compare & connect, RMIT University, YETI, Truck Assist, Darche, The Cullen, Visit Victoria, City of Greater Geelong, VRGF, Oatley Wines, Tinnies and Kookaburra for their support in 2023/24.
THE RENEGADES’ COMMUNITY ALSO SAW A SIGNIFICANT RISE, WITH OVER 11,000 MEMBERS SIGNING ON - A CLUB RECORDAND A FANTASTIC TV AUDIENCE
2023-24 SEASON
MELBOURNE STARS REVIEW
The Melbourne Stars continued to show why we are the leaders when it comes to fun, family entertainment throughout WBBL|09 and BBL|13, despite a frustrating season on the field. With a clear focus on maximising attendance, and despite a lack of luck with the weather, the Stars saw their biggest non-derby crowd since BBL|07 and the largest standalone WBBL crowd in almost a decade.
The WBBL Season Launch was highlighted by Meg Lanning’s return to the Stars after taking some time away from the game, as she teamed up with Coach Jonathan Batty for the first time in Stars colours, having previously worked together in the WPL.
The first ever WBBL Draft was held for overseas players where the Stars secured three England internationals; Alice Capsey and Maia Bouchier, both of whom had previous stints with the Stars and Sophia Dunkley.
In the BBL Draft, the club selected fan favourite Haris Rauf and fellow Pakistan international Osama Mir, whilst Harry Brook pulled out of the tournament after being selected at Pick 2.
The club took members and fans behind the scenes like never before with the second season of Road to the Draft, lifting the curtain on list management meetings and draft strategy.
With games at the MCG, CitiPower Centre, Casey, and Ringwood, there was a welcome return to regular WBBL cricket in Melbourne in WBBL|09.
After an encouraging win over the Sixers on opening night, the Stars’ season was patchy until the last 3 matches, where they played to their potential and outclassed the Heat, Scorchers and Renegades but ultimately fell short of a finals berth.
Annabel Sutherland was named the Stars player of the tournament for the second consecutive season, whilst Sophie Day won the Golden Arm for the most wickets taken in WBBL|09.
After a chaotic start due to player unavailability, new BBL Coach Peter Moores worked tirelessly to get the season back on track and the club recorded 4 straight wins for the first time since January 2020.
Unfortunately, they were not able to ride the momentum in the reduced 10 game season and ultimately missed finals by one match.
Hilton Cartwright and Glenn Maxwell tied the Player of the Season Award, with Cartwright’s consistency with the bat a feature of the season, whilst Maxwell showed his talents with bat and ball.
The music program, delivered by the Events team was highlighted by marquee performances at the MCG from Sneaky Sound System in the WBBL Derby and Peking Duk at the BBL Derby. These are moments entrenched in the memory of all attendees.
The club broke our membership record for the third season in a row, which flowed into other community activities such as record attendances at the BBL and WBBL super clinics held at the MCG, draft watch parties, season launches and the Super Stars Road Trip with huge regional media coverage throughout eastern Victoria in Play Cricket Week.
The 4th season of Stars TV was filmed at BBL games for the first time after building on our move to 7 Plus, delivering almost 5 million unique viewers around the world. Barriers were also broken, allowing fans at home to hear from players like never before, including in the commentary box during a match in both the BBL and WBBL.
The Melbourne Stars would like to thank our partners, whose support we are so grateful for: Dodo, Sharp EIT, RMIT, 13 Cabs, Manhari Metals, Euromaid, Honda, 5am Yoghurt, Big Swing Golf, Brown Property Group, City of Casey, Lite n’ Easy, Art Series Hotels, VRGF, Robert Oatley Wines, Tinnies Beer and Kookaburra.
THE STARS SAW THEIR BIGGEST NON-DERBY CROWD SINCE BBL|07 AND THE LARGEST STANDALONE WBBL CROWD IN ALMOST A DECADE.
2023-24 SEASON
PREMIER CRICKET REVIEW
The 2023/24 Victorian Premier Cricket season saw an increase in the amount of cricket played with the first season of the new Underage Pathway structure at Premier Cricket level taking place. The return of T20 cricket to the fold in all Men’s grades saw all clubs play the format for Premiership points, whilst Geelong was granted promotion to the Women’s 1st XI competition, making the 1st XI competition nine (9) teams for the season.
The Men’s First XI Grand Final was played at Windy Hill (due to the Melbourne Grand Prix impacting availability of the CitiPower Centre and the Albert Ground), with Carlton and Casey South Melbourne competing for the title.
The match itself, was one for the ages, as Carlton became the first club in 70 years to secure the Premiership having trailed on 1st innings. After being set a total of 251 runs to chase in the remaining 36 overs on the final day (having conceded a first innings lead of 41 to the Swans at Tea on Day 2), the Blues came from the clouds to chase the target in 30.4 overs for the loss of 3 wickets. Casey South Melbourne opening bat (and Victorian Squad Member) Ashley Chandrasinghe was awarded the John Scholes Medal for Player of the Final for his double of 53 and 103* (becoming just the fourth player in a Grand Final to carry his bat through the innings).
The Men’s Lower XI titles were a mirror image of the 2022/23 season, being won by Northcote (Seconds), St Kilda (Thirds) and St Kilda (Fourths).
Prahran overcame their heartache of last season’s near-miss in the Men’s Club Championship to take their maiden title by just 1 point over Fitzroy Doncaster.
The Jack Ryder Medal saw another tight vote count held, with Dandenong skipper Brett Forsyth securing the Ryder for the second time. Forsyth finished with 27 votes to secure the win by 2 votes over Footscray opening bat Dylan Brasher and Fitzroy Doncaster opening bowler Sean McNicholl.
In the Women’s Premier Firsts One Day competition, the Grand Final was played at Shepley Oval between Melbourne and Prahran. The True Blues won the toss and sent Melbourne into bat, with the Demons notching up 4/259 off their 50 overs. The True Blues started in a blaze of glory, reaching 53 without loss before the batting crumbled against the Demons’ spin attack to lose their 10 wickets for just 43 runs to be all out for 96. The Betty Wilson Medal for Player of the Final was awarded to Melbourne’s Ella Hayward for her double of 57 with the bat and figures of 5/26 off 10 overs.
The Women’s 1st XI T20 competition took place again this season, with Carlton taking on Prahran in the Final at Russell Lucas Oval on the night of Australia Day Eve. Unfortunately, weather had the final say with play being abandoned due to rain after Prahran were 4/76 after 12 overs, thereby handing Carlton their maiden 1st XI Premiership after qualifying for the Final as the top team on Net Run Rate.
The 2nds and 3rds titles were both taken out by Melbourne who defeated Geelong and Carlton respectively.
Melbourne took out their 5th Women’s Club Championship title in 6 seasons, with Carlton runners-up by 90 points and Geelong (who were promoted to the 1st XI competition this season for the first time) finishing 3rd a further 29 points behind.
The Una Paisley Medal count saw the medal make its’ first journey down the Princes Highway, with Geelong’s Stephanie Townsend taking home Una, polling 25 votes to win by 1 vote over Carlton allrounder Cailin Green, with Melbourne all-rounder Hasrat Gill in 3rd place on 23 votes.
MEN’S PREMIER TEAM OF THE YEAR
Blake Thomson (Melbourne)
Ashley Chandrasinghe (Casey South Melbourne)
Dylan Brasher (Footscray)
Brett Forsyth (Dandenong)(C)
Farzan Chowna (Essendon)
Jack Lalor (Northcote)
Jai Lemire (Carlton)(WK)
Nathan Lambden (Casey South Melbourne)
Sean McNicholl (Fitzroy Doncaster)
Callum Stow (Geelong)
William Walker (Camberwell Magpies)
Dhanusha Gamage (Dandenong)
UNDERAGE COMPETITIONS
This season saw the Underage Pathway Structure change slightly, with the Marg Jennings Cup being changed from an Under 18 competition to an Under 15 competition, whilst new Under 18 competitions for Males and Females came online for the first time.
The Under 18 Male Final was played on the 25th February at the CitiPower Centre between St Kilda and Melbourne, with the Saints coming up trumps in a hard-fought match. The Saints batted first and finished with a score of 8/252 off their 50 overs, before bowling the Demons out in the 48th over for 224.
The Under 18 Women’s Final was played on the Labour Day Holiday (11th March) between Carlton and Melbourne at Princes Park #1. Melbourne again asserted their dominance in the Female Underage Pathway by securing an 8-wicket win over the hosts. The Blues batted first and finished their 50 overs at 9/171. The Demons in reply chased the target down for the loss of 2 wickets at the start of the 38th over.
Stephanie Townsend (Geelong)
Cailin Green (Carlton)
Tess Flintoff (Ringwood)
Erica Kershaw (Carlton)(C)
Hasrat Gill (Melbourne)
Nipuni Hansika (Plenty Valley)
Tia Davidge (Essendon Maribyrnong Park)(WK)
Sarnsiree Plant (Box Hill)
Zoe Griffiths (Box Hill)
Ira Aery (Essendon Maribyrnong Park)
Anna O’Donnell (Prahran)
Grace Jones (Geelong)
The Dowling Shield Competition saw another strong season of performances. The Final was played on the 25th January at the CitiPower Centre between Melbourne and Richmond, with the latter taking the title for the first time since 1997/98. The Demons batted first and were dismissed for 132, with the Tigers taking 27.5 overs to chase the target with 4 wickets in hand.
The Marg Jennings Cup for the Female Under 15 Competition saw the maiden title for the age group head down the Princes Highway, with Geelong defeating Prahran in the Final on the 25th January at Russell Lucas Oval. The Cats batted first and scored 9/163 off their 40 overs, before bowling the True Blues out in the 30th over for 104.
WOMEN’S
2023-24 SEASON
COMMUNITY CRICKET REVIEW
5 to 12-Year-Olds Participation Growth
FY24 was a year of positive momentum in Community Cricket, with a 3% increase in participation among 5 to 12-year-olds. This growth was particularly strong in country cricket, which saw an 8% rise. The Cricket Blast program played a pivotal role in this growth, achieving a 6% increase compared to FY23. This program continues to be a cornerstone in attracting and nurturing young cricketers across Victoria.
Sustaining Participation and Future Focus
While total Club Cricket participation saw a modest 1% decline, the overall numbers remain robust with 121,548 participants in FY24. We are confident that we can reverse this trend in the coming years by enhancing our support for clubs and associations and expanding opportunities for players to get involved in cricket.
Empowering Women and Girls in Cricket
The growth of Women and Girls’ cricket was a success story in FY24, with Club Cricket participation increasing by 11% year-on-year. Among 5 to 12-year-olds, we saw a 1% rise, contributing to a remarkable 59% increase in female participation since the COVID-19 pandemic. To celebrate and further encourage this growth, we hosted a Women and Girls’ Luncheon, bringing together key community leaders to share ideas and strategies for empowering female cricketers across Victoria.
Rollout of PlayHQ and Officials HQ
FY24 also marked the rollout of PlayHQ and Officials HQ, two systems that are set to revolutionise the way we manage and enjoy cricket. While the implementation had its challenges, our community’s resilience and adaptability ensured a smooth transition with minimal disruption. We extend our gratitude to everyone involved for their patience and support, and we remain committed to helping clubs and associations harness these new tools as we move into the second year of the rollout.
Celebrating Our Volunteers and Leaders
Our volunteers are the lifeblood of Community Cricket, and their dedication continues to inspire us. We offer our deepest thanks to all volunteers, coaches, umpires, and committee members who bring cricket to life in their communities. Special recognition is due to Leongatha & District Cricket Association, named Association of the Year; Kiewa Cricket Club, honored as Club of the Year; and Ian Shields (Castlemaine United Cricket Club), celebrated as Volunteer of the Year. We also take pride in acknowledging the outstanding leadership of Mark Keating (Victorian Metropolitan Cricket Union), Kelvin White (Victorian Country Cricket League), and Phil O’Meara (Victorian Sub-District Cricket Association). Their commitment and collaboration have been instrumental in guiding their clubs and associations through another successful year.
Advancing
Umpire and Coach Development
In FY24, we continued to advance our Umpire Strategy, now in its second year, with a focus on building strong relationships, offering development opportunities, and attracting new talent. As a result, the number of accredited umpires increased to 2,627, with 636 new umpires joining the ranks, including 326 under the age of 18, and 1,825 who are actively officiating. Our commitment to coach development also remained strong, with 49 courses held for 810 attendees, the development of a coaching framework for aspirational coaches, and the successful delivery of key coach development summits. We will continue to enhance our support, providing educational opportunities, and fostering meaningful connections among coaches in the year ahead.
Welcoming new Australians
Cricket Victoria hosted an Australian Citizenship Ceremony for the first time at the WBBL Derby between the Melbourne Stars and Melbourne Renegades in November.
On an exciting day, 76 new Australians enjoyed a day at the cricket after being conferred their citizenship by Minister for Immigration, Citizenship and Multicultural Affairs Andrew Giles MP. Cricket Victoria thanks the Department of Immigration and Citizenship for their support.
National Cricket Inclusion Championships and National Indigenous Cricket Championships
Cricket Victoria again sent state representative teams to the National Cricket Inclusion Championships in Brisbane and the National Indigenous Cricket Championships in Alice Springs.
These national championships are key pillar in Australian cricket’s inclusion and Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander programs.
Victoria performed exceptionally well in the National Cricket Inclusion Championships, claiming the national titles in the Men’s Deaf and Hard of Hearing, Women’s Deaf and Hard of Hearing and Cricketers with an Intellectual Disability divisions.
While the Victorian teams did not win the titles in the National Indigenous Cricket Championships, we congratulate Victorians Wade King, Bailey Toseland, Tahlia Meier and Ella Hayward who were all named in the respective teams of the tournament.
2023-24 SEASON
COMMUNITY CRICKET AWARDS RECIPIENTS
COMMUNITY CRICKET ASSOCIATION OF THE YEAR:
Leongatha & District Cricket Association
CELEBRATING CRICKET IN SCHOOLS: Robert Steel (Wedderburn Band CC)
COMMUNITY CRICKET CLUB OF THE YEAR: Kiewa Cricket Club
COMMUNITY CRICKET COACH OF THE YEAR: Stephen Mead (Brunswick CC All Abilities)
COMMUNITY CRICKET MATCH OFFICIAL: Jack Webber (Gippsland Jnr Umpire Academy graduate)
COMMUNITY PARTNERSHIP: Warrandyte Cricket Club
INCLUSION & DIVERSITY INITIATIVE OF THE YEAR: Altona Sports Cricket Club
INDOOR FACILITY OF THE YEAR: Croydon Indoor Sports
JUNIOR CRICKET INITIATIVE OF THE YEAR: Sorrento Cricket Club
TECHNOLOGY & MEDIA INITIATIVE OF THE YEAR: Will McFarlane (St Joseph’s CC [Geelong])
VOLUNTEER OF THE YEAR: Ian Shields (Castlemaine United (CC)
WOMENS & GIRLS INITIATIVE OF THE YEAR:: Hoddles Creek Cricket Club
WOOLWORTHS CRICKET BLAST COORDINATOR OF THE YEAR: Brad Gaff (Bundoora United CC)
YOUNG LEADER OF THE YEAR: Jess Bohn (Leongatha & District Cricket Assoc.)
