‘From WDCA to VCA…’ by KB Hill

 

 

My initial experience of District (or Premier) cricket came in the mid-sixties when I travelled down to watch a good mate, Greg Rosser, play one of his first games for North Melbourne.

The ‘Roos’ clash with Hawthorn-East Melbourne attracted only a handful of hardy souls to Arden Street’s famous Gasometer Oval, which made the loud-mouthed supporter in the rickety old Grandstand even more conspicuous by his presence.

North’s captain-coach John Miles had ploughed out thousands of runs for three previous clubs and was in the process of compiling another big innings – much to the disdain of this rabid opposition critic.

He continued to dish out the vitriol towards Miles who, when he was eventually dismissed in the sixties, marched off the ground, up the steps of the Stand, and proceeded to ‘have it out’ with the antagonistic fan.

My anticipation of Rosser’s entrance to the arena paled into something of an anti-climax……….

 

***

 

Rosser is just one of the many WDCA players who have taken the step to try their luck in Victoria’s ultimate cricket competition. He played 35 games, and scored three centuries in his three seasons with North Melbourne.

He represented a Victorian Second XI against a West Australian line-up which included the likes of Rod Marsh and future swing-king Bob Massie……Homesickness plagued him though, and he was back in Wangaratta playing for United in 1969, as the Vics tried, and discarded a succession of openers.

Had he stayed at North a little longer, Gregory Peter Rosser may have worn the State cap that he had coveted.

Jack Sutherland had caught the eye when starring for Wangaratta at Melbourne Country Week in successive seasons…..He was lured to North Melbourne in 1935/36….. After 26 games with the ‘Roos he transferred to Collingwood, where he continued his lengthy District career.

Sutherland, the first WDCA player to advance to District ranks, finished with 120 games, and scored 2697 runs for his two Clubs.

The longest-serving – and most prolific – of the locals was Simon Hill, who learned his craft at the H.P. Barr Reserve – Headquarters of the City Colts Cricket Club.

Hill had come through an elite junior cricket program and had long been touted as a rare talent. When he moved to Camberwell-Magpies in 2002 the classy left-hander made an immediate impression.

Always eager to get on with it, impulsive, and exciting to watch, he played 304 games for the ‘Pies. Numbered among them were 16 centuries and 10,994 runs.

His most successful season came 11 years ago, when he plundered 972 runs at an average of 57.18, the most successful in the competition, and among the top 15 VCA aggregates of all-time.

He once scored a century against England for an Australian U17 side, and you wonder how he came to miss out on a Shield berth during his 19-year career……Could it have been his failure to turn more of those 50s and 60s into big ‘tons’ ?……

 

Simon Hill

 

 

 

Paul Broster

 

***

 

Paul Broster’s career at Collingwood/Camberwell Magpies concluded just as Simon Hill’s was commencing….. ……

Similarly, a punishing left-hander who was also a left-arm tweaker, his father Graeme and grandfather Alec had both made huge names for themselves in Wangaratta cricket.

Paul came under notice when he scored an unbeaten 233 in a North-East Colts match against Wodonga, an innings which included 34 boundaries.

He was playing with Whorouly at the time, alongside his father, who certainly didn’t permit Paul to get ahead of himself.

Progressing along cricket’s talent pathway, he moved to the city to study Radiotherapy, and threw in his lot with Collingwood in 1993.

What really brought him under notice was a dynamic finals series in 1994/95 when he scored 109 in a Semi against Northcote, and an aggressive 134 in the Final against Melbourne.

It earned him the honour as Player of the Finals series, a berth in the State squad and, finally, selection in the Shield side.

That’s when luck began to desert him……

He featured against Queensland and New South Wales with limited success, and was dropped from the State side, never to return.

Paul continued to churn out the runs and pick up regular wickets with Collingwood/Camberwell, and played in two further District Finals, regularly finishing near the top of Ryder Medal voting.

When he departed for a spell of Sub-District cricket, he had played 124 games for the Magpies, scored three centuries, thirteen 50s, 3216 runs and taken 113 wickets.

