Yarraville Club has an uncanny knack of staying relevant in the annual discussion surrounding the Victorian Turf Cricket Association senior division premiership.
The Clubbers, defending champions, have won seven of the past nine flags and will be around the mark again this summer.
They are one of the most successful sports clubs in the western suburbs.
Clubbers coach Michael O’Keefe said the respect his club had built up in the past decade was not something the players wanted to cede any time soon.
“We’ve been up the top of the tree for quite some time now,” he said.
“We’ve pretty much been hunted for the past seven or eight years. The boys do thrive on it – they’ve had a taste of success and just want to keep improving and winning.”
O’Keefe retired at the end of last season after a long and distinguished career.
You could say he left with petrol in the tank, featuring in a first XI premiership side and averaging 42 with the bat.
But he knew deep down it was time to pass the baton to the next generation.
“At some stage you’ve got to look in the mirror and say, my time’s up,” he said. “It’s time for the young blokes to step up.”
O’Keefe has formed a coaching alliance with former teammates Dean Pacholli and Colin Smart. Pacholli is the specialist batting coach, while Smart looks after the bowling and fielding.
The big names, including Aaron Mato, Adam Contessa, Ben Tupper, Emmett Bronca and Matthew Murphy, are still at the Clubbers,
Anthony Cristofaro, the captain, and Andrew Cullen, the vice-captain, are a touch younger, but have been part of the premierships of recent seasons.
Where O’Keefe and his coaching team comes into the equation is bringing through the next wave of players. “We’ve got some good young ones in our seconds and our thirds at the moment who we’re really trying to develop,” O’Keefe said. “We’re covering all the bases to ensure these kids develop in the right manner.”
There’s already a fresh coat of paint in the Clubbers first XI.
The arrival of teenage all-rounder Joey Blake, from sub-district side Sunshine, and opening batsman Konrad Kurta, forced to play in the seconds last summer due to the VTCA’s points cap, has boosted the side that climbed to the top of the mountain seven months ago.
O’Keefe said opportunities would come for the youngsters plugging away in the seconds, too.
“We’ve got four or five kids under 21 playing in our seconds and they’re going to be the future.
“One or two at some stage should get an opportunity.”
Yarraville club coach Michael O’Keefe on …
Recruit Joey Blake: “Young Joey is only 18 and he’s got heaps of potential. He’s still learning the game, but he’s fitting in real well at the club. He’s been opening the bowling for us and batting down the order a bit, but he’ll get his opportunity up the order.”
Opportunity presented for Konrad
Kurta: “He was originally from New Zealand … he moved over here for work. He couldn’t break into our side last year purely because of the points system and the group that we had. But he’s got in this year and is taking his opportunities. A fantastic pick up – he’s only 26 or 27, bats at the top of the order and bowls off-spin and medium pace. He’s an asset for us.”
Anthony Cristofaro’s captaincy: “He’s really matured over the past 12 to 18 months. He’s got a very good cricket brain and is a good leader. He jumped at the opportunity of taking the role on … it’s exciting that someone like him can potentially be captain of the club for the next five or six years.”
