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Star signing for Ridges By Nick Creely BUCKLEY Ridges has pulled off a major recruiting coup, signing former Australian and Victorian batsman David Hussey for this year’s DDCA Twenty20 tournament. The 39-year old is the current captain of the Melbourne Stars in the Big Bash League, boasting an immense record that has taken him all over the globe. Hussey is one of the most distinguished players in T20 history, and has played more than 250 games in a range of competitions such as the IPL, BBL and the English T20 Bash. DDCA secretary Ray Nicholls said the signing of Hussey is going to do wonders for this year’s competition. “It’s going to be exciting for our local competition. “Huss won’t muck around, I wouldn’t have thought. “Buckley Ridges has some massive signings this year and Dave just adds star-power to that,” Nicholls said. Along with the legendary batsman, Buckley Ridges have also secured Fitzroy-Doncaster all-rounder Trent Lawford to its stocks, while Jamie Brohier from Frankston Peninsula will turn out once again. Lawford, 28, has played for two BBL franchises, Adelaide Strikers and Sydney Sixers, and is a renowned bighitter of the cricket ball. He has also played seven first-class matches for South Australia. Dandenong opening batsman Brett Forsyth will feature once again for Springvale South as its marquee player. The 27-year-old star batsman, who
is a former junior at the Bloods, as well as a former Victorian second XI representative, will once again be the cornerstone of the side. Forsyth has played 19 T20 games for the Bloods, averaging 59.35 since debuting in the 2011/12 tournament. Dingley has snared Prahran Cricket Club fast-bowler Matt Wilcox as its marquee signing. The seamer has been one of Victorian Premier Cricket’s finest bowlers since making his first XI debut back in the 2012/13 season, and is well remembered for a brilliant 6/28 he took two seasons ago against Melbourne. It is yet to be established how many games they will be able to get out of Wilcox, but regardless, it is important for the rising club. Berwick will once again welcome Casey-South Melbourne batsman Michael Wallace to the fold. In last season’s competition, Wallace made a terrific 71 not-out to start the tournament, and previously made a 50 the year before for Berwick. Hallam Kalora Park has secured Victorian Bushranger and Essendon skipper Aaron Ayre to its stocks this tournament. The 24-year old made his Sheffield Shield debut for Victoria last season, while he also featured for the Melbourne Renegades in last year’s BBL. Mordialloc has added Monash Tigers all-rounder Dominic Matarazzo to its list. Matarazzo is an underrated commodity, and will be integral for the Bloodhounds if they are to pose a significant threat. Narre South will welcome back
T20 legend Dave Hussey will feature at Buckley Ridges this season. Picture: COURTESY OF ROBERT PREZIOSO/GETTY IMAGES current Casey-South Melbourne skipper Lachlan Sperling to bolster its batting stocks. Sperling is well known as being a clean striker of the ball and will be available for every match this tournament. “I’m looking forward to getting back and having another crack at it,” Sperling said.
“From the previous experience playing for Narre, I really enjoyed my time and it will be good to get back down there and catch up with the guys.” North Dandenong has secured two key marquee signings, with Dandenong seamer Peter Cassidy and Camberwell opening batsman Chris Thewlis joining the fold.
Cassidy has enjoyed a solid start to the Premier season for the Panthers, taking five wickets to date, with an excellent 3/30 against Melbourne University on Saturday. Thewlis, 24, is a former Victorian under-17 representative and is a rising star in Victorian Premier Cricket. North will also welcome Dandenong all-rounder Dasun Opanayaka. Beaconsfield has secured Monash Tigers keeper Scott Edwards to it’s list once again. Edwards played last season for the Tigers, playing three games, averaging 16.67. He is the current wicket-keeper in the Monash first XI. In other signings, Dandenong West has signed Brad Rossborough from Somerville in the MPCA and Blake Walter from Croydon in the VSDCA. Teams without a signing to date include Cranbourne, Fountain Gate, HSD, Lynbrook, Narre North, Narre Warren, Parkfield, Silverton, Springvale and St Mary’s. There is some speculation that Bradley Hodge, who has featured in the DDCA before, may take part in the tournament, while there is also a rumour that a club is talking to a former West Indian cricketer. Prize money in this year’s competition will be $2000, which includes $1000 for the winner, $600 for the runners-up and $200 for the third and fourth placed teams. Round one of the T20 competition was cancelled Wednesday night 19 October, postponed to a later date. Round two commences on 2 November.