Paul never got around to playing with his younger brother Nathan, who had arrived at Camberwell from Whorouly in 2001/02. Nathan, also a leftie, played 40 games and scored 779 runs for the ‘Pies.

 

***

 

Rusty-haired Barry McCormick was 13, going on 14, when he developed an infatuation with bowling fast and hitting the cover off the ball.

He would watch Rovers’ games, often from the scoreboard, and try to closely emulate the action of a highly-rated Hawks speedster, Rod Davis.

Later, as he rose through the A-Grade ranks after transferring to College, he captured the attention of some coaching experts when he reached speeds of close to 150kph in a Fast-Bowling competition at Benalla.

That was ‘Bouncer’s’ entree to District cricket……He was recruited by North Melbourne, and ran through a strong Footscray batting line-up, on debut, to capture 5/47.

Things happened quickly…..He represented the Australian Cricket Academy against South Australia, and the Victorian Second XI against NSW, but a volatile temperament and a slap-hazard attitude saw him fall foul of officialdom.

He was restricted to 26 games with North……”They were good to me….It was probably my own stupidity that derailed me,” ‘Bouncer’ later reflected.

McCormick’s opening bowling cohort at College had been a lanky beanstalk, Ashley Gilbert…….

 

 

Gilbert was working in a bank in Wangaratta when he was roped into filling in with College’s C-Grade side.

This resulted in a meteoric rise, during which the 205cm giant’s ability to extract life and bounce made him every WDCA batsman’s worst nightmare.

He and McCormick almost propelled College to a flag…….Shortly after, in late 1994, he was again sharing the new pill with McCormick, this time at North Melbourne.

Big Ash transferred to Carlton four years later, and his consistent wicket-taking saw him elevated to the Victorian side for two games……..In one of them – against the visiting Englishmen – he took four wickets, but was blasted by the Pommy Press for the send-off that he gave to opener Mark Ramprakash.

Gilbert played 97 games at his two District clubs, capturing six 5-wicket hauls among his 190 wickets and 911 runs.

His career at Princes Park finished in low-key fashion……

“I went to the races one day and missed training……(Carlton coach) John Scholes said to me: ‘That’s it, you’re finished,’ “ he recalled………

 

Ashley Gilbert

 

Either side of his stint with Carlton, Rodney Lane was a key figure in one of the greatest dynasties of WDCA cricket.

He played 256 games with Corowa, and featured in four of their 10 premierships, earning a reputation as probably the best of a long line of stars from the Border club.

Carlton recruited him in 1987/88 and he proved to be an outstandingly accurate medium-pacer, able to be called on for lengthy spells, besides being a dependable middle-order batsman.

He made three appearances for the Victorian Second XI and must have been very close to State selection……But the home fires were burning, and ‘Rocket’ returned to Corowa; to his life as a builder, footballer, and the WDCA’s representative skipper.

He played 63 games, took 136 wickets and scored 420 runs for the Blues.

A team-mate of ‘Rocket’ and a key component in some of those legendary Corowa sides, was renowned left-arm paceman Lea Hansen.

 

Rodney ‘Rocket’ Lane

 

After playing in three WDCA flags, he tried his luck with Footscray in the early nineties, playing 26 games with the ‘Dogs before being spotted by Canberra talent scouts whilst representing Vic Country in the National Championships.

Hansen played 12 games for the Canberra Comets in the National one-day competition and was a surprise selection in an Australia ‘A’ side which played matches against India ‘A’ in 1998/99.

On his return to Melbourne he was named in the State squad and resumed with Footscray, but a serious shoulder injury brought the curtain down on a fine career.

 

***

 

John Hendrie’s parents operated the Moyhu General Store in the late sixties and the youngster, who attended school in Wangaratta and played juniors for Moyhu, was often co-opted to play for the battling local Senior side.

As a mere 14 year-old he was lining up alongside such WDCA stalwarts as Ivan Knight, John Evans and Jackie Moorehead…. ….But the Hendrie career blossomed when he attended Scotch College.

He was destined for sporting fame as a 197-game, dual premiership-winning forward for Hawthorn, but ‘Bomber’ Hendrie also accumulated 45 games with Hawthorn East-Melbourne, capturing 69 wickets and 341 runs.

Barrie Beattie and Graeme Leydin, likewise, achieved recognition in dual sports.

Beattie headed down to the big smoke to further his prospects in the meat industry, after showing great promise in football with Wangaratta Rovers, and as a strongly-framed, indefatigable fast bowler with WDCA club United.

Footscray’s Western Oval became his sporting destination. He gave yeoman service to the Dogs, spending seven years in District ranks and, after a fleeting VFL career, becoming Footscray Football Club President.

Leydin had roved in some strong Essendon sides, and was a more than handy opening batsman for North Melbourne before he transferred to Wangaratta as a school teacher. He starred in WDCA ranks, firstly for Rovers, then as captain-coach of Bruck, before returning to North Melbourne, also embarking on a lengthy footy coaching career.

Charlie Heavey made a huge impact on Wangaratta sport when he was transferred here in employment as a fuel representative in the mid-thirties……A huge lump of a man, Heavey was a high-marking, goal-kicking forward and a champion cricket all-rounder, who set a couple of WDCA records which may never be broken.

He had played a handful of District games with Essendon prior to this, and was well in his thirties when he saddled up with Melbourne for a handful of games during the war years.

Simon O’Brien is a member of a highly-credentialed Wangaratta sporting family. He was at boarding school, and playing in an APS game against Wesley College when its sporting director, Ron Craig, invited him to St. Kilda.

So began a District career which has lasted twenty years, mostly with the Saints, broken by a four-year spell with Camberwell-Magpies.

His left-arm medium-pace has yielded over 230 First-Grade wickets, and a reputation as a wily work-horse in the St. Kilda attack.

 

Josh Mangan

 

Simon O’Brien

 

Josh Mangan tallied up 46 games with Melbourne, after moving from his home club, Rutherglen, where he began playing A Grade at the age of 13.

There was little chance of advancing to Shield ranks with the likes of Shane Warne, Bryce McGain and Cameron White in the leg-spinning queue, so West Australia offered him a Rookie Contract…..He played several Sheffield Shield games in subsequent seasons and continued to play WA Grade cricket where he enjoyed huge success with University Cricket Club.

Mitch Perry was just a whippersnapper when he used to follow his dad Darren to Bruck cricket training and saddle up with the club’s junior sides.

When the family moved to Melbourne the highly-regarded all-rounder was snapped up by Richmond and played his first Senior game at 16…..Four years later, in 2019, he made his Sheffield Shield debut, and has continued to shine in representative cricket.

The honours continue……He has represented Australia ‘A’, was appointed Richmond captain, at 23, and has now played over 40 First-class games.

 

Mitch Perry

 

 

***

 

Besides the Brosters, three other sets of brothers : John and Geoff Welch, Isaac and Oliver Willett, and Kieran and Reuben Jamieson have made the jump from the WDCA to District ranks……….

Current Wangaratta-Magpies wicket-keeper Jack Davies recalls the day he received the call-up for his maiden First XI game with Essendon……

He had joined the Bombers when he moved to the city to study and, as a fledgling wicket-keeper, understood that he was due for a lengthy stint as an understudy in the lower grades, to the club’s regular glove-man Aaron Ayre, who had filled the role for years.

Then came the phone call…….. Ayre had been summoned to the MCG to replace State keeper Matty Wade who had injured himself in the warm-up to the Shield game.

‘Can you get to Windy Hill pronto ?……..You’re required to take the gloves in place of ‘Ayresy’.’

Jack snagged two catches, the first of them a diving ‘pearler’ down leg-side, and is grateful for his one – and only – taste of District First XI cricket…….

