ANNUAL REPORT SEASON 2019-20 CAULFIELD CRICKET CLUB INC. – FORMED IN 1888; A FOUNDATION MEMBER OF THE VSDCA HAROLD LITTLE 22nd January 1924 – 21st May 2020 CAULFIELD CRICKET CLUB Inc Formed 1888 ABN 64 147 394 694 PO Box 2320, Caulfield Junction 3161 Dear Members and Associates, Notice of Annual General Meeting Notice is hereby given that the 131st Annual General Meeting of The Caulfield Cricket Club Inc. will be held at: Caulfield Park Pavilion, Caulfield Park Cnr Hawthorn and Balaclava Roads, Caulfield TBA (Due to COVID-19) AGENDA 1. Welcome to members and guests 2. Apologies 3. Adoption of the minutes of the 130th Annual General Meeting 4. Presentation and adoption of the 131st Annual Report and Statements of Receipts and Expenditure 5. To decide any resolution which may be duly submitted to the meeting in accordance with the Club’s Constitution and General Rules 6. Presentation of Life Memberships 7. Election of Office Bearers for 2020/21 8. General Business Alex Bodycoat Honorary Secretary Caulfield Cricket Club CAULFIELD CRICKET CLUB | Annual Report & Financial Statements Season 2019/20 3 OFFICE BEARERS PATRON Mr Harold Little PRESIDENT Mr Pat Lennon VICE PRESIDENTS Mr Geoffrey Reilley OAM Mr Shaun Richardson HONORARY SECRETARY Mr Alex Bodycoat HONORARY TREASURER Mr Blair Richards JUNIOR CLUB PRESIDENT Mr Ty Matthews GENERAL COMMITTEE Mr David McNamara Mr Wayne Bartlem Mr Peter O’Donnell Mr Ty Matthews VSDCA DELEGATES Mr Pat Lennon SELECTION COMMITTEE Mr Adrian Jones - Club Coach Mr Shaun Richardson - Director of Cricket Mr Jacob Thorne - 1st Xl Captain Mr Tim Naughton - 2nd Xl Captain Mr Stuart Macdermid - 3rd Xl Captain Mr Braham Cohen - 4th Xl Captain CLUB COACH Mr Adrian Jones 1st Xl MANAGER/SCORER Mr Geoffrey Reilley OAM 2nd XI SCORER/TEAM MANAGER Mr Brandon Weelson CLUB HISTORIAN/STATISTICIAN Mr Geoff Reilley OAM CAULFIELD PARK DELEGATE Mr Pat Lennon FACILITY MANAGER Mr David McNamara CURATOR Mr Paul Orchard HERITAGE SUB COMMITTEE Mr Geoff Reilley OAM Mr John Sheehan Mr David Roberts Mr Ross Mathieson Mr Stuart Macdermid Mr Bruno Borci Mr John O’Connor 4 CAULFIELD CRICKET CLUB | Annual Report & Financial Statements Season 2019/20 FROM THE PRESIDENT swallow for not only Jake, Adrian and the players but for the entire club, however I was enormously proud of the way the club responded in the days after the decision was made. Never explain; never complain. We congratulate the Oakleigh Cricket Club on being declared 1st XI premiers, and look forward to resuming our great rivalry next season. The 2nd and 3rd XI’s had solid seasons. Although not featuring in the finals, both teams fielded significantly more junior players than is usually the case, with the 2nd XI arguably most weeks fielding the youngest team it has in recent memory. This will only augur well for the future of the club and indicates our strategic decision to expand the junior development program under Tristan Banks, coupled by the tireless work of former junior President Blair Richards, is starting to pay dividends. The 4th XI qualified for finals for the second successive season. Although ultimately unsuccessful, it was great to see players in our At the conclusion of my sixth season as Club lower grades get to play finals cricket and they will President, it’s my privilege to furnish the President’s report for Caulfield Cricket Club for season 2019/20. be better for the experience. It would be remiss of me not to acknowledge PAT LENNON Graeme Rummans, who added the Val Holten PRESIDENT medal for the best player in the VSDCA for season 2019/20 to his considerable collection of cricketing accolades. No doubt Graeme’s tremendous season will be covered in greater detail elsewhere On field in this report however Graeme clearly remains Given the challenging circumstances all Victorians the pre-eminent batsman in sub-district cricket now find themselves living in each day, last cricket and arguably one of the greatest players to have season seems a long time ago as I reflect on the graced the surrounds of Caulfield Park. We thank season just gone. him for another wonderful season and for making Notwithstanding the fact that every season our it five successive seasons that a Caulfield player objective is to win premierships in all four senior has won this prestigious award. No other club has grades with a specific focus on the 1st XI, season exceeded two successive seasons. 