THIS STAND DELIVERS

THE BAARS-O’NEILL OPENING RECORD SINCE 2016-17

WES CUSWORTH: Thanks guys, this is obviously no big ask of you, you clearly enjoy spending time together.

ANDREW BAARS: When you’re such good mates, when you’re out in the middle together on a Saturday it’s enjoyable. It’s good to watch Sean get going as well.

WC: Who’s the more dominant character in the relationship?

SEAN O’NEILL: I think it’s Baarsy, but he might think it’s me — Baarsy’s record of being able to bat at the top of the order for 10-12 years in such a strong league. When he walks out, everyone is a bit wary of him, knowing that he can bat all day, in big moments, and can produce when needed.

AB: Personality wise we go head-to-head, 50-50. Battingwise it’s Sean because he’s the one that takes the game away from sides, I just do a job at the other end. When he bats for a while we generally put on a pretty good partnership.

WC: But it’s only been since the back half of last season that you’ve been opening together.

SO: Yeah, there was a game where Matt Lineker got a good ball first over and we thought ‘what’s the point of wasting him, I might as well go in as a default opener’. It probably meant that I didn’t sit around getting more and more worked up waiting, I could go out and be in the game from ball one. So, it helped me out mentally.

WC: A lot of Matt Lineker’s success has come as an opener, so to have him batting three is a good reflection on the success of your partnership. SEASON RD Vs BAARS O’NEILL P’SHIP

SO: With Baarsy and I having some success and starting well again this season we haven’t needed to look at it. It’s a nice luxury to have someone of his calibre at number three. If Baarsy or I get out of form we can switch that around if we need to.

WC: Baarsy, you’ve had a few opening partners over the years.

AB: I started with Beau Carroll, he was a dominant character in a big game as well. I opened with a few English boys, but Matt and Sean are the two that can take on sides and dominate from the start.

WC: When you and Sean broke that record last season, (390 v Leopold), I believe that it was your own record with Beau Carroll that you broke?

AB: Yeah, I was pretty young then, maybe 12-13 years ago batting with Beau against Marshall. That was a good day, but obviously last year eclipsed that by a fair bit. WC: Sean, you’ve won premierships at different levels of the GCA, but to be performing in this role at the highest level must be very satisfying.

SO: I haven’t thought about it too much because I don’t really care for records. Even last Saturday getting out on 97, I was annoyed that I got out, but wasn’t too fussed that it was an opportunity to get 100. I’m just happy if we’re winning and that we can get into March and have a fruitful campaign. That’s my focus and if I’m contributing to the team that’s a bonus.

WC: Baarsy, you’ve certainly had some memorable success in grand finals as an opener, man of the match with 84 and 6-49 with the ball in 2005-06 and then making 99 in the 2012-13 win.

AB: I suppose it’s everyone’s dream to be able to perform on the big stage in a grand final and I’ve been fortunate enough to do that, but the last grand final that I played in I made a duck in the first over of the innings and that still cuts pretty deep. So, I’ve been on both ends.

WC: Have you become better mates over the time that you’ve been opening together and spending so much time out in the middle?

SO: We’re not really talking about life stuff, but more about where we’re going to score. But just over the last three or four years, hanging around these fellas like Baarsy, Chopper (Mark Hanley) and Viv (Matt Lineker) we’ve become really good friends.

AB: I’ve been at East since I was 14 and it’s a great place to be. Even when I moved to Melbourne I travelled back for five years to play here. Obviously to play with friends, and Dad’s here, I just enjoy being here. WC: And looking ahead? SO: I don’t want to get too carried away with the form line, because we could go and knick a couple off after Christmas and then we’re back to square one. We’ve been pretty lucky, we keep hitting some good scores, but we’ve been fortunate as well. I’ve been dropped five or six times hitting balls through the field at head height, just seems to be going my way, especially.

WC: Thanks guys, all the best this week.