What’s your connection with Brimbank?
I grew up in Keilor. The Keilor cricket ground has been a part of my life for all my life. We come here for dinner every Thursday night in cricket and football season. I actually moved away a little while ago, but I’m still down here four days a week.
You’ve spent a large part of your life in Keilor, what’s changed over the years?
The development and house prices have really shot up. We were market gardeners originally and a lot of the land around here was said to be not too valuable, but that’s changed and houses have come up everywhere.
Tell us about your involvement with the club.
I started coming down to the club when I was about five years old. My uncle would take me to the cricket all the time. I started playing
A grade in 1957, when there was just one side here. I was 16 and the next youngest in the side was 12 years older than me. Since then I’ve played in three A-grade premierships, one in B grade and a veterans flag too.
That’s quite the resume, how do you go these days?
I’m 76 now. Back in the 1980s I started bowling rubbish, which has continued through to today. The only thing is it somehow seems to get a few wickets. I just chuck the ball in the air and let the batsman do the rest. It seems to work, I won the competition’s bowling average last year.
Your teammates say they can’t imagine the club without you after all these years. What’s been the key to your longevity?
Mates have kept me here. All our friends have come from this club. Even the younger guys are still my friends, they’re a big part of my life. I like to keep playing cricket because of my age. These guys are a lot younger than me and it makes me feel younger to play with them. My body seems to be holding up alright at the moment, so as long as that’s fine, I’ll keep playing.
There’s mixed views as to the long-term future of some local sporting clubs. What do you think the future holds for the Keilor Cricket Club?
Once people come here, they stay here. It becomes part of their life. I’ve been here over 60 years and we haven’t lost many along the way and there’s no reason why that won’t continue.
