Webb-Johnson/Pascu Cup - our team

The Moonee Valley team for the Webb-Johnson/Pascu Cup T20 match on January 23 is:
Brayden McGregor, Luke Brock, Jack Newman, Krish Kanchan, Luca Nimorakiotakis, Maks Rahman, Tain Piercy, Hayden Trew, Riley Walsh, Joe Adams and David Lubansky.
The Cup is an annual fixture between the Moonee Valley and Moonee Ponds Cricket Clubs, to honor two players who made a significant impact on their respective clubs - our Heath Webb-Johnson (right) and Moonee Ponds' Gary Pascu.
It's a 5.30pm start. And as Moonee Ponds won the 2023/24 match, they're hosting this time around - at Aberfeldie Park, The Boulevard, Moonee Ponds.
Players and supporters please be there to support men's health.

Barooga - we made the playoffs

Moonee Valley's campaign in our 11th Barooga Over 35s tournament reached the playoffs on the final day, but we fell just short.
Defending our score of 4/151 off 30 overs, we had Castle Hill (from NSW) six down but they reached the total with 17 balls to go.
We played twice under lights at the magnificent Barooga No. 1 oval - on January 13 and 15, and the final day play-off on January 16 was also at Barooga No. 1.
Our team this year was captained by Moonee Valley premiership player Craig Pridham. Mark Gauci won the comp bowling award with 5 wickets @ 12.0.
Above: Our playoff team for Barooga 2025. L-R: Back - Glen Courts, Sean O'Kane, Jason Morris, Jason Ripa, Mark Gauci, Nate Wolland. Front - Dane Smith, Allan Cumming, Tony Gleeson, Craig Pridham, Peter Richardson.
We used 16 players across the three games.
Four of our players had tournament batting averages of 30 or more - Glen Courts, Craig Pridham, Peter Richardson and Dane Smith.
Moonee Valley is already planning our 2026 campaign.
Our tournament got off to a flying start on the first night, with a strong win over Beaconsfield.
As the reigning title holder, we dismissed Beaconsfield for 106 in the 27th over of the 40-over match, then racked up the runs three down in 17.4 overs.
Our Moonee Valley team for the first round consisted of past and present players - current players Mark Gauci, Allan Cumming, Glen Courts, Jason Ripa and Charlie Walker, past players Sean and Peter O'Kane, Craig Pridham, Barooga-based players Kale Watkins and Ben Lucas, Peter "Pirate" Richardson and Shepparton-based Cameron McGregor - the father of Moonee Valley senior coach Brayden.
We had more players drafted in for the second and third games.
Stats highlights from the Beaconsfield game were Ben Lucas 40no, Mark Gauci 28 and Cameron McGregor 12no. Our bowling stars were Kale Watkins 4/10, Mark Gauci 2/13, Sean O'Kane 2/14 and Cameron McGregor 2/22.
At left: Our Barooga team for Game 1: L-R. Back - Kale Watkins, Sean O'Kane, Peter O'Kane, Craig Pridham, Mark Gauci, Brendan Rhodes, Cameron McGregor. Front - Glen Courts, Jason Ripa, Ben Lewis, Charlie Walker, Peter Richardson and Allan Cumming.

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.

***GOOD FOR CRICKET? YOU'RE

ABSOLUTELY RIGHT IT IS

Fancy a chance to win a Rav 4 hybrid wagon, a Corolla Cross or a Yaris Cross and help the Moonee Valley Cricket Club at the same time? If you want a crack at a total prize pool worth more than $233,000, click the link here .
The Moonee Valley Cricket Club is participating in the Toyota Good For Cricket Raffle this season, and all the proceeds from your ticket purchases go direct to our Club.
That's right - tickets are $5 each, and every $5 sale comes to our coffers.
The link above is exclusive to the Moonee Valley Cricket Club, so click on it and you're ready to go.
You will see from the info in the link that we're not exactly on the leaderboