Club unites for 125th celebration
When Hopetoun Cricket Club went into recess before the 2017-18 Wimmera-mallee Cricket Association season, it looked as if it would fall just short of celebrating its 125th anniversary.
But thanks to the dedicated work of volunteers and players, that celebration will become a reality next month.
The side was re-launched as Southern Mallee Giants Cricket Club this season, competing in the Wimmera-mallee B Grade competition.
On February 15 and 16, Hopetoun cricketers past and present will gather at Hopetoun Recreation Reserve to acknowledge the rich history of the club, which formed in 1894.
Reunion organiser Mark Reid, a club stalwart and current vice-captain, said the milestone meant a lot to the town.
“It’s big – 125 years is a massive amount of time for a club to be around,” he said.
“They had a reunion for the 100th anniversary and they got a good turnout for that, and we’re hoping for much the same.
“I think what we’re really trying to push is for people to get together again.
“You get some of the older guys who haven’t been around for a long time that make an effort to get back and catch up with some of the locals who they’ve been away from for a long time.
“It’s more of a get-together than just about the cricket.”
The reunion will start on Friday, February 15, with tea at the Hopetoun Community Hotel. Mr Reid said there would be raffles and auctions, with limited-edition anniversary merchandise available for sale.
On Saturday, the Giants will take on Birchip, with all anniversary celebrants welcome to attend.
Looking forward
Mr Reid said it was important to continue putting time and effort into preserving the club so future generations could benefit.
“We went into recess last year and we worked really hard to get the side back going this year,” he said.
“We’ve had great numbers and the town has really been behind us to get it up and going for the future.
“The way I look at it, it’s important for the future of our young kids that we keep it going.
“You might have a bit of a gap between your 10-year-old kids to your 18-year-olds and the numbers are not quite there at the moment, but 10 years down the track you might have a few more numbers and it will be an option that is there for them.
“If you let the cricket club go now, you’ve got nothing there for them.”
Mr Reid admitted it had been difficult to keep the club running, but said the effort was worth it.
“I thought it was a great time to do this anniversary celebration to try and get a bit of interest back around the club,” he said.
“The cricket club has had a lot of success with a lot of premierships and a lot of finals, so we thought it would be great to celebrate that by doing this.
“It’s a bit of a struggle at times, but we want to keep it going so the younger generation has that legacy there for them.
“Now with the Big Bash and stuff on TV, the kids are really lighting up about it and showing interest.
“It’s good not just for us, but for the community too, with the support of the local businesses and the family orientation. “It’s a very social thing.” • People wanting more information on the Hopetoun Cricket Club reunion can visit facebook.com/smgcricketclub or call Mark Reid on 0419 551 459 or Rylan Wellington on 0419 882 068.
“I think what we’re really trying to push is for people to get together again” – Mark Reid