A FUN AFTER NOON FOR OUR LADIES DAY

More than 40 partners, players, parents, former players and friends attended the Moonee Valley Cricket Club Ladies Day Luncheon on February 4.
The boys had to give up the social rooms for the day, and the Firsts and Sixths were banished to the changerooms for the afternoon while the ladies dressed up and strutted their stuff. And so it should be.
At left: Jim Polonidis with some of the women who played with his late wife Tien - L-R Adele Walker, Natalie Demarte, Tanya Intagliata, Jenny O'Brien and Nicole McLachlan.
The day raised funds for charity and was named for past MVCC women’s captain Tien Polonidis, who passed away in 2021. We also acknowledged past player Bernadette Hobbs, who passed away last year.
Our First Eleven captain Jack Newman was a driving force behind the luncheon, and received tremendous assistance from many other people, both inside and outside our club.
It gave a chance for partners and family to connect to the club – other than just watching the boys on game day. We’re hoping that it becomes a regular event.
****For more photos from the event, click HERE

Deano’s delivered across 200 great games

Club stalwart Dean 'Possum' Lawson joined illustrious company when he played his 200th game for the Valleys on February 5.
Dean played his first game back in 2006/07, as part of a group of dads who decided to match the efforts of their sons in the junior ranks. But
Deano’s gone on with it, and is now just the 31 ^st player to reach the 200-game milestone in our 52-year history.

And it’s been an exciting journey, as Dean has never been one to let the bowlers settle or dictate terms – he’s at them from the first ball.
At left: Dean Lawson played with four other members of the 200 club when he played his 200th match. L-R Allan Cumming, Mark Gauci, Danny Terzini, Dean Jukic and Dean Lawson.
He’s eighth on our all-time run-scorers list with 5193 runs, and has never knocked back the chance to have a bowl – and the wicket he took to secure the win in his 200^th game was his 44^th for the club.
For the record, the Fifths did Deano proud, with 6/234cc to defeat Flemington Colts 128.
Dean has won batting awards in the Thirds, Fourths, Sixths and Eighths. He has four tons to his name - and Deano is one of only four players to have hit a double century for the Valleys.
He’s been a member of our Moonee Valley Wisden Team of the Year a remarkable eight times over 16 seasons. He scored 632 runs in the 2014/15 season – the equal 13^th-best tally in a season in our history, putting Dean in elite company.
At right: Dean Lawson listens in as former teammate Paul Hobbs recounts some stories of his career.
He put on a 212 run partnership for the first wicket with Steven Ball in the Sixths in 2008/09, and for good measure racked up a 156 run opening stand with Joe Carroll in the Eighths in 2006/07.
Dean was also part of the Sixths team which racked up our highest-ever score across any grade - 6/540 declared v Ascot Vale in Barron Shield in 2014/15. Three players tonned up in that game - but Deano wasn't one of them. He contributed 7 runs to the score. 
A champion bloke and a really important part of our Past Players committee, well done Possum on this fine achievement.
***You can see a video of Hobbsie's speech on Dean's career by clicking on this link.

                                                  

Our 50th Anniversary dinner is on - Saturday, February 25.
A considerable number of past players from our 50 years have already committed to the function - so come and join them!
You can book your tickets online - see the link address above.
You can also search for our Moonee Valley Cricket Club Past and Present Players and Supporters page on Facebook - there's a heap of info there, including a link to see who's attending the function.
For more info on the event, email Life Member John Talone at johntalone5@gmail.com   

Pat and David make their mark for the Valley

Pat Taylor and David Lubansky might be at different ends of their journey at Moonee Valley, but that didn’t stop them jointly celebrating milestones together.
Pat brought up his 200^th game in the Sixths match against Craigieburn on February 11, and in the same match David played his 50 ^th for the Valley – across both seniors and juniors. It was an ironic milestone for Pat – as Craigieburn was also the opposition when he played in his only Valley premiership.
At right: Little bats, big milestones: Pat Taylor (far right) and David Lubansky played in the same game to reach their milestones.
David first played senior cricket last season when he was still in our Under 12s, and has played every grade from the Thirds down. And his career’s still in its beginning.
Pat first played for the Valley in 2008/09, and had a short sojourn away in 2018/19 and 2019/20, while still racking up Sunday games. Along the journey Pat has amassed 927 runs and taken 203 wickets, so he's more than held his spot.
He's four times taken five wickets in an innings, with a best of 7/43 against Merlynston Hadfield in the Sixths in 2010/11.
He was a key part of the Sixths premiership in 2013/14, and his two fours in three balls brought up the winning runs when Craigieburn brought their spinner on - bowling right into Pat's zone.
Pat has always had Moonee Valley in his heart, and both son Nick (65 games) and daughter Jesse (30 games) have played with us. And now grandsons Jackson and Blake are running around in the juniors. Pat has coached or co-coached junior teams over more than half of the seasons he's been here, and this season is coaching our Under 12s.
Pat has had a few injuries and niggles over the past couple of seasons, but says he intends to keep playing as long as his body holds up.

THE NEXT GENERATION

Seven-time winner of our First Eleven fielding award, gun wicketkeeper Geoff McKeown, had the honor of playing with his son Oscar in his debut for Moonee Valley in the Fifths on February 11.
Geoff’s appearances for Moonee Valley over the past few years have been spasmodic, due to work, family commitments and living in the south-east suburbs.
But he returns and plays for the Valley when he gets a chance – and this time brought Oscar.
At left: Oscar McKeown made his Moonee Valley debut with his club legend dad Geoff.
Oscar, 13, showed he knows how to handle a bat and also shared the keeping duties with Geoff across the innings.
A three-time Premiership player at the Valley, Geoff won one of his fielding awards in the First Eleven North A1 flag year of 2009/10. He was also voted the keeper in the VTCA Team of the Year in the premiership year.
                                         
Oscar plays his junior cricket across in Murrumbeena, but we’re hoping he’ll be back on a more regular basis with Geoff now that he’s got the taste.

Moonee Valley cricket - junior and senior spots

Moonee Valley always open to new senior and junior players, both for the current season and leading in to 2023/24.
We field men's teams on both turf and hard wicket, and both Saturday and Sunday grades.
Our women's cricket team plays in a Twenty20 competition on Sundays.
We have juniors at Under 16, Under 14, Under 12 and Under 10 level, and these teams play Friday evenings.
Anyone interested in playing for Moonee Valley in the current or coming season - seniors, juniors or our women's team - can phone or text President Charlie Walker on 0411 705 381.  

Buy club clothing, pay your membership, buy tickets to club functions - do it all at www.mooneevalleycricketstore.com.au

Junior Registration - link here - https://play.cricket.com.au/club/moonee-valley-cricket-club/147223ea-86d8-eb11-a7ad-2818780da0cc

     Main Club contact details:

* Charlie Walker - President 0411 705 381; 9370 1802
* Peter Golding - Treasurer 0419 009 721
* Michael Ozbun - Secretary 0448 548 860
* Mark Gauci - Vice President 0457 778 335 
* Paul Simon - Junior Co-ordinator - 0400 946 117 mooneev@club.cricketvictoria.com.au    

Email: mooneev@club.cricketvictoria.com.au 

For more contacts, see " Office bearers & Officials " under "Club News & Info" at the top of the page

Last updated : February 15, 2023.
For more of our history, including our Premierships, click HERE