MAGPIES ON THE MARCH
North Geelong is the team to beat at the midpoint of the GCA1 season. While the Magpies are set for a season extension, five games remain and the other three finals combatants are far from settled. WES CUSWORTH casts his eye over the performances of all 1
No.1 — NORTH GEELONG (7 wins – 0 losses)
BOWLING: 14 runs conceded per wicket taken. BATTING: 25 runs made per wicket lost. TOP PERFORMERS: Andrew Fergusson 279 runs @ 46.50 and 7 wickets @ 13.11 Tom Mathieson 15 wickets @ 12.60
CLUB SAYS: We’ve been in trouble on occasions but have been able to adapt to the situation. Damian Vassiliou and Andrew Fergusson have fired for us, but even when they haven’t, others have stepped up. Prior to the most recent round it had been a real team-shared performance with the ball which is great for us. It’s been awesome so far and the boys have really embraced everything that I’ve bought to the club. (Nathan Fitzpatrick, Coach) ADDY SAYS: The Magpies have hardly put a foot wrong, even with the absence of lion-hearted paceman Cam Alford. North’s capacity to set a target and bowl to it, is the envy of the competition, thanks to the likes of Tom Mathieson, Shaun Kingwell, Andrew Fergusson and Mitch Troy. It’s not a bad main dish after the fast-paced entrée their fledgling coach (Fitzpatrick) dishes up.
No.2 — GROVEDALE (5-2)
BOWLING: 18 runs conceded per wicket taken. BATTING: 24 runs per wicket lost. TOP PERFORMERS: Luke Ford 224 runs @ 37.33 and 6 wickets @ 23.17 Gareth Yelland 120 runs @ 24 and 18 wickets @ 10.50
CLUB SAYS: We’re clearly doing enough at the moment to be 5-2, but we’re still well off where we want to be in terms of our output in games. Our patchy form has been quite frustrating, but I’d rather be able to work on that after Christmas and hopefully be where we want to be just before March. Luke Ford has put together three 50s and we’re just waiting on him to go on and get some big scores. (Barry Tsitas, Coach)
ADDY SAYS: The evergreen form of crack all-rounder Gareth Yelland has, along with Ford’s bounty, been the mainstay of the Tigers’ performances to date. Chris Young chiming in with 17 wickets and Anthony Quarrell contributing with the bat has Grovedale well placed for a tilt at a third consecutive flag. A clean bill of health for Glen Talarico will be a key to the Tigers’ fate.
No.3 — EAST BELMONT (5-2)
BOWLING: 26 runs conceded per wicket taken. BATTING: 35 runs per wicket lost. TOP PERFORMERS: Sean O’Neill 486 runs @ 69.43 Chris Williams 21 wickets @ 16.76
CLUB SAYS: Five wins and two losses is a fair reflection of where we’re going. A couple of games we won we could have lost and equally the two we lost could have gone our way. We are really looking forward to getting Alex Willerton back, fully fit, while Dave Lineen has had an interrupted start, so, to this point we haven’t seen our bowling attack the way we expected that we might. (Chris Williams, Coach)
ADDY SAYS: Williams has been in stellar shape with 21 scalps, while the imperious form of Sean O’Neill, along with the class of Andrew Baars and Matt Lineker, gives the Lions an aggressive edge with the bat. The return of the McMahon brothers, Hayden and Dylan, will supplement an already talented line-up that is expected to be firing at the pointy end of the season.
No.4 — GEELONG CITY (5-2)
BOWLING: 20 runs conceded per wicket taken. BATTING: 24 runs per wicket lost. TOP PERFORMERS: Richie Oliver 415 runs @ 59.29 Byron Taylor 13 wickets @ 13.46 and 69 runs @ 17.25
CLUB SAYS: We’ve massively exceeded my expectations, but we’ve deserved it. It’s been so pleasing to see everyone work so hard to put us in the position we’re in. In the past we’ve been very reliant on just a few players, but everyone’s been putting in. It’s great to see the spirit throughout the team, everyone is buying into what we’re trying to do. (Richie Oliver, Captain)
ADDY SAYS: While many still consider the Sharks too Oliver-dependent, the likes of Adam Marsland, Jacob Nolan, Byron Taylor and Tom Driver are striving to prove the critics wrong. A few sides have already been caught by surprise by City’s unheralded bowling attack and no doubt others will fall prey to the circling Sharks before season’s end. Two games against the Two Blues await, from the final five matches, and are likely to determine both side’s finals aspirations.
No.5 – LARA (5-2)
BOWLING: 27 runs conceded per wicket taken. BATTING: 27 runs per wicket lost. TOP PERFORMERS: Andy Hughes 381 runs @ 54.43 and 10 wickets @ 27.40 Brad McMaster 253 runs @ 36.14
CLUB SAYS: We’re happy where we’re at, having met our expectations, even though others might think we’ve over-achieved so far. I said at the start of the year that how we go will depend on how the 20 and 21-year-olds go, and they’re benefitting from past experience. The likes of Brad McMaster, Rob Sodomaco and Andy Hughes have performed for us with the bat, so we expect to compete with the top teams and play finals. (Daniel Weigl, Coach)
ADDY SAYS: The recent return of Danny Hughes and the anticipated addition of Weigl will simply serve to bolster a team that is well placed for a tilt at the finals. Poise in some tight chases has proved instrumental in Lara acquiring five wins to date. The Cats face defending premier Grovedale in both rounds 8 and 12, a fact which may well impact its final standing.
No.6 — NEWTOWN & CHILWELL (3-4)
BOWLING: 26 runs conceded per wicket taken. BATTING: 25 runs per wicket lost. TOP PERFORMERS: Shane Murdoch 314 runs @ 44.86 and 8 wickets @ 29.38 Graham Clark 285 runs @ 57 and 12 wickets @ 14.25
CLUB SAYS: We’d like to be 5-2, but we lost a couple of close ones early on that we should have won. Despite being slow to start we feel we have a really good mix and well-balanced side. We’re pretty confident that we can match it with the best of them. Graham Clark brings a lot of class while Shane Murdoch has been the missing piece of the puzzle with the experience, exuberance and level of calm that he brings. (Devon Royce, Director of Coaching) ADDY SAYS:
The Two Blues clearly have the talent to match it with the competition’s best sides and would have loved to have had Clark from the start of the season. The return of John Simson to the fold is a welcome fillip, while the continued development of Cooper Bingham, Nick McGuane and Jackson Davis