Boofa returns to Tiger-land QUIZ NUMBER 1527 1. WHICH Aussie batsman scored a massive 269 not out in the opening Test against the Kiwis in 2015-16? 2. WHICH Indian batsman made history in the 1980s by scoring centuries in his first three cricket Tests? 3. WHICH state has the best win percentage rate in Sheffield Shield cricket? 4. AN Aussie scored the first century in limited overs cricket in England in 1969. Who was he? 5. WHO became the world’s youngest heavyweight boxing champion in 1986? 6. WHAT was the name of the first racehorse to win more than $2 million prizemoney in Australia ? 7. WHICH wicket-keeper has taken the most dismissals for Australia in one-day internationals? 8. WHICH horse lost a race despite being 40-1 on in 1949? 9. WHICH woman has won the most Wimbledon titles (doubles and singles)? 10. WHICH European in 1979 became the youngest winner of the British Open golf title? 11. WHO was the first Australian cyclist to win two Olympic gold medals? 12. WHICH AFL team lost its first 10 games straight in 2016 - the worst start for the reigning minor premiers in history? 13. WHAT are the three points values of goals in basketball? 14. WHICH sporting legend was due to light the Olympic flame but at Rio withdrew at the last minute due to ill health?? 15. WHAT were the vast galleries of fans that followed Arnold Palmer around the golf course known as? 16. CAN a 12th man in first class cricket bat, bowl or field? 17. WHICH jockey rode a record 181 winners in the 1980-1 season? 18. WHICH swimming stroke appeared at the Olympics at the first time in Melbourne in 1956? 19. WHICH Australian won the US Open tennis title in 1973? 20. WHICH Australian golfer received an MBE in 1957?
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By Russell Bennett FORMER Beaconsfield premiership-winning coach Clint Evans has reunited with another of his former sides - Lang Lang. But he’s made one thing clear right from the outset: “There can’t be any excuses - there can’t be any easy way out”. ‘Boofa’, as he’s affectionately known, doesn’t do things by halves. He was going to take a twoyear break from footy after parting ways with the Eagles at the end of the season, but when the Tigers came calling in their hour of need, Evans answered. And now that he’s back in, he’s all in. He coached the club from 2007 to 2010, which included a grand final appearance. The former Beaconsfield midfield gun then spent a year at Hampton Park and moved back to Beaconsfield in 2012 as an understudy to Aussie Jones. Having already won two flags as a player at the club, he took over as senior coach in 2013 and made a preliminary final that year before coaching the Eagles to a premiership in 2014. He knows what success looks like, and he knows what it takes to achieve the ultimate. The Tigers have been through a rough trot in recent times, but their core stable of young guns looks set to carry them forward in a new era under Evans, who has signed on for two years. “To be honest I probably knocked back four or five
(clubs) because I just wanted a rest after doing it (coaching) for so long,” Evans said. “But then I went and had a think about it. The club (Lang Lang) told me they were coming from a fair way back with a really young group as well, so I went and had a think about it and started to get a little bit excited. We then had another chat and I was excited by the challenge again. “When I came here in 2007 the club was in a similar position - they’d finished third bottom but the kids were really good. “I know the joint and love the footy club, and had ball when I was here last so I thought I’d come down and teach the boys a bit and go from there. That’s how it all happened.” If Evans wasn’t approached by some of his great mates at the club, he would have stepped back from coaching altogether. But now that he’s committed, he’s throwing everything into the role. He recently sat down with a core group of Tigers players who hadn’t yet committed for 2017, merely to tell them what he was all about as a coach. By the end of that meeting, they’d signed on again. “We’re under no illusions about how hard it’s going to be,” Evans said. “Win, lose, or draw you come out here to enjoy your footy but it’s a lot more enjoyable when you’re winning - especially for the young kids because they probably haven’t felt that success yet and they don’t
know anything different but the harder you work, the more results start to fall your way. “The club has really got on the front foot this year to get the coach early and recruit early so the blokes who’ve been undecided can see what we’re doing and want to jump on-board. “We don’t want boys jumping on in December - we want them doing it now. “If they’re going to be a part of it, we want them to be a part of it through the good and the bad times - that’s our focus at the moment, and more importantly getting good people here. If they don’t want to be here, then see ya later. We’ll sign their clearance and away they go.” The likes of midfield guns Dylan Wilson and Sean Dwyer have signed on again - proving their commitment to the club. “We’ll be competitive,” Evans said. “We want to be a contested unit, but also you’ve got to be smart with how you play contested footy as well. “You can’t be jumping on each other trying to get the footy, and that’s the thing my philosophy isn’t just about marks, handballs and kicks. “It’s about what you’re doing when you haven’t got the ball. If your team mate is in there, what are you doing to help him? The club will have a ‘meet the coach’ day on Sunday, 6 November at the clubrooms at the Lang Lang Showgrounds. For more information, visit their Facebook page.
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