COMMUNITY FACILITY PROJECT OF THE YEAR: Maroondah City Council
VICTORIAN CRICKET & PREMIER AWARD WINNERS
2023-24 STATE AND BIG BASH AWARD WINNERS
BILL LAWRY MEDAL
Fergus O’Neil
SHARON TREDREA AWARD
Nicole Faltum
DEAN JONES MEDAL
Fergus O’Neil
JOHN SCHOLES AWARD
Fergus O’Neil
WOMEN’S PLAYER’S PLAYER AWARD
Sophie Day
MELBOURNE STARS
PLAYERS OF THE SEASON
BBL: Glenn Maxwell + Hilton Cartwright
WBBL: Annabel Sutherland
MELBOURNE RENEGADES
PLAYERS OF THE SEASON
BBL: Jake Fraser-McGurk
WBBL: Hayley Matthews
2023-24 KOOKABURRA PREMIER CRICKET AWARDS WINNERS
JACK RYDER MEDAL
Brett Forsyth (Dandenong)
UNA PAISLEY MEDAL
Stephanie Townsend (Geelong)
MEN’S TEAM OF THE SEASON
Blake Thomson (Melbourne)
Ashley Chandrasinghe (Casey South Melbourne)
Dylan Brasher (Footscray)
Brett Forsyth (Dandenong)(C)
Farzan Chowna (Essendon)
Jack Lalor (Northcote)
Jai Lemire (Carlton)(WK)
Nathan Lambden (Casey South Melbourne)
Sean McNicholl (Fitzroy Doncaster)
Callum Stow (Geelong)
William Walker (Camberwell Magpies)
Dhanusha Gamage (Dandenong)
WOMEN’S TEAM OF THE SEASON
Stephanie Townsend (Geelong)
Cailin Green (Carlton)
Tess Flintoff (Ringwood)
Erica Kershaw (Carlton)(C)
Hasrat Gill (Melbourne)
Nipuni Hansika (Plenty Valley)
Tia Davidge (Essendon Maribyrnong Park)(WK)
Sarnsiree Plant (Box Hill)
Zoe Griffiths (Box Hill)
Ira Aery (Essendon Maribyrnong Park)
Anna O’Donnell (Prahran)
Grace Jones (Geelong)
MEN’S PLAYERS OF THE SEASON
2nd XI – Travis Jackson (Prahran)
3rd XI – Max Bradley (Fitzroy Doncaster)
4th XI – Adam Hanger (Casey South Melbourne)
SUE WOOLCOCK AWARD
(WOMEN’S PREMIER SECOND XI ONE DAY PLAYER OF THE SEASON)
Chedean Nation (Greenvale Kangaroos)
WOMEN’S PREMIER THIRDS ONE DAY PLAYER OF THE SEASON
Natalie Grero (Essendon Maribyrnong Park)
WOMEN’S PREMIER FIRSTS T20 PLAYER OF THE SEASON
Tess Flintoff (Ringwood) & Sophie Reid (Carlton)
JUNE COLE AWARD
(BEST FIRST YEAR WOMEN’S PREMIER FIRSTS PLAYER)
Annie Taylor (Geelong)
SPIRIT OF CRICKET AWARD
Men’s – Ringwood Cricket Club
Women’s – Prahran Cricket Club
CLUB CHAMPIONSHIP
Men’s – Prahran Cricket Club
Women’s – Melbourne Cricket Club
UMPIRE RECOGNITION AWARD
Gerry Schembri
CRICKET VICTORIA LIFE MEMBERS
1909/10
1923/24
1927/28
1941/42
Mr WT Ahern
Mr WW Gaggin
Mr HR Rush
Mr JA Howlett
1943/44 Mr HW Allen
1947/48
Mr RM Hatch
1951/52 Mr EC Yeomans
1956/57 Mr GA Davies
1957/58 Mr CW Simmonds
1964/65 Mr AE Dunne
1967/68 Mr OB Jenkin
1967/68 Mr L Murphy
1968/69 Mr EL a'Beckett
1969/70
1970/71
1970/71
1972/73
1972/73
1972/73
1973/74
Mr WL Rush MBE
Mr AE Liddicut
Mr WL Jacobs
Mr HH Oakley
Mr JA Ledward MBE
Mr B Cosgrave
Mr JW Meehan
1975/76 Mr CG Stuckey
1975/76
Mr EC Kirton BEM
1975/76 Mr J Ryder
1976/77
Mr D Fitzmaurice
1977/78 Mr WK (Keith) Burnham
1977/78
Mr SH McCorkell
1977/78 Mr EK Tolhurst
1978/79 Mr CA Tuttleby
1979/80
Mr KE Rigg MBE
1979/80 Mr W King
1980/81 Mr SJE Loxton OBE
1980/81 Mr A Gray MBE
1980/81 Mr WJ Price
1980/81 Mr DL Richards
1981/82 Mr J Birch
1982/83 Mr HL Numa
1983/84 Mr LV Maddocks
1983/84 Mr HA Nunn
1986/87 Mr FH Tyson
1987/88 Mr WK Tickner
1987/88 Mr HT Houston
1988/89 Mr JN (John) Edwards
1988/89 Mr BC Neate
1988/89 Mr K Mitchell
1989/90 Mr KJ Smith
1990/91 Mr DR Bowtell
1990/91 Mr WK Collicoat OAM
1990/91 Mr CL Fairbairn OAM
1990/91 Mr G Murray
1990/91 Mr DM Stewart
1990/91 Mr KB Thomas
1990/91 Mr PD Williams
1991/92 Mr RC Steele OBE
1991/92 Mr RJ Parish CMG OBE
1991/92 Hon LHS Thompson CMG AO
1991/92 Mr RJ Sincock
1991/92 Mr JL Chambers
1992/93 Mr LK Ewart
1993/94 Mr JR Beitzel
1993/94 Mr JW Mann
1994/95 Mr FT Murphy
1994/95 Mr GG Morris
1994/95 Mr MH Reeve
1994/95 Mr HN Wright
1994/95 Mr CG Shipley
1996/97 Mr PJ Hannan
1997/98 Mr JE Edwards
1997/98 Mr PD Jones
1997/98 Mr RL Finch
1997/98 Mr WM Lawry AM
1998/99 Mr WK (Warwick) Burnham
1999/00 Mr MA Gray AM
1999/00 Mr IR Huntington OAM
2001/02 Mr WJ Roberts
2001/02 Mr JS Batty
2001/02 Dr GS McKie
2001/02 Mr KJ Kearney
2002/03 Dr CM Jain
2002/03 Mr G Schickerling
2002/03 Mr PJ Marshall
2003/04 Mr SNC Murch
2004/05 Mr DA Patrick
2004/05 Mr DM Richards OAM
2005/06 Mr RG Hepburn
2005/06 Mr JR Atkinson
2005/06 Mr RA Hare
2006/07 Mr RF Merriman AM
2006/07 Mr KW Jacobs OAM
2006/07 Mr WJ Smyth OAM
2007/08 Mr IN Crawford
2007/08 Mr KG Fewster OAM
2007/08 Mr JA Malligan
2007/08 Mr EW Parker
2008/09 Mr J Peters
2008/09 Mr RA Steele
2010/11 Mr RG Lloyd
2010/11 Mr MD Taylor
2010/11 Mr JG Craig
2010/11 Mr IR Redpath MBE
2010/11 Mr G Joslin
2010/11 Mr GN Yallop
2010/11 Ms S Tredrea
2010/11 Mr DM Jones AM
2010/11 Mr SK Warne AO
2011/12 Mr PM Warner OAM
2011/12 Mr GC O'Donnell
2011/12 Ms C Fitzpatrick
2011/12 Mr AN Connolly
2011/12 Mr MG Hughes
2012/13 Mr RJ Bright OAM
2012/13 Mr JD Higgs OAM
2012/13 Ms M Jennings
2012/13 Mr K Noy
2013/14 Mr MM Smith
2013/14 Mr ER Eddings
2013/14 Mr D Kelly
2013/14 Mr JW McConville
2013/14 Mr KW Stone
2013/14 Mr KI Carroll
2013/14 Mr RD MacKenzie
2013/14 Ms J Crowther
2013/14 Ms L Taylor
2013/14 Ms S Faram
2013/14 Ms R Calder
2013/14 Dr J Savage
2015/16 Mr GL Tamblyn OAM
2016/17 Mr D Crow
2016/17 Mr T O'Hoy
2017/18 Ms S Crow
2017/18 Mr JB Cassidy
2017/18 Mr J Sheehan
2017/18 Mr M Findlay
2017/18 Ms A Gordon
2017/18 Ms R Thompson
2017/18 Mr RM Cowper
2017/18 Mr AP Sheahan AM
2017/18 Mr M Walsh OAM
2017/18 Mr AIC Dodemaide OAM
2017/18 Mr RW Thomas
2017/18 Mr W Riches
2017/18 Mr D Prendergast
2019/20 Mr PW Binns
2019/20 Ms M Knee
2020/21 Mr KH Eastwood
2020/21 Mr T Wodak
2021/22 Mr K Sharp
2023/24 Ms C Fatone
2023/24 Mr P Jackson
CRICKET VICTORIA 200 CLUB
Allan, C Allardice, GJ Alavi, E Amalfi, AJ Aparo, Ms A Applebee, Ms KM Armstrong, WW Augustin, JM Austin, NJ Ayres, WG Bailhache, RC Baker, EA Baker, LJ Banfield, Ms SA Baring, FA Baring, HT Barrow, A Bartlett, RA Bath, Ms J Batty, Ms VL Beames, PJ Beams, Ms KM Beer, MA Berger, CAC Berry, DS Binch, Ms BC Blackie, DD Blundell, NC Boland, SM Bomford, DN Booth, GR Boraston, PM Borovec, AP Bowtell, DR Bray, Ms EJ Bright, BW Bright, RJ Brock, Ms CE Brown, AE Brown, Ms KM Buchanan, LGL Buckstein, Ms R Bull, AG Buszard, NR Butterworth, HWJ Callen, IW Calvert, J Cameron, Jack Jr Cameron, Jack Sr Cantwell, JJ Cashen, SJ Chadwick, AL Challis, Ms N Chambers, JL Chapman, TC Chasemore, MF Ciavarella, Ms M Clapham, AW Cleghorn, Ms P Cohen, BL Collicoat, WK Collins, JR Connolly, AN Considine, BT Copeland, WJ Cormack, GF Cowper, DR Cowper, RM Cox, PJ Craig, SAJ Crosthwaite, AJ Daniel, J Dart, SP Davenport, CM Davey, G Davies, B Davies, GA Davies, PJ Davis, SP Day, MNL Dean, Ms JJ Dean, TJ Dempsey, DM
