500 wickets for our Sporty Jim

Jim Polonidis has become just the second player in Moonee Valley's 54-year history to take 500 wickets, after snaring a useful 2/37 playing in the Thirds on Sunday.
Jim's 500th wicket was bowled through the gate in the December 22 match, and he followed it up with an LBW for wicket 501.
He is behind only Ian Denny on 664 wickets, and clear in front of Darren 'Spud' Nagle on 454 and Dean Jukic on 444.
At right: Jim Polonidis (middle) last season on the occasion of his 350th game - with great teammates Mark Gauci (left) and Dean Jukic.
Jim has taken nine wickets so far this season at a healthy average of 16.67.
He is an all-time bowling great at Moonee Valley, and is always miserly with the ball.
Jim has been selected in the Moonee Valley Wisden Team of the Year seven times - including six seasons in a row. He was selected most recently in 2023/24, with season's figures of 29 wickets @ 11.86. He showed his true value with his match-winning performance in the Seconds Grand Final – 5/31 when the game seemed to be getting away from us.
He has also been a Moonee Valley Wisden Player of the Year six times.
Jim's all-time career bowling average is an amazing 15.14. That places him at No. 28 on the averages list of bowlers who have taken 30 or more wickets for the club. But only Jim and two others in the top 30 have taken more than 150 wickets - so that underlines his consistency over a long career, which commenced in 1992.
Jim won the First Eleven bowling award in 1997/98, is a six-time winner of the Seconds bowling award and won the Fourths bowling in the premiership year of 2022/23.
At left: A younger Jimmy Pol - from 2004/05.
Jim took out the Seconds batting award in 2016/17 and has a century to his name.
He was awarded Life Membership of our Club in 2009/10, won the prestigious Lindsay Jones Best Clubman award in 2000/01 and is a six-time Premiership player.
Our Wisden records show Jim has taken a five-for 13 times, with best figures of 7/48.
Jim Polonidis is an absolute ornament of the Moonee Valley Cricket Club - and fellow Life Member Mark Gauci says Egbert's wickets tally of 664 will now be firmly in his sights.