 

FROM THE WDCA TO THE VCA – GAMES PLAYED

Jack Sutherland, Wangaratta/North Melbourne & Collingwood (120) 1937/38 -1952/53

Charlie Heavey, Footballers/Melbourne. (8). 1942/43-1943/44

Joe Tanner, Wangaratta/St. Kilda. (1) 1944-45

Malcolm Warren, Rovers /Fitzroy. (7) 1960/61- 1963/64

John Welch, United /Fitzroy. (1) 1962/63

Robin Kneebone, United/Fitzroy. (2) 1962/63

Barrie Beattie, United/Footscray. (17) 1965/66-1971/72

Greg Rosser, United/North Melbourne. (35) 1965/66- 1968/69

Geoff Welch, United/North Melbourne. (8) 1967/68- 1969/70

Graeme Leydin, Bruck /North Melbourne. (33) 1965/66-1968/69

Malcolm Smith, City Colts/Hawthorn East-Melbourne. (24) 1968/69-1970/71

John Hendrie, Moyhu /Hawthorn East-Melbourne. (45) 1971/72-1977/78

Stuart Elkington, Whorouly/University. (4) 1973/74

Wayne Lamb, Whorouly / Waverley. (15) 1976/77-1977/78

Terry McMillan, Bruck / Fitzroy. (15) 1980/81-1982/83

Rodney Lane, Corowa/ Carlton. (63) 1987/88-1992/93

Darren Welch, United /Carlton. (50) 1988/89–1991/92

Mark Welch, United /University. (23) 1990/91-1993/94

Barry McCormick, College/North Melbourne. (26) 1992/93-1994/95

Lea Hansen, Corowa/Footscray. (26) 1993/94-2001/02

Michael Gayfer, United/ Collingwood. (4) 1984/85-1985/86

Paul Broster, Whorouly/Collingwood-Camberwell ‘Pies. (124) 1993/94-2001/02

Ashley Gilbert, College/North Melbourne-Carlton. (94) 1994/95- 2001/02

Shane Welch, Rovers-United/Carlton. (15) 1996/97-1997/98

Darren Petersen, Rovers-United/Footscray. (5) 1998/99

Nathan Broster, Whorouly /Camberwell-Magpies. (40) 2001/02- 2004/05

Simon Hill, City Colts /Camberwell-Magpies. (304) 2002/03-2020/21

Josh Mangan, Rutherglen/Melbourne. (46) 2002/03-2005/06

Mark Worthington, Wang-Magpies/Footscray. (18) 2005/06-2012/13

Jackson Cooper, Yarrawonga-Mulwala/St. Kilda. (12) 2013/14-2015/16

Callum Nankervis, Rovers-United/Essendon. (32) 2014/15-2017/18

Isaac Willett, City Colts/ Essendon. (100) 2015/16-2022/23

Jack Davies, Wang-Magpies/Essendon. (1) 2015/16

Brad Melville, Wang-Magpies/Melbourne. (43) 2016/17-2019/20

Oliver Willett, City Colts/Essendon. (6) 2022/23-2023/24

Simon O’Brien, Wang-Magpies/St. Kilda-Camberwell ‘Pies. (173) 2005/06-2024/25

Chris Thewlis, Wang-Magpies/Camberwell-Magpies. (77) 2009/10-2024/25

Mitch Perry, Bruck /Richmond. (60) 2016/17-2024/25

Lachlan Busk, Rovers-U-Bruck/Essendon. (15) 2022/23-2024/25

Keiren Jamieson, Bright /Geelong-Camberwell ‘Pies. (36) 2017/18- 2024/25

Reuben Jamieson, Bright/Camberwell-Magpies. (12) 2021/22- 2024/25

Angus Webb, Wang-Magpies/North Melbourne. (11) 2023/24- 2024/25

Pranav Menon, Wang-Magpies/Prahran. (6) 2023/24-2024/25

 

Geoff Welch and son Shane

 

 John Welch on the eve of his debut with Fitzroy

 

 

This story appeared first on KB Hill’s website On Reflection and is used here with permission.
All photos sourced from KB Hill’s resources unless otherwise acknowledged.

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