Dempster, RA Denholm, Ms L di Venuto, P Dick, WA Dickinson, AJ Dickson, PJ Dodemaide, AIC Donnell, TF Dowling, GP Dudley, WJ Duffin, Ms JE Dymond, PJ Eastwood, KH Eddings, ER Edwards, John Elliott, Ms SJ Elliott, MTG Emerson, DA Emerson, NL Entwistle, CT Faltum, Ms NM Finch, AJ Fitzpatrick, Ms CL Fleming, DW Fletcher, BR Flynn, S Forbes, DG Forsyth BS Franklin, Ms JA Frith, Ms J Galbraith, MG Gallagher, Ms E Gardiner, GB Gell, Ms S Gillespie, PJ Gloury, TP Gordon, Ms DA Goring, Ms M Grace, AG Graf, SF Grant, AJ Grant, JW Groves, DJ Gulbis, EP Hamilton, JW Handscomb, PSP Hansen, MJ Hanton, M Hargraves (later Pitman), Ms EL (Billie) Harmer, JC Harper, SB Harris, CJ Harris, DA Harvey, IJ Harvey, MR Harvey, Ray Harvey, RN Hassett, AL Haynes, Ms RL Healy, GEJ Hempenstall, Ms K Herbert, SA Herft, D Hetherington, PA Hewett, ISL Hibbert, PA Higgs, JD Higgs, JKE Hill (nee Fitzsimmons), Ms S Hill, JC Hill, Ms L Hill, MW Hill, SF Hobba, GK Hodge, BJ Holland, GJ Holland, JM Holt, DW Hosking, PM Howard, Ms JA Howard, R Howe, Ms J
Hughes, MG Hunter, Ms JL Huntington, IR Hussey, DJ Illingworth, EP Inglis, Ms EJ Ireland, D Ironmonger, H Isherwood, RC Jacobs, WL Jacoby, JR James, LH Jansz, KC Jennings, Ms M Jensen, PH Jewell, N Jinks, A Johnson, IWG Johnson, WJ Johnston, WA Jones, AP Jones, DM Jones, Ms M Jordon, RC Joseland, BR Joshua, G Joyce, BA Keating, JL Kellar, GJ Kendall, KHD
Kenny, A Kent, AJ Kershaw, Ms EJ Kight, DG King, DA King, LJ King, Ms A Kingston, PA Kinnear, WG Kirby, KW Klinger, M Lalor, GA Lanning, Ms A Lanning, Ms MM Lansdown, AJW Laughlin, TJ Lawry, WM Ledward, JA Lewis, ML Liddicut, AE Lincoln, BE Lindsay, GP Lloyd, RG Loorham, JDB Lowery, DW Loxton, SJE Lynch, NW Maddocks, IL Maddocks, LV Maddocks, RI Maddocks, SR Mash, LR Mason, Ms CL Mathers, H Matthews, Ms E Matthews, RG Maxwell, GJ McAlister, PA McArdle, BJ McCooke, SM McDonald, AB McDonald, CC McDonald, DA McFarlane, Ms B McGain, BE McGuinness, Ms W McIntyre, Ms E McKay, CJ McKenzie, I Meikle, GS Melbourne, AJ Miles, JG Millar, KJ
Miller, JF Mitchell, R Monckton A Monks, I Monohan, P Montague, Ms D Montague, Ms SG Morrow, GTD Moss, JK Mottau, OS Muller, LT Mullett, LT Murray, G Murray, WWB Nankervis, DB Nanopoulos, JA Neivandt, B Neville, KJ Noblett, Ms N Numa, HL Oakley, HH O’Brien, LPJ O’Donnell, Ms A O’Donnell, SP O’Halloran, WM O’Keefe, MP O’Meara, Ms P O’Neill, KV Onyons, BA O’Sullivan, MJ O’Sullivan, TDB Page, R Paisley, Ms U Parry, RL Patterson, RG Pattinson, DJ Pattinson, JL Pauwels (Foster), Ms M Peake, CJ Pearson, WE Phillips, WN Pickles, Dr M (Ms) Plant, HJ Ponsford, WH Potter, J Price, AE Quiney, RJ Radley, Ms JR Rae (nee Adams), Ms D Ransford, VS Reber, R Redpath, IR Reece, CJ Reid, Ms S Reiffel, PR Ricci, BP Richardson, GW Rigg, KE Ring, DT Ringham, MP Roach, PJ Robertson, APS Robinson, DB Robinson, RD Rodgers, SE Root, L Rose, JE Ross, NJ Rowan, DN Rummans, GC Russ, DJ Russ, JI Ryder, J Saker, DJ Salvana, LC Sambell, Ms A Sandford, HCA Sandri, CS Sartori, D Saunders, Ms K Savage, Dr J (Ms) Schilov, Ms N Schlittler, N
Scholes, WJ Seymour, SP Shanahan, DR Shannon, JF Shaw, JH Sheahan, WP Sheedy, CI Sheehan, TV Shepard, DJ Shipperd, G Sholly, MWD Siddle, PM Sincock, RJ Smith, Ms CR Smyth, TJ Smyth, WJ Stackpole, KR Stackpole, KW Stephens, JL Stephens, RS Stoinis, MP Strano, Ms MR Stratford, RW Stray, TD Stuart, IM Stuckey, JH Sundberg, PGA Sutherland, JA Sutherland, Ms AJ Symons, MF Tamblyn, GL Tate, DA Taylor, MD Taylor, SJ Templeton, RI Theodore, Ms SR Thies, GM Thomas, KB Thompson, Ms RH Tredrea, Ms SA Turner, RR Vaughan, F Villani, Ms EJ Vimpani, GR Vine, Ms A Walerys, TA Walker, L Walker, MHN Walsh, BT Walsh, MK Walton, A Ward, AP Ward, JD Wareham, Ms GL Warne, SK Warne, TS Warren, Ms C Waters, SB Watson, G Watters, JC Watts, GM Watts, LJ Watts, RW Welsford, TH Whatmore, DF Whichello, KA White, CL White, Ms CH Whiteside, WG Wiener, JM Williams, Ms I Wilson, Ms ER Wilson, WY Wise, AB Woodford, JRH Wrigglesworth, IA Yallop, GN Yeomans, FC York, MCA Young, PW
VICTORIAN CRICKET ASSOCIATION
Remuneration of auditors FINANCIAL REPORT FOR THE YEAR ENDED 30 JUNE 2024
INDEPENDENT
FINANCIAL STATEMENTS
Statement of profit or loss and other comprehensive income
Statement of financial position
Statement of changes in equity
Statement of cash flows
NOTES TO THE FINANCIAL STATEMENTS
1. Summary of significant accounting policies
2. Significant changes in the current reporting period
3. Critical estimates, judgements and errors
4. Revenue from contracts with customers
5. Trade and other receivables
6. Other financial assets
7. Other current assets
8. Investment property
9. Other non-current assets
10. Property, plant and equipment
11. Trade and other payables
12. Leases 13. Provisions 14. Other liabilities 15. Cash and cash equivalents 16. Financing facilities 17. Related party transactions
CORPORATE DIRECTORY
DIRECTORS
Lydia Dowse
Melissa McConnell
Shaun Richardson
Penelope Cleghorn
Ross Hepburn
Chris Bulford
Sharyn McNeill
Paul Sealey
Harish Rao
CHIEF EXECUTIVE OFFICER
Nicholas Cummins
SECRETARY
Michael Bullock
PRINCIPAL REGISTERED OFFICE
CitiPower Centre
Lakeside Drive
St Kilda VIC 3182
EXTERNAL AUDITOR
PricewaterhouseCoopers
2 Riverside Quay
Southbank VIC 3006
INTERNAL AUDITOR
BDO
Tower Four Level 18
727 Collins Street
Melbourne VIC 3008
LEGAL ADVISORS
Lander & Rogers
Level 15 477 Collins Street
Melbourne VIC 3000
BANKERS
Commonwealth Bank
Level 20, Tower 1 Collins Square 727 Collins Street
Docklands VIC 3008
INVESTMENT ADVISORS
JB Were Level 42, Governor Phillip Tower
1 Farrer Place
Sydney NSW 2000
WEBSITE
cricketvictoria.com.au
DIRECTORS’ REPORT
The directors present their report on the accounts of the Victorian Cricket Association (the Company) for the year ended 30 June 2024
INFORMATION ABOUT THE DIRECTORS
The following names and particulars of the Directors of the Victorian Cricket Association during the Financial year and up to the date of this report are:
Name Role Particulars
Ross Hepburn
B. Eng (Civil), M. Admin, MAICD Chair
Chris Bulford MA, MBA Director
Member of the Board since 2020, Chair of the Board and Chair of Nominations & Remuneration Committee.
Mr Hepburn has a long-standing association with Dandenong Cricket Club following a successful career in senior marketing and management roles in state, local government and small business.
