Talarico a top fit for reigning premiers
WHEN he put pen to paper in March, Glen Talarico admits he was touch worried about the appetite of his new teammates.
Grovedale had romped to a 105-run win in the grand final, achieving the ultimate success under captain Barry Tsitas.
But that edginess was quickly dispelled when the champion all-rounder settled into the pre-season at his new club.
“I’ve been really impressed by the number of first XI players who have been at training,” Talarico said.
“Hardly anyone has missed a session. I spoke to Barry early and I was a bit concerned about the boys’ drive after win- ning the premiership, but they’ve proven they’re eager to go back to back. Hopefully we can get in a good position early in the year and make a run at it after Christmas.”
Talarico left Murgheboluc after three seasons, finally bowing to temptation.
“Barry’s been nagging me for a while,” Talarico said of his move to Burdoo Reserve.
“Eventually I had enough of him nagging. I was just looking to finish off my last few years with a bigger club and Grovey’s a pretty good fit.”
Talarico is also delighted with the blend of players in the Tigers’ squad.
“The thing that has impressed me the most is the mix,” he said.
“We’ve got experienced players who have played for the last 10 years at a higher level — Barry, (Chris) Young and (Gareth) Yelland — and we’ve also got guys like (Tobias) Hogg and (Michael) McNeel who had a standout game in the grand final.
“We’ve got a good mix of experience and youth and the young guys really drive the senior players to improve more. It’s a healthy mix.”
Talarico adds enormous strength to Grovedale’s top order, having blazed 1969 runs in 45 matches in his past four seasons. The 35-year-old also provides another bowling option for the Tigers.
“Their attack is what got them through a lot of games last year,” Talarico said.
“They’ve got four really good seamers and (James) Fisher comes back into the mix and they’ve got Barry, who bowls a lot of overs.”
Held in such esteem, Talarico can choose his place in the top order. It will likely be No. 3 or No. 4, but the number of left-handers in the top six could play a big part in the Tigers’ decision making.
“It doesn’t really worry me too much,” Talarico said.
“Early in my career I batted three, but at Murghe I tried to bat with the middle order a bit more at four or five.
“I haven’t spoken to Barry about what role he wants me to play but I’m sure we’ll speak about that before next Saturday.”