MARK GAUCI: 400 GREAT GAMES FOR THE VALLEY

Club legend Mark Gauci became the first Moonee Valley player to 400 games when he took to the field in our Second Eleven on December 16, and his teammates honored him with a big win.
Our Seconds and our Fifths on the adjoining oval honored the Gauch with a guard of honor as he walked out to open the innings.
He made 14 in his typical cavalier style as we made 6/196 from our 36 overs, and bowled a couple of overs as we bundled East Coburg out for 98.

At left: Club immortal Mark Gauci walks through an honor guard of teammates and clubmates as he sets off to open the innings in his 400th game.
As well as the teammates, Gauch was joined by family and clubmates who watched the match and celebrated with him well into the night.
Ian Denny delivered a moving speech in the rooms before the game, and Gauch gave a heart-felt and warm response on his life and times at Moonee Valley.
The gathering across the day and evening included 18 Moonee Valley Life Members who came to honor Mark Gauci - probably our most influential person of the 21st century with his massive impact on our club, which has included roles as First Eleven premiership captain, coach, vice-president, chairman of selectors and confidante to so many players.
Mark's time as First Eleven captain included a Premiership in 2009/10, breaking a decade-long drought of senior flags at any level.
He was honored with Life Membership in 2013/14 and was the recipient of our greatest honor, the Lindsay Jones Best Clubman award in 2018/19.
Gauch was Club Champion in 2005/06 and has won our best player award for all other grades four times, including in 2018/19, the year is was renamed the Sean O'Kane Award to acknowledge one of his best mates.
He's scored more than 9000 runs - the second-highest in our 53 year history and at season start had 312 wickets - 12th-highest at the club.
Gauch, who started his career at Moonee Valley in 1998/99, has won batting awards in the Seconds and the Fourths and a bowling award in the Thirds.
He's scored 13 centuries, equal with the great Warwick Nolan, and a high score of 155.
Gauch has been selected in the Moonee Valley Wisden Team of the Year five times and has also been one of our Wisden Players of the Year five times.
Gauch also led from the front with the introduction of the new concept of Twenty20 earlier this century, and played in both our T20 Competition premierships. He has a high score of 150 in the format. He has played 36 games - second-most of all time, and is our leading run-scorer and second-highest wicket taker.
He's a friend to just about everyone at Moonee Valley and a credit to our great club. Here's a video of the guard of honor  .
*For more pictures from the day, click  HERE  and  HERE