Mr Hepburn was a consultant to former Victorian Premier John Cain on a number of key projects during his tenure.
Member of the Board since 2022.
Mr Bulford is the Managing Director of Circ Consulting, a strategy and marketing consultancy.
Mr Bulford’s experience includes Marketing Director of Mars Petcare Australia, Managing Director of part of Heinz Australia, and General Manager of Marketing for the National Australia Bank. On the consultancy side, he worked for Booz Allen Hamilton.
Mr Bulford has been both a player and administrator at club level and is currently Chair of the Geelong branch of Taverners, Australia’s leading cricket-based charity.
Member of the Board since 2020, Member of the Nominations & Remuneration Committee
Penelope Cleghorn B. Phys. Ed, M.
Ed Director
Lydia Dowse
LLB/BA (Hons), MA Sports Management Director
Ms Cleghorn is currently the Assistant Principal at Viewbank College and has spent the last decade teaching Physical Education, supporting all students to access broad educational opportunities.
Ms Cleghorn also represented Box Hill Cricket Club for 16 years as a player, making more than 200 First XI appearances.
Member of the Board since 2019, Member of the Nominations & Remuneration Committee.
Ms Dowse joined Cricket Victoria with a career in sports law and event acquisition and development.
Ms Dowse is th National Intgerity Manager for Swimming Australia and prior to that was the Executive Manager of Governance at the Western Australian Football Commission and has worked for both Tourism WA and the Victorian Major Events Company.
Member of the Board since 2021, Member of the Finance, Audit, Investment & Risk Committee.
Melissa McConnell Dip OHS, GAICD Director
Sharyn McNeill B. Comm/LLB, LLM, CA, GAICD Director
Ms McConnell is a Risk and Compliance Manager in the advisory, project managment and construction industry sector, specialising in compliance and regulatory frameworks, risk management and certification systems incorporating information security, modern slavery, workplace health and safety, environmental and core labour requirements.
Ms McConnell has been involved in community cricket for more than 25 years in a range of roles and is a former Vice President of Frankston-Peninsula Cricket Club.
Member of the Board since 2021, Chair of the Finance, Audit, Investment & Risk Committee, Member of the CV Foundation Advisory Committee.
Ms McNeill is a chartered accountant and tax lawyer with a successful career in finance and taxation at top tier accounting and law firms Arthur Andersen, EY and Allens, and is an experienced non-executive director focused on governance and finance in public sector, community and sporting organisations in Australia and Asia. Having spent five years in Hong Kong, Ms McNeill led the Hong Kong Junior Australian Football League under AFL Asia and was a board member of national sporting body Cricket Hong Kong.
Member of the Board since 2023, Member of the CV Foundation Advisory Committee.
Harish Rao MBA, B. Sc, B. Comm, GAICD Director
Mr Rao has a background in chartered accounting and corporate finance and has been involved in the financial services industry in Australia in various roles for over three decades. He most recently pioneered the concept of business process outsourcing for accounting firms in Australia. He exited that business in 2004 to Sundaram Business Services Limited (“SBS”), the outsourcing arm of the Chennai based, US$5billion Sundaram Finance Group.
Mr Rao continued as Global Head of Business Development for SBS until 2021 and is now Chair of the Advisory Board. Mr Rao has been involved in the Australia India business space for over 2 decades and continues to advise companies on market entry opportunities between the two countries. Mr Rao is also a Non-Executive Director of the Australia India Chamber of Commerce Limited and the Australia India Institute (part of University of Melbourne).
Shaun Richardson
B. Econ, M. Bus Director
Paul Sealey B. Comm. MAICD Director
Member of the Board since 2021.
Mr Richardson has spent the last two decades working in the banking and finance sector and is currently a Business Banking Executive at NAB, leading teams and specialising in strategy development, transaction execution and driving customer advocacy.
He also previously worked for Melbourne Storm and Cricket Victoria in commercial operations and sales roles. A former 1st XI player with both St Kilda and Dandenong Cricket Clubs and spent nearly 20 years at Caulfield Cricket Club in a range of roles.
Member of the Board since 2022, Member of the Finance, Audit, Investment & Risk Committee.
Mr Sealey is an Investment Advisor and Partner of LGT Crestone, an Australian Wealth Management Firm specialising in providing financial advice to high net wealth families, institutions and not-for-profit organisations. Prior to LGT Crestone, Paul was an Investment Advisor and Partner of Escala Partners for over a decade.
He commenced his career in the finance industry first as a Tax Analyst at Goldman Sachs JBWere before joining UBS Wealth Management where he served over 7 years advising his clients.
Mr Sealey played for over 16 years as a 1st XI player for Prahran and Frankston Peninsula CC.
MEETINGS OF DIRECTORS
The following table sets out the number of directors’ meetings held during the financial year and the number of meetings attended by each director (while they were a director).
M = Number of meetings Director could have attended
A = Number of meetings attended
COMMITTEES
Three key standing committees have been established to assist the Board in fulfilling its responsibilities:
i) Finance Audit Investment & Risk Committee - oversees financial reporting, risk management and internal controls, internal and external audit, insurance, WHS and IT governance, investment strategy, strategic planning, capital expenditure, annual budgets and monthly financial performance.
ii) Nominations & Remuneration Committee - The Committee’s primary responsibility is in leading and recommending (to the Board) on matters including, but not limited to strategies, policies and/or processes in relation to the nomination of candidates for relevant appointments to the Board, the CA Board and the CA Nominations Committee, the evaluation of the CV Directors’ performance and, in consultation with the CA Chair, the performance of the CV appointee on the CA Board; the overall remuneration of CV staff, including the Chief Executive Officer and (in consultation with the Chief Executive Officer) other members of the Executive.
iii) CV Foundation - The foundations primary responsibility is in assisting Management to drive initiatives seeking funding from potential donors; assisting in the consideration, development and review of Foundation fundraising programs and projects; facilitating an ethical, lawful and compliant approach to Foundation fundraising and acquittal of donated funds and generating investment in the Foundation itself.
DIRECTORS’ REPORT
BOARD STRUCTURE
The directors of the Victorian Cricket Association consist of six elected directors and three appointed directors. The term of the elected directors is up to three years with two elected directors elected at each Annual General Meeting. The term of each elected director will expire at the conclusion of the third Annual General Meeting following their election. Elected directors are eligible for re-election following the expiry of their term. No elected director who has served for a total of 3 consecutive terms shall be eligible for reelection (except in extenuating circumstances) until the third Annual General Meeting following the date of conclusion as a director.
The elected directors may appoint a maximum of three appointed directors for a term of up to three years. Appointed directors are eligible for further appointment following expiry of their term. No appointed director who has served for a total of 3 consecutive terms shall be eligible for re-election for at least 3 years following the date of conclusion as a director.
PRINCIPAL ACTIVITIES
The principal activities of the Victorian Cricket Association during the financial year were the ongoing promotion, management and control of cricket in the State of Victoria. The Victorian Cricket Association delivers a range of activities including community cricket programs, coaching, talent identification and development, staging of State and Big Bash matches, and provides valuable resources for the ongoing growth and promotion of the game of cricket throughout Victoria.
The objective of the company is to be Australia’s leading cricket state, supporting and growing grassroots cricket throughout Victoria, delivering the finest cricket performance program for elite men’s and women’s cricket and growing our fan base through the Big Bash.
There were no significant changes in the nature of the company’s activities during the year.
DIVIDENDS
In respect of the financial year ended 30 June 2024, no dividends were declared or paid (2023: $Nil). The company is a public company limited by guarantee, is a not for profit and is therefore precluded from paying dividends.
REVIEW OF OPERATIONS
The movement in revenues versus prior year can be attributed to an increase in contractual funding from CA, increased funding from CA for player payments and growth in our core revenue streams of sponsorship and ticket sales. Revenue growth was delivered by the new revenue initiatives including the CV Foundation, Melbourne Cricket Education Academy, Major League Cricket and school holiday programs. Revenues were also impacted by lower grant revenues generally sourced from various government initiatives. CV’s managed funds continued to perform strongly. Costs increased versus prior year, notably in employee related expenses reflecting the increase in payments to both male and female players. Employee expenses also rose with new roles added to support revenue growth initiatives and high performance, as well as general cost of living and legislated increases.
Activities during the financial year returned a loss for the Company of $183,722 (2023 profit $746,531).
Net cash outflows from operating activities were ($274,692).
SIGNIFICANT CHANGES IN THE STATE OF AFFAIRS
In the opinion of the Directors, other than as set out in this report, there were no significant changes in the state of affairs of the company that occurred during the financial year under review.
