The Yarra Junction Cricket Club honoured five decades of local cricket legends at their Team of the Past 50 Years event on Saturday 20 September.
Around 140 members past and present rocked up to the Sporting Globe in Chirnside where celebrations took place over a first-class dinner, speeches and presentations.
Yarra Junction Cricket Club committee member Rob Boxell said the event was “fantastic” and it would be a night to remember for the club.
“There were members of the club that were players from the 1970s and 80s all the way to current players and members of our premiership side from last season.
“It was great to have so many different generations of characters there,” Mr Boxell said.
“I know a few of the guys that were around the club in the 90s have signed on to play the over 50s side this season, so that’s pretty huge.”
On the night, the players who made up the Team of the Past 50 Years were announced and Mr Boxell said “general consensus” was that the selections made were the right ones.
“I think a lot of them were very humbled to be part of the team, there were a few that I think were a bit surprised that they were selected because there were a couple of tough choices there,” Mr Boxell said.
Pillars of the Yarra Junction Cricket Club like Kevin Bomford and Greg Mitchell were selected for the team, while other veteran members like Colin Burrows and Ian Robertson made the pick.
Mr Boxell thanked the Sporting Globe in Chirnside for its hospitality and service, saying it was “impeccable”.
The idea of the Team of the Last 50 Years event came from Mr Boxell’s experience when sorting through all the old documentation of the club’s history.
Being established in 1909, there’s a long past to the club, and Mr Boxell was determined to commemorate the club’s legacy through the Team of the Past 50 Years event.
“I’ve spent the last three years or so chronicling the club’s history and recording all our stats from old score books and newspaper clippings, discussing with the club committee on the best way to present all this information,” Mr Boxell said.
He said the choice to celebrate the past 50 years, and not one hundred, was due to incomplete records and the fact that not many of those members were around anymore.
“It’s been hard to bring back guys from over a hundred years to the club,” he joked.
The Yarra Junction Cricket Club’s 116 year long history has seen its highs and lows, Mr Boxell said, but it’s the club’s fighting spirit that keeps it alive.
“It’s been a recurring element that we have years where we were down and struggled, but we always kept striving,” Mr Boxell said.
He said the club had a “never quit attitude”, and having just won their first A-Grade flag in over 60 years last season, the club had more ambitions going forward.
“We want to be one of the biggest clubs in the Yarra Valley and in the RDCA. We’re looking at expanding our junior program,” he said.
Mr Boxell said the club was also keen to expand its women’s side to be able to field two women’s sides.
“We want to be a real grassroots club where anyone that wants to start their cricket journey can begin, they’ll feel more than welcome.”
