CHRISTMAS CHEER AT ORMOND PARK

There was action inside and outside the Ormond Park pavilion when our Club held its 2014 Christmas Party to mark the holiday break in the season.
The action inside comprised a well-stocked canteen, an even-better stocked Spud's Bar and some excellent food arranged by Dan Terzini.
And the action outside was the nailbiter played on the turf wicket by the Moonee Valley Fourths.
Defending a total of 7/183, we took it down to the wire before Toorak-Prahran got its nose in front nine wickets down off the last over of the day.
At right: Two warriors wind down
outside the Ormond Park pavilion
 after a hard weekend in the
middle - James Holt (left) and Kevin Gardiner.
And the Valley Sevenths had a nailbiter away from home, also going down in the last over - for 216 chasing a total of 218 posted by Royal Park Reds.
Senior and junior players, and parents, partners and supporters enjoyed the break-up.
Special thanks goes to Life Member Dan Terzini, who organised the raffle and the meal. Thanks also to Peter Golding, Peter Smith, Adele Walker and the others who helped prepare and serve up the food in a couple of separate shifts.
Thanks also to Simon Thornton and Adam Patchell for their excellent work in Spud's Bar, meeting the needs of the thirsty guests - especially the players who put on the entertainment in the Fourths and the Sevenths.
We had around two dozen prizes in the raffle, and the person who came away with the biggest smile was player Craig Pridham, who pocketed the $500 cash first prize.
The second cash prize of $250 went to past Second Eleven captain Daniel Phillips.
Thanks to the prize donors, including Phill King, Peter Smith, George Loh, Sandra and Alan Thomas and Matt Clare - our sponsor at the Reunion Bar.
For more photos from the Christmas Party, click on this link.

The Johnny and Joe Show - a memorable milestone match
Moonee Valley legends John Talone (left) and Joe Ansaldo (right) played their 300th games together on December 6, and it was fitting that they brought up their milestone at our Ormond Park home ground.

At left: Joe Ansaldo (left) and John Talone enter the field through an honor guard of past and present players for their 300th games.

They are both ornaments to the game and to our Club, and the milestone match against Sydenham Hillside in the North West Metropolitan Cricket Association's Barron Shield grade gave them a memorable opportunity to celebrate their milestone.

They're both Premiership players - Joe saluting for the first time only last season - and have made significant contributions to Moonee Valley both on and off the field.

John was Club Secretary for a record 14 seasons during our heyday, when the Valleys won flags at will, and is still contributing by running our Milo In2Cricket program to give youngsters their first step in our great sport of cricket.

At right: John  Talone got his own personal banner for the match - holding it here with sons Luke (left) and Max and wife Jodie.

Joe is a past committee member, and famous as Riverboat Joe for his wonderful poker night fundraisers.

Only two other Valley players have reached the 300-game milestone - Darren "Spud" Nagle and Ian "Egbert" Denny.

We had a strong line-up of past and present players put their hands up for selection in the milestone match, so we had a hard time fitting everyone in.

We invited all past and present Moonee Valley players and supporters to come down and cheer on our legends in their milestone match, and weren't disappointed with the line-up.

Their Sixths teammates got with Joe and John in our changerooms along with the First Eleven players who were on the turf ground, and heard from Club legends Darren Nagle and Sandro Capocchi about their great contribution to Moonee Valley.

We also received plenty of messages of support to pass on to them, including from Club founder Ray Storey and 300-gamer Ian Denny.

At left: A rare glimpse at what goes on in the senior changing rooms - Club legend and past President Sandro Capocchi talks to the Firsts and Sixths players about the contributions of John and Joe.

The Sixths "did it" for the milestone players, rolling Sydenham Hillside for 108 in 33 overs. Joe Ansaldo took 1/34 off his seven overs, with several dropped catches harming his figures. John bowled one over for a miserly two runs.

John also had the honor of opening our innings with the great Mick Harvey, and carried his bat for an unbeaten 36 as we passed the score two wickets down after 17 overs. It was a fitting end to a memorable occasion.

**For more pictures from the remarkable day, click on this LINK.

Our own touching tribute to fallen cricketer Phillip Hughes
The whole cricketing world stopped in the days and weeks after Australian Test cricketer Phillip Hughes died after being hit by a bouncer in Sydney on November 25.
Players young and old around the world wore black armbands in the following weekend's games, and players quickly developed a unique way of paying their respects to a fallen comrade - putting their bats and hats out.
Moonee Valley cricketers joined in this display of unity, and the display of bats from our First Eleven players outside the Ormond Park clubrooms for our match against RMIT on November 29 was a poignant reminder of the frailties of the sport we love.
 

 Main Club contact details:

* Charlie Walker - President 0409 237 543; 9370 1802
* Adam Patchell - Club Secretary 0407 552 141 
* Peter Golding - Club Treasurer 0419 009 721
* Simon Thornton - Vice President 0417 570 779
* Kevin Gardiner - Junior Co-ordinator 0417 536 896

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: December 22, 2014.

For more of our history, including our Premierships, click HERE