ENVIRONMENTAL REGULATION
The company’s operations are not regulated by any significant environmental regulation under a law of the Commonwealth or of a State or Territory
RECOGNISING AND MANAGING RISK
The Board is responsible for ensuring the adequacy of the Victorian Cricket Association’s risk management and is assisted in doing this by the Finance Audit Investment and Risk Committee. This includes ensuring the establishment, implementation and annual review of the Victorian Cricket Association risk management systems, ensuring that they are designed to protect the Company’s reputation and manage key business, strategic and financial risks.
The Finance Audit Investment and Risk Committee reviews the risk management framework on a regular basis and satisfies itself that management has appropriate systems in place for managing risk and maintaining internal controls. The CEO and senior management team are responsible for identifying, evaluating and monitoring risk in accordance with the risk management framework.
INSURANCE OF OFFICERS AND INDEMNITIES
Clause 31 of the Constitution provides that the company will to the extent permitted by law, indemnify officers of the company in respect of any liability incurred by the officer in or arising out of the proper performance of any duty of the business of the Association.
The Directors, CEO and Company Secretary of the Victorian Cricket Association are provided with a Deed of Indemnity, Access & Insurance with the company. No benefit has been received under an indemnity from the company during the year ended 30 June 2024 or to the date of this report.
The company has paid an insurance premium in respect of an insurance contract that covers directors and officers of the company against any liability arising in or out of the conduct of the business of the company and the proper performance of any duty of that director or officer. Due to the confidential undertakings of the policy, no further details in respect of the premium or policy can be disclosed.
PROCEEDINGS ON BEHALF OF THE COMPANY
No person has applied to the Court under section 237 of the Corporations Act 2001 for leave to bring proceedings on behalf of the Company, or to intervene in any proceedings to which the Company is a party, for the purpose of taking responsibility on behalf of the Company for all or part of those proceedings.
AUDITOR’S INDEPENDENCE DECLARATION
A copy of the auditor’s independence declaration as required under section 307C of the Corporations Act 2001 is set out on page 32.
MEMBERS GUARANTEE
The company is a public company limited by guarantee. If the company is wound up, the Constitution states that each voting member is required to contribute an amount not exceeding $100 towards the Victorian Cricket Association’s property while they are a member or within one year after their membership ceases. At 30 June 2024 the members held 25 votes with each Men’s Premier Club (one vote), VMCU and VCCL (one vote each), VSDCA (two votes) and the Women’s Premier Clubs (through the WPP) collectively (three votes). (2023: 25 votes).
ROUNDING OF AMOUNTS
The Company is of a kind referred to in ASIC Legislative Instrument 2016/191, relating to the ‘rounding off’ of amounts in the directors’ report. Amounts in the directors’ report have been rounded off in accordance with the instrument to the nearest thousand dollars, or in certain cases, to the nearest dollar.
ROSS HEPBURN DIRECTOR
29/07/2024
SHARYN MCNEILL DIRECTOR
29/07/2024
Auditor’s Independence Declaration
As lead auditor for the audit of Victorian Cricket Association for the year ended 30 June 2024, I declare that to the best of my knowledge and belief, there have been:
(a) no contraventions of the auditor independence requirements of the Corporations Act 2001 in relation to the audit; and
(b) no contraventions of any applicable code of professional conduct in relation to the audit.
Brad Peake
Melbourne Partner
PricewaterhouseCoopers
PricewaterhouseCoopers, ABN 52 780 433 757
2 Riverside Quay, SOUTHBANK VIC 3006, GPO Box 1331, MELBOURNE VIC 3001 T: 61 3 8603 1000, F: 61 3 8603 1999, www.pwc.com.au
Liability limited by a scheme approved under Professional Standards Legislation.
29 July 2024
DIRECTORS’ DECLARATION
In the Directors’ opinion:
(a) the financial statements and notes set out on pages 36 to 50 are in accordance with the Corporations Act 2001, including:
(i) complying with Accounting Standards, the Corporations Regulations 2001 and other mandatory professional reporting requirements, and
(ii) giving a true and fair view of the entity’s financial position as at 30 June 2024 and of its performance for the financial year ended on that date, and
(b) there are reasonable grounds to believe that the Company will be able to pay its debts as and when they become due and payable.
This declaration is made in accordance with a resolution of directors.
ROSS HEPBURN DIRECTOR
29/07/2024
SHARYN MCNEILL DIRECTOR
29/07/2024
Independent auditor’s report
To the members of Victorian Cricket Association
Our opinion
In our opinion:
The accompanying financial report of Victorian Cricket Association (the Company) is in accordance with the Corporations Act 2001, including:
(a) giving a true and fair view of the Company's financial position as at 30 June 2024 and of its financial performance for the year then ended
(b) complying with Australian Accounting Standards - Simplified Disclosures and the Corporations Regulations 2001
What we have audited
The financial report comprises:
● the statement of financial position as at 30 June 2024
● the statement of changes in equity for the year then ended
● the statement of cash flows for the year then ended
● the statement of profit or loss and other comprehensive income for the year then ended
● the notes to the financial statements, including material accounting policy information and other explanatory information
● the directors’ declaration.
Basis for opinion
We conducted our audit in accordance with Australian Auditing Standards. Our responsibilities under those standards are further described in the Auditor’s responsibilities for the audit of the financial report section of our report.
We believe that the audit evidence we have obtained is sufficient and appropriate to provide a basis for our opinion.
Independence
We are independent of the Company in accordance with the auditor independence requirements of the Corporations Act 2001 and the ethical requirements of the Accounting Professional & Ethical Standards Board’s APES 110 Code of Ethics for Professional Accountants (including Independence Standards) (the Code) that are relevant to our audit of the financial report in Australia. We have also fulfilled our other ethical responsibilities in accordance with the Code.
Other information
The directors are responsible for the other information. The other information comprises the information included in the annual financial report for the year ended 30 June 2024, but does not include the financial report and our auditor’s report thereon.
PricewaterhouseCoopers, ABN 52 780 433 757
2 Riverside Quay, SOUTHBANK VIC 3006, GPO Box 1331 MELBOURNE VIC 3001 T: +61 3 8603 1000, F: +61 3 8603 1999, www.pwc.com.au
Liability limited by a scheme approved under Professional Standards Legislation.
Our opinion on the financial report does not cover the other information and accordingly we do not express any form of assurance conclusion thereon through our opinion on the financial report.
In connection with our audit of the financial report, our responsibility is to read the other information and, in doing so, consider whether the other information is materially inconsistent with the financial report or our knowledge obtained in the audit, or otherwise appears to be materially misstated.
If, based on the work we have performed on the other information that we obtained prior to the date of this auditor’s report, we conclude that there is a material misstatement of this other information, we are required to report that fact. We have nothing to report in this regard.
Responsibilities of the directors for the financial report
The directors of the Company are responsible for the preparation of the financial report that gives a true and fair view in accordance with Australian Accounting Standards - Simplified Disclosures and the Corporations Act 2001 and for such internal control as the directors determine is necessary to enable the preparation of the financial report that gives a true and fair view and is free from material misstatement, whether due to fraud or error.
In preparing the financial report, the directors are responsible for assessing the ability of the Company to continue as a going concern, disclosing, as applicable, matters related to going concern and using the going concern basis of accounting unless the directors either intend to liquidate the Company or to cease operations, or have no realistic alternative but to do so.
Auditor’s responsibilities for the audit of the financial report
Our objectives are to obtain reasonable assurance about whether the financial report as a whole is free from material misstatement, whether due to fraud or error, and to issue an auditor’s report that includes our opinion. Reasonable assurance is a high level of assurance, but is not a guarantee that an audit conducted in accordance with the Australian Auditing Standards will always detect a material misstatement when it exists. Misstatements can arise from fraud or error and are considered material if, individually or in the aggregate, they could reasonably be expected to influence the economic decisions of users taken on the basis of the financial report.
A further description of our responsibilities for the audit of the financial report is located at the Auditing and Assurance Standards Board website at: . This description forms part of our auditor's report.
PricewaterhouseCoopers
Brad Peake
Partner
Melbourne
29 July 2024
STATEMENT OF PROFIT OR LOSS
AND OTHER COMPREHENSIVE INCOME FOR THE YEAR ENDED 30 JUNE 2024
STATEMENT OF FINANCIAL POSITION
AT 30 JUNE 2024
STATEMENT OF CHANGES IN EQUITY
FOR THE YEAR ENDED 30 JUNE 2024
The above Statement of changes in equity should be read in conjunction with the accompanying notes.
STATEMENT OF CASH FLOWS
AS AT 30 JUNE 2024
The above Statement of cash flows should be read in conjunction with the accompanying notes.
