Sport
4 April, 2023
Brim-KSH award season’s best
WIMMERA-Mallee Cricket Association 2022-23 premier Brim-Kellalac/Sheep Hills held its presentation day at the Brim Sports Centre on March 26. The club celebrated its season success where they defeated Jeffcott in the recent A Grade grand final and...
WIMMERA-Mallee Cricket Association 2022-23 premier Brim-Kellalac/Sheep Hills held its presentation day at the Brim Sports Centre on March 26.
The club celebrated its season success where they defeated Jeffcott in the recent A Grade grand final and awarded trophies to respective winners.
President Matt Crisp welcomed all in attendance and congratulated everyone involved in a successful season.
A Grade trophies presented on the day were awarded to:
Batting average: Isaac McPherson 227 runs at 45.4.
Bowling average: Lachie McGinniss 15 wickets at 15.27.
Most catches: Leigh Dovaston 18 points.
Most Improved Under 21: Koby McGregor.
Bill Rose Medal A Grade Cricketer of the Year: Jeremy Preston.
Points winner: Isaac McPherson 227 points.
Club Champion Perpetual Trophy (both grades): Jeremy Preston 397 points.
B Grade
Batting average: Matt Crisp 105 runs at 52.5.
Bowling average: Dale Stephan 14 wickets at 6.36.
Most catches: Barry Schilling 14 points.
Brian “Redda” Neumann Memoriam Points winner: Barry Schilling 245 points.
Ian Wright Medal: Dale Stephan.
A highlight of the day was the presentation of long time player and servant Graeme Holland who received a life membership for years of service to the club.
Graeme’s career started in the summer of 1987-88 playing for the Brim junior team in the former Warracknabeal District Cricket Association Junior cricket competition at the age of 10. Here would be the birth of a lifelong passion for Graeme that has seen him be involved as a player, coach, volunteer and an administrator ever since.
Graeme in his junior career would start developing the skills as a batsman and wicket keeper where he and friends, Chris McPherson and Matt Crisp would finish school and walk to the oval for practice. Graeme in juniors was a talented batman scoring many 40’s and having to retire. He would then later become a premiership player in the juniors in 1990/91 season
Graeme’s senior career started in Brim B Grade where he would develop further as a senior cricketer as a keeper-batsman until form and good results would see him called up into the A grade. Graeme would have to bide his time in the ranks before he took the reins over as keeper.
Once teammate Wavell McPherson retired the gloves were his. Graeme was a solid contributor to the side week in and week out as a dependable keeper-batsman in a strong Brim side. Team success would also come along his way playing in premierships in 1996/97, 1998/99, 1999/2000, 2000/01, 2002/03 and 2005/06.
But Graeme’s career wasn’t just limited to his playing ability. Like his father, Graeme pursued the passion for coaching and teamed up with fellow mate Chris McPherson to coach the Brim juniors for the 2001/02 & 2002/03 seasons where they would coach the side to runners up in the junior competition.
Graeme dedicated a large portion of his cricket career not only as a player but an administrator. After taking over the reigns as secretary from Graham Atkin for the 1997/98 season Graeme would be the club’s secretary for 16 years until handing the books over in 2009.
In Graeme’s time as secretary, he would work closely with four different presidents and also helped the club through a merger to become the Brim Kellalac Sheep Hills Cricket Club.
Graeme’s service to the Brim Kellalac Sheep Hills Cricket Club is still evident today as a regular volunteer at working bees, filling in for short sides and providing great stories for the slips cordon to laugh and giggle through when times allow.