Dear Club Patron, Number One Ticket Holder, Life Members, Committee Members, Members, Parents & Supporters,
It is always exciting thinking about a new cricket season, none more than this season, my 5th as President in what will be a season of the younger players, men and women staking a claim for club success and higher honours in their cricketing careers.
Especially after what was one of the most successful seasons had at our club in 2021/22, with our girl’s youth team winning a flag and in their maiden B Grade campaign, our women’s team won the flag too which was beyond amazing! Sincere thanks must go especially to Pete Byrne and Shenae Reichelt, who were the masterminds of this amazing effort by the Roo’s.
The club first commenced as Wanneroo DCC on the 12th day of April 1976 and was accepted into the WACA Premier competition in 1979.
A first-grade side was entered into the WACA Premier competition in 1983. Since then, we have progressed into the great club we are today, having sides in all four senior grades along with a Colts squad and 17s, 15s, 14s, and 13s in the junior WACA Premier competition as well as Female Premier cricket integrated into our great club in the 2018/19 season.
Our home ground is Kingsway Sports Ground where we have two outstanding adjoining turf grounds, which in the winter of 2018, the wicket blocks on both grounds were completely re-laid. The club also has wonderful turf training facilities, which will also get re-laid and upgraded at the end of the 2018/19 season. We are also one of the only WACA Premier Clubs to have its very own indoor facility, The Shed, which has four carpeted lanes along with two bowling machines, this has been refurbished for the commencement of the 2021/22 season for the value of over $40K.
Our modern well-equipped club rooms have a fully licensed bar with a spacious entertainment area. During the off-season of 2019 in May, we had all the practice wickets re-laid and renovated, and ready for use in December 2019.
We pride ourselves on all our achievements over the years, which include a solitary Bank West One Day Premiership in 2000/01 defeating Willetton at the WACA. We also won our first and only Club Championship so far in 2011/12, which coincided with our first two-day pennant premiership in 2011/12 defeating Subiaco-Floreat at the WACA. There was also a second two-day pennant premiership awaiting us in season 2013/14 defeating Claremont-Nedlands at the WACA. In an amazing turn of events, after some fruitless years, 2017/18 would be another Premiership year for the Wanneroo Districts Cricket Club as our first grade took out their first-ever T20 Premiership, defeating Claremont/Nedlands in pennant final then the Country XI at the WACA Ground to be crowned State-wide T20 Champions.
Amazingly we have again reached these heights in 2020/21, winning our third two-day pennant premiership in ten years defeating Claremont-Nedlands at Lilac Hill in Guildford. We also reached the semi-finals of the T20 competition in the 2020/21 season. In an amazing fact, Life Member & current Director of Cricket, Joel Charles played in the first three premierships as a player and coached the fourth & fifth, an unbelievable achievement that I do not think will ever be replicated.
Several of our players progressing through to State and National representation, including Marcus North, Damien Martyn, Michael & David Hussey, Mitchell Johnson, John Rogers, Jake Fawcett, Travis Birt and Chris Sabburg.
We have also actively recruited another former Roo opening batsman in Ricardo DeNobrega from Scarborough & Harry Swindells from Leicestershire CCC for season 2022/23.
There has also been a plethora of Roo’s who have represented WA at junior and senior level, the most junior state representatives of any club in WA, something we are also very proud of.
We have a specialized coaching and administration structure in place to ensure we are continuing to strive for excellence both on and off the ground. This handbook will provide you with all the information to enable you to become the best you can be, both as a player and as a club member. Please take time to read our Culture, Codes of Behaviour and policies we have put in place, as I am sure you will gain so much from them and in doing so will gain much enjoyment being a part of our wonderful club.
I’d like to welcome all new members and returning members to the club this year, on top of this our new and existing committee members who include; Vice President Shane Maraldo, Secretary Darrell Kelsey, Grounds Manager Mike Dargie, Communications Manager John Walter, Junior Coordinator Greg Holly, Clubrooms Manager Kevin Walker, Head of Female Cricket Pete Byrne, Director of Cricket Joel Charles, Registrar/Barman/Scorer Dave Bebb, Daniel Stumpers, wonderful new members Sarah Evans & Serena Spadaro who add so much to us, Jimmy Skouros & last but not least our WADCCI Senior Delegate & Former President Mike Minear for what I believe to be his 15th year on the committee at Wanneroo Districts Cricket Club.
We also have some goodbyes to make as well, our outgoing Director of Cricket Ian Poulter is leaving his post due to work commitments, but we still look forward to seeing him at the club on weekends though! Thanks for everything Poults!
The others moving on to retirement are club legends, and premiership players, former A Grade Premiership Captain Kyle Millar, former WA 2ndXI player Rob Richards, Jimmy Newnham & home grown premiership hero, Caiden Eaton who is moving to Tasmania for more opportunity at the highest level. We thank all these guys for there amazing contribution over so many years and look forward to seeing them at the club soon!
We also had to say goodbye to some life members & legends over the last year in Richard “Dick” Wheeler & the wonderful Tom Wilson, RIP gentleman.
Let’s all have a successful year on and off the field in 2022/23!
Get on the Roo Train!
David Minear
President/Chairman