NOTES TO THE CONSOLIDATED FINANCIAL STATEMENTS
1. SUMMARY OF SIGNIFICANT ACCOUNTING POLICIES
(a) Basis of preparation
These general purpose financial statements have been prepared in accordance with Australian Accounting Standards and Interpretations issued by the Australian Accounting Standards Board and the Corporations Act 2001. The Victorian Cricket Association is a not-for-profit entity for the purpose of preparing the financial statements.
Where necessary comparative amounts have been represented or reclassified to ensure compatibility with the current year.
(i) Compliance with Australian Accounting Standards - Simplified Disclosure Requirements
The financial statements of the Victorian Cricket Association comply with Australian Accounting Standards - Simplified Disclosure Requirements as issued by the Australian Accounting Standards Board (AASB).
(ii) Historical cost convention
The financial report has been prepared on the basis of historical cost, except for the revaluation of certain non-current assets and financial instruments. Cost is based on the fair values of the consideration given in exchange for assets. All amounts are presented in Australian dollars.
(b) Financial reporting framework
The Company is not a reporting entity because in the opinion of the directors there are unlikely to exist users of the financial report who are unable to command the preparation of reports tailored so as to satisfy specifically all of their information needs. Accordingly, the ‘general purpose reduced disclosure financial report’ has been prepared to satisfy the directors’ reporting requirements under the Corporations Act 2001
(c) Income tax
No provision for income tax has been raised as the company is exempt from income tax under Division 50 of the Income Tax Assessment Act 1997
(d) Goods and Services Tax (GST)
Revenues, expenses and assets are recognised net of the amount of associated GST, unless the GST incurred is not recoverable from the taxation authority. In this case it is recognised as part of the cost of acquisition of the asset or as part of the expense.
Receivables and payables are stated inclusive of the amount of GST receivable or payable. The net amount of GST recoverable from, or payable to, the taxation authority is included with other receivables or payables in the Statement of financial position. Cash flows are presented on a gross basis. The GST components of cash flows arising from investing or financing activities which are recoverable from, or payable to the taxation authority, are presented as operating cash flows.
2. SIGNIFICANT CHANGES IN THE CURRENT REPORTING PERIOD
The financial position and performance of the Company was impacted with the following transaction during the reporting period:
• Contractual funding from Cricket Australia increased by 3.5% in FY24, resulting in an additional $0.7m in revenue versus the prior year.
3. CRITICAL ESTIMATES, JUDGEMENTS AND ERRORS
In the application of the company’s accounting policies, which are described below, the directors are required to make judgements, estimates and assumptions about carrying amounts of assets and liabilities that are not readily apparent from other sources. The estimates and associated assumptions are based on historical experience and other factors that are considered to be relevant. Actual results may differ from these estimates.
4. REVENUE FROM CONTRACTS WITH CUSTOMERS
ACCOUNTING POLICIES
Revenue is measured at the fair value of the consideration received or receivable.
Revenue from Cricket Australia
Revenue from Cricket Australia is generated via contributions from Cricket Australia to support the management of operations of the business, state teams & W/BBL teams. As per AASB 15, revenue from Cricket Australia is recognised over a period of time.
Grant revenue
Where contracts contain specified performance obligations, as per AASB 15, revenue from grants and other contributions is recognised when the specified performance obligations have been satisfied. Where contracts do not contain specified performance obligations, as per AASB 1058, revenue from grants and other contributions is recognised over a period of time.
Revenue from cricket matches
Revenue from cricket matches is generated via proceeds from ticket sales, memberships, merchandise and hospitality to T20 Big Bash League matches and domestic state team matches. As per AASB 15, revenue from cricket matches is recognised at a point in time upon satisfaction of the performance obligation.
Sponsorship revenue
As per AASB 15, sponsorship revenue is recognised over a period of time.
Other revenue
Revenue is recognised at a point in time upon satisfaction of the performance obligation.
ACCOUNTING POLICIES
Trade receivables are recognised initially at the amount of consideration that is unconditional unless they contain significant financing components, when they are recognised at fair value. They are generally due for settlement within 30 days and are therefore all classified as current. The Company holds the trade receivables with the objective of collecting the contractual cash flows and therefore measures them subsequently at amortised cost using the effective interest method.
Collectability of trade receivables is reviewed on an ongoing basis. Debts which are known to be uncollectible are written off. A provision for impairment of trade receivables is raised based on the expected credit loss model under AASB 9. The Company recognises a provision if required based on historical default rates, debtor analysis and the company’s monitoring of credit risk. The allowance for the year ended 30 June 2024 is $0 (2023: $0). There was $0 bad debt written off in the financial year ended 30 June 2024 (2023: $0)
Other Receivables
Revenue is recognised on an accrual basis in accordance with the substance of the relevant agreements.
6. OTHER FINANCIAL ASSETS
ACCOUNTING POLICIES
Investments are recognised and derecognised on trade date where the purchase or sale of an investment is under a contract whose terms require delivery of the investment within the time frame established by the market concerned, and are initially measured at fair value, net of transaction costs except for those financial assets classified as at fair value through the profit or loss which are initially measured at fair value.
Financial assets at fair value through profit or loss
Financial assets are classified as financial assets at fair value through the profit or loss where the financial asset:
(i) has been acquired principally for the purpose of selling in the near future;
(ii) is a part of an identified portfolio of financial instruments that the company manages together and has a recent actual pattern of short-term profit-taking; or
(iii) is a derivative that is not designated and effective as a hedging instrument.
Financial assets at fair value through the profit or loss are stated at fair value, with any resultant gain or loss recognised in the profit or loss. The net gain or loss recognised in the profit or loss incorporates any dividend or interest earned on the financial asset. Fair value is determined in the manner described below.
The fair values of financial assets measured at fair value are determined as follows:
i) the fair value of financial assets with standard terms and conditions and traded on active liquid markets are determined with reference to quoted market prices;
ii) the fair value of other financial assets (excluding derivative instruments) are determined in accordance with generally accepted pricing models based on discounted cash flow analysis.
Equity instruments are held for trading whilst debt instruments are not held for the purpose of payment of principal and interest. Therefore, these financial assets do not meet the criteria for amortised cost or fair value through other comprehensive income and should be recognised as fair value through profit or loss.
ACCOUNTING POLICIES
Investment property, which is property held to earn rentals and/or for capital appreciation, is measured initially at its cost, including transaction costs. Subsequent to initial recognition, investment property is measured at fair value. Gains or losses arising from changes in the fair value of investment property are included in profit or loss in the period in which they arise.
The Company obtains detailed independent valuations for its investment properties every three years with independent desktop valuations provided for the intervening two years. At the end of each reporting period, the Company updates its assessment of the fair value of each property, taking into account the most recent independent valuations. The Company determines a property’s value within a range of reasonable fair value estimates.
Non-current assets consists of ongoing works relating to Solar panels installation to be capitalised upon completion.
ACCOUNTING POLICIES
Property, plant and equipment, is initially recorded at cost and then reduced by accumulated depreciation and any impairment losses. Cost includes expenditure that is directly attributable to the acquisition of the item. In the event that settlement of all or part of the purchase consideration is deferred, cost is determined by discounting the amounts payable in the future to their present value as at the date of acquisition.
Property, plant and equipment is depreciated so that the assets are written down to their residual value over their useful lives, using a straight line method. Assets that relate to leases are written off over the period of the lease or useful life, whichever is shorter. Residual values, useful lives and amortisation methods are reviewed annually and adjusted when required. No changes to depreciation rates were made during the year.
If applicable, leasehold improvements are depreciated over the period of the lease or estimated useful life, whichever is the shorter, using the straight line method. The estimated useful lives, residual values and depreciation method are reviewed at the end of each annual reporting period, with the effect of any changes recognised on a prospective basis.
Depreciation expense is recorded in the statement of profit or loss and other comprehensive income and the depreciation periods used are:
• Buildings 5 - 50 years
• Plant and equipment 2 - 30 years
• Motor Vehicles 4 - 5 years
Derecognition and disposal
When an asset is sold, scrapped or no longer of use to the business it is derecognised. Any gain or loss arising on derecognition of the asset (calculated as the difference between the net proceeds and the carrying amount of the asset) is recorded in the period the asset is derecognised in the statement of profit or loss and other comprehensive income.
ACCOUNTING POLICIES
Trade payables and other payables are recognised when the Company becomes obliged to make future payments resulting from the purchase of goods and services. Trade and other payables are carried at amortised cost.
12. LEASES
(i) Amounts recognised in the statement of financial position
lease payments in relation to lease liabilities as at period end are as follows:
than one year but not later than five years
than five years
Depreciation charge of right-of-use assets
THE COMPANY’S LEASING ACTIVITIES AND HOW THESE ARE ACCOUNTED FOR
The Company leases Junction Oval, two surrounding ovals in the nearby Albert Park precinct, gym equipment and motor vehicles. Rental contracts are typically made for fixed periods of one year to four years, but may have extension options as described below. The property lease for the Junction Oval is a 50-year lease.
Contracts may contain both lease and non-lease components. For all leases where both lease and non-lease components exist, predominantly motor vehicle contracts, the Company has elected not to split the payments into lease and non-lease components.
Lease terms are negotiated on an individual basis and contain a wide range of different terms and conditions. The lease arrangements do not impose any covenants other than the security interests in the leased assets that are held by the lessor. Leased assets may not be used as security for borrowing purposes.
As per AASB 16 Leases, leases are recognised as a right-of-use asset and a corresponding liability at the date at which the leased asset is available for use by the Company.
Assets and liabilities arising from a lease are initially measured on a present value basis. Lease liabilities include the net present value of the following lease payments:
• fixed payments (including in-substance fixed payments), less any lease incentives receivable
• variable lease payment that are based on the Victorian Cricket Association’s incremental borrowing rate (based on the published interest rate used by similar entities to the Victorian Cricket Association). Initially measured using the incremental borrowing rate as at commencement date of 1 July 2019
• amounts expected to be payable by the Company under residual value guarantees
• the exercise price of a purchase option if the Company is reasonably certain to exercise that option, and
• payments of penalties for terminating the lease, if the lease term reflects the Company exercising that option.
Lease payments to be made under reasonably certain extension options are also included in the measurement of a liability. The lease payments are discounted using the interest rate implicit in the lease. If that rate cannot be readily determined, the Victorian Cricket Association’s incremental borrowing rate is used, being the rate that the Company would have to pay to borrow the funds necessary to obtain an asset of similar value to the right-of-use asset in a similar economic environment with similar terms, security and conditions.
To determine the incremental borrowing rate, the Company:
• uses the lease impact assessment provided by accounting firm BDO, whereby the incremental borrowing rate was based on the published interest rate used by similar entities to the Victorian Cricket Association.
The Company is exposed to potential future increase in variable lease payments based on an index or rate, which are not included in the lease liability until they take effect. When adjustments to lease payments based on an index or rate take effect, the lease liability is reassessed and adjusted against the right-ofuse asset.
Lease payments are allocated between principal and finance costs. The finance cost is charged to profit or loss over the lease period so as to produce a constant periodic rate of interest on the remaining balance of the liability for each period.
Right-of-use assets are measured at cost comprising the following:
• the amount of the initial measurement of lease liability
• any lease payments made at or before the commencement date less any lease incentives received
• any initial direct costs, and
• restoration costs
Right-of-use assets are generally depreciated over the shorter of the asset’s useful life and the lease term on a straight line basis. If the Company is reasonably certain to exercise a purchase option, the right-of-use asset is depreciated over the underlying asset’s useful life.
Payments associated with short-term leases of property, equipment and vehicles and all leases of low-value assets are recognised on a straight line basis as an expense in the profit or loss. Short term leases are leases with a lease term of 12 months or less.
Extension and termination options
Extension and termination options are included in a number of properties, equipment and motor vehicle leases across the Company. The majority of extension and termination options held are exercisable only by the Company and not by the respective lessor.
ACCOUNTING POLICIES
Provisions are recognised when the Company has a present obligation (legal or constructive) as a result of a past event, it is probable that the Company will be required to settle the obligation, and a reliable estimate can be made of the amount of the obligation.
The amount recognised as a provision is the best estimate of the consideration required to settle the present obligation at reporting date, taking into account the risks and uncertainties surrounding the obligation. Where a provision is measured using the cash flows estimated to settle the present obligation, its carrying amount is the present value of those cash flows.
When some or all of the economic benefits required to settle a provision are expected to be recovered from a third party, the receivable is recognised as an asset if it is virtually certain that reimbursement will be received and the amount of the receivable can be measured reliably.
Employee benefits
A liability is recognised for benefits accruing to employees in respect of wages and salaries, annual leave and long service leave when it is probable that settlement will be required, and they are capable of being measured reliably.
Liabilities recognised in respect of employee benefits expected to be settled within 12 months are measured at their nominal values using the remuneration rate expected to apply at the time of settlement.
Liabilities recognised in respect of employee benefits which are not expected to be settled within 12 months are measured as the present value of the estimated future cash outflows to be made by the Company in respect of services provided by employees up to the reporting date.
Income received in advance predominately relates to Cricket Australia funding for the Australian Cricket
relating to FY25.
ACCOUNTING POLICIES
For the purposes of the statement of cash flows, cash and cash equivalents includes cash on hand and in banks, net of outstanding bank overdrafts. Cash and cash equivalents at the end of the financial year as shown in the cash flow statement is reconciled to the related items in the statement of financial position.
Reconciliation of profit or (loss) to net cash inflow from operating activities
(gain)/loss on sale of non-current assets (21,364)
16. FINANCING FACILITIES
The Victorian Cricket Association has an overdraft facility of $200,000 of which the unused portion at reporting date is $200,000. The overdraft facility was not utilised during the year.
The company also has a contingent liability facility limit of $515,000 of which $260,000 has been provided as bank guarantees as part of the redevelopment of the Kevin Murray Stand at Junction Oval. These may be called upon in the event that Cricket Victoria breaches its contractual obligations.
17. RELATED PARTY TRANSACTIONS
(a) Key management personnel compensation
Key management personnel include executives with authority for the strategic direction and management of the Company.
Key management personnel remuneration for the year ended 30 June 2024 is set out below:
ACCOUNTING POLICIES
Short-term benefits
Short-term employee benefits are expensed as the related service is provided. A liability is recognised for the amount expected to be paid if the Company has a present legal or constructive obligation to pay this amount as a result of past service provided by the employee and the obligation can be estimated reliably.
Termination benefits
Termination benefits are expensed at the earlier of when the Company can no longer withdraw the offer of those benefits and when the Company recognises costs for a restructuring. If benefits are not expected to be settled wholly within 12 months of the end of the reporting period, then they are discounted.
(b) Transactions with other related parties
No amounts paid in respect to related party transactions for the year ended 30 June 2024
18. ECONOMIC DEPENDENCY
A significant amount of the Victorian Cricket Association’s revenue is received through contributions from Cricket Australia. Cricket Australia and the Victorian Cricket Association have extended the current funding agreement for a further two years to 30 June 2026.
19. FINANCIAL RISK MANAGEMENT
Financial Risk Management framework
The Company’s financial risk management policies cover risk tolerance, internal controls (including segregation of duties), investments and delegated authority limits in addition to the reporting of any exposures through board committees and ultimately to the board. These policies are reviewed at least annually and approved by the board of directors.
(a) Market risk
Market risk is the risk that changes in market prices, such as interest rates and equity prices - will affect the Company’s income or the value of its holdings of financial instruments. The objective of market risk management is to manage and control market risk exposures within acceptable parameters, while optimising the return.
(i) Interest rate risk
Interest rate risk refers to the risk that the value of a financial instrument or cash flows associated with the instrument will fluctuate due to changes in market interest rates. Interest rate risk arises from interest-bearing financial assets that the Company utilises. Interest-bearing financial assets are generally shortterm liquid assets.
(ii) Price risk
Equity price risk arises from financial assets designated at fair value through profit or loss held by the Company in the form of investments in listed equities. The portfolio of investments is managed by external portfolio managers, who buy and sell equities based on their analysis of returns. The asset position and returns are reported to the Finance Audit Investment & Risk Committee on a regular basis.
(b) Liquidity risk
Liquidity risk is the risk that the Company will encounter difficulty in meeting the obligations associated with its financial liabilities that are settled by cash. The Company’s approach to managing liquidity is to ensure, as far as possible, that it will always have sufficient liquidity to meet its liabilities when they are due, under both normal and stressed conditions, without incurring unacceptable losses or risking damage to the Company’s reputation.
The Company ensures at all times an appropriate level of liquidity comprising primarily of cash resources. To facilitate this, the Company monitors forecasted and actual cash flows and undertakes analysis to ensure adequate liquidity is available for the Company . The Company aims to have sufficient cash or cash equivalents on demand and investments that can be liquidated at short notice to meet operational expenses for a period of up to 60 days.
(c) Credit risk
Credit risk is the risk of financial loss to the Company if a customer or counterparty to a financial instrument fails to meet its contractual obligations.
The carrying amount of financial assets represents the maximum credit exposure.
When measuring the expected credit losses, balances have been grouped based on the days past due. The ageing of the Company’s current trade receivables is disclosed below:
Based on historical default rates, debtor analysis and the Company’s monitoring of credit risk, no impairment allowance is considered necessary in respect of trade receivables not past due.
Not past due and past due 0-30 days balances represent 85 per cent of the total balance. The remaining balance relates to customers considered low risk based on their association with the Victorian Cricket Association.
The current expected loss rate for the Company is 0%.
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