2019/20 should be looked upon as a season in I would also like to acknowledge the performance which we progressed as club, albeit without any of Senior Coach Adrian Jones in his first year at premiership success. Caulfield. Adrian has already made a significant The 1st XI was denied the chance to play off for impact with us, guiding the club to 6th in the the North-South Group premiership, with the VSDCA Club Championship, focussing on VSDCA cancelling the game early in Grand Final developing the promising junior players we have week due to concerns around COVID-19 on the within senior ranks and is poised to build on that advice of Cricket Australia - and then subsequently foundation in the seasons to come. unilaterally awarding the premiership to our grand final opponent to be, Oakleigh. It was a bitter pill to CAULFIELD CRICKET CLUB | Annual Report & Financial Statements Season 2019/20 5 Off field Sadly we lost the great Harold Little in May, after As outlined in detail in the Treasurer’s report, an unprecedented 81 years continuous service the club remains in robust financial shape. Given to our club. He was a true legend of the VSDCA recent media coverage about the significant and the community of Glen Eira, whose colossal financial impact of COVID-19 to be felt by so many contribution to Caulfield has made our club what community sporting clubs, our financial strength it is today and will simply never be surpassed. relative to our peers remains something that we Further acknowledgment of Harold unsurpassed should be ever vigilant in maintaining and never contribution is contained elsewhere in the Annual take for granted. It will hold us in good stead as Report. we navigate through the unknowns of the season ahead. Much of that financial strength results from Many thanks to our wonderful volunteers who are the outstanding support the club receives from the backbone of the club. I won’t individualise, but its exceptional group of sponsors, all of which are in the spirit of Harold you all make Caulfield the now significant long term partnerships. To this end club that it is and we thank you for your ongoing we thank Ruth Hall and her staff from Bendigo support. Bank East Malvern Community Branch, Lennon Lawyers, John Guscic and the team at Webjet, Looking ahead Andrew Amarant and Asahi and Tristan Banks With Melbourne confined to a stage 4 lockdown from X-Blades for their wonderful support. until early September due to COVID-19, there remains considerable uncertainty as to what next Thank you as always to our hard working season looks like, both in respect to when it will committee, comprising Alex Bodycoat, Geoff commence and what the fixturing will look like? Reilley, Blair Richards, Ty Matthews, Peter Will it be a one-day competition only? Will we be O’Donnell, Dave McNamara and Shaun Richardson. asked to play more Saturday/Sunday matches In particular, Alex was exceptional in the role of to accommodate a condensed season? Will we Secretary, with Blair stepping up in a genuine see a return of T20 matches for points in the time of need at short notice to take over the role season proper? There are so many unknowns. I of Club Treasurer on the eve of the season, and take comfort from the work Adrian is doing as doing a wonderful job. Dave continues to play a senior coach to ensure we are prepared for all a pivotal role obtaining community club grants, contingencies in the weeks ahead. liaising with council and running the luncheon club for us at home games every weekend, such Next season will see the announcement of our an important part of the social fabric of our club. teams of the first two decades of the century The same can be said about the efforts of Geoff, in all grades and the allocation of numbers for whose outstanding weekly written contributions to every single player to have played 1st XI cricket our Facebook page keep almost a thousand past for Caulfield since the birth of the VSDCA in players, supporters, friends and families of current 1907/08. This project has been led and researched players up to date and connected with the club, meticulously by Geoff Reilley devoting hundreds wherever they be around the world. of hours in recent years and with the assistance of past player Andrew Hale. I know our current and I also acknowledge the significant contribution former 1st XI players are excited to see it come to by our Heritage Sub Committee consisting of fruition. Geoff Reilley, Jack Sheehan, David Roberts, Stuart Macdermid and John O’Connor who When you do return to Caulfield Park you will meet regularly and provide advice and see some changes, most notably freshly painted recommendations on heritage strategies, club club rooms and renovated player changerooms, awards, acknowledgments including Hall of Fame a levelled and re-laid turf centre wicket square inductions and Life Memberships. Their combined on the Main Oval and more progress on the experience as past players and executive members club memorabilia display by our Heritage sub- is greatly appreciated. committee, an ongoing project. Congratulations to Ty Matthews, a worthy winner Wishing you and your families well as we navigate of the club’s highest individual accolade – the the challenging times we all find ourselves in.