Star all-rounder Ricky Suvada is leading Deer Park’s assault on Turf Cricket’s finals series.
Under first-year coach Glenn Sullivan, the Lions have been in the west B1 top four all season and will play Barkly Street Uniting in a semi-final this week.
Suvada, who bats in the middle order and opens the bowling, has been arguably the most damaging player in the division with 37 wickets at an average of 11.5, while amassing 426 runs.
Deer Park president Steve Krstevski is full of praise for Suvada.
“He’s a Deer Park junior and has been with us right the way through,” Krstevski said.
“He has had offers to play for other clubs all through his career, but he’s stayed at Deer Park. He won two competition medals in the [Williamstown District Cricket Association] and is right on track to win one in the VTCA.
“He never misses a training session and is a great influence around the club. In 10 years, when we look back on it and what he has done, he will be a legend of the club.”
The Lions won their first seven matches with Suvada’s dominance helping establish them as one of the teams to beat.
Despite losing four games since then, Krstevski says the playing group is determined to ensure the positive start didn’t go to waste by winning at least one final.
“We won’t just be making up the numbers in finals,” he said. “We feel we can make the grand final.
“Anything apart from that will probably be a disappointment after winning those first seven games.
”We just want to climb the ranks and get this club to the highest level possible.”
There isn’t much separating Deer Park from Barkly Street Uniting.
The two sides have met twice this season for a win each, and only 0.6 separates them on the ladder.
Deer Park finished seventh and won just four games last season, but Krstevski says the signing of some key players in the pre-season has made a great difference.
“We brought in Glenn Sullivan, Shane Jones and Luke Graves.
“All three have been terrific and there’s a lot of confidence around the group at the moment.
“At the start of the year we had 60 senior players on the track; we were inundated.
“There’s a terrific feeling at the club at the moment.”
