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Front Page - to August 2, 2013

by Charlie Walker

Welcome back, Big Rex

Moonee Valley Cricket Club has gone "back to the future" in the appointment of Rex Bennett as our senior coach for the 2013/14 season.

Rex previously coached Moonee Valley for three seasons commencing from 2001/02, and has had a high-level coaching career before coming back to us.

In his first appointment as our coach he encouraged Moonee Valley to transfer its turf teams from the old Moreland Moonee Valley Cricket Association to the Victorian Turf Cricket Association, then coached us into a Grand Final in the North B Division in our first season in VTCA.

We were promoted to the North A Division, and Rex coached us through that season.

When he left Moonee Valley be became bowling coach for Premier club North Melbourne, then took over as senior coach at North Melbourne.

Above: Rex Bennett (centre) is welcomed/welcomed back to Moonee Valley by committee members (from left)
Peter Golding, Stephen Tassos, Jesse Nankivell-Sandor and Allan Cumming.

Rex then coached St Bernards in the VTCA, taking them from the North A Division through to the top-grade Senior Division. Last season he coached Sunshine in the Victorian Sub District Cricket Association.

In his earlier career, Rex played in Footscray's only premiership team in the old Victorian Cricket Association. He has maintained his connection with Moonee Valley in the years since he coached us, attending a number of club functions including our 40th anniversary.

Rex has firm ideas on how he can improve the playing group, and we look forward to working with him. Rex is firmly of the view that the club doesn't have a recruiting committee - every member of our Club should be an ambassador, and encouraging friends, acquaintances, relatives and former teammates to come and join us.

If every one of our members can bring someone else along to the Club this year, we'll have plenty of strength.

Welcome back, Rex!

Ken McLeod: We celebrate a fine innings

Past greats from Moonee Valley Cricket Club gathered at the bowls rooms recently for a memorial to celebrate the life of Ken McLeod, who was one of our Club's inaugural players.Ken was one of the Eleven to take to the field in our first game in the 1971/72 season, and is sadly the first of those pioneers to end his innings.Kenneth Alexander McLeod, 65, was killed in a farm accident on June 2.
He was the brother of Rod McLeod, who founded our Great Club with Ray Storey, and the son of Alex McLeod, who was our first President.
Four of the players who took to the field for Moonee Valley on that first Saturday in 1971 were at the memorial - Rod McLeod, Ray Storey, Colin Netherclift and Peter Dawkins.
In our foundation year we had a single team playing under the name of Moonee Ponds, and from these beginnings came the club that would grow into the Moonee Valley Cricket Club.
Others who played with Ken in those early years - Peter and Kevin Gardiner, and Brian Moore were also at the June 14 memorial at the Moonee Valley Bowls Club, along with past players Brian O'Reilly, Warwick Knill, Scott McLeod and Stewart Storey, and Life Member present players Darren Nagle, John Talone and Charlie Walker.
Ken McLeod 70 games for Moonee Valley for 1122 runs @ 14.38, and took 92 wickets @ 17.53. He was an important player in our first two Premierships. Some of Moonee Valley's greats from our teams in the early 70s: Standing behind our inaugural President Alex McLeod are L-R Peter Dawkins, Ray Storey, Colin Netherclift, Rod McLeod, Peter Gardiner, Brian Moore and Kevin Gardiner.

Peter Gardiner advises that Ken made a valued contribution of 2 for 11 during our second flag, the 1974-75 victory in a heated confrontation against Oak Park. He recalls Ken as a skilled all-rounder, good fieldsman and cunning competitor. His spirit, attitude and humour were an integral part of those early days.
The gathering was significant for our Club in that it brought together our first President, Alex McLeod, with our current President, Charlie Walker, and three past presidents in between - Darren Nagle, Ray Storey and Peter Gardiner.
It also saw the gathering of seven Life Members - Ray Storey, Rod McLeod, Kevin Gardiner, John Talone, Darren Nagle, Peter Gardiner and Charlie Walker.
And let's not forget the wives who were at the memorial, as in our earlier days - more than ever - our partners played an integral part in the fabric of the Moonee Valley Cricket Club, and ensured we became a vibrant and viable organisation.
Vale Ken McLeod!
Above: Moonee Valley pioneers gather. Standing behind inaugural president Alex McLeod are L-R Peter Dawkins, Ray Storey, Colin Netherclift, Rod McLeod, Peter Gardiner, Brian Moore and Kevin Gardiner.

Kevin and Phill get their right reward

Club stalwarts Phill King and Kevin Gardiner received the highest honors when the Moonee Valley Cricket Club held its Senior Presentation Night on Saturday, April 20.
Phill was awarded the coveted Lindsay Jones Best Clubman award, while Kevin was blind-sided with an unflagged presentation of Life Membership.
Both Kevin and Phill have had long involvement with our juniors, and have also been important players in their own right.
Our Night of Nights was held at the venue of major MVCC sponsor the North Suburban Sports Club, where we enjoyed an excellent buffet meal and the hospitality of a well-stocked bar.
Our Club Champion award for the best player in the First Eleven was won by Ihtisham Uddin, while Jesse Felle won the Moonee Valley Award for points allocated in all grades other than the Firsts.
**Watch here for more information to come.

Main Club contact details:

Charlie Walker - President 0409 237 543; 9370 1802
Peter Golding - Club Secretary 0419 009 721
Simon Thornton - Vice President 0417 570 779
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: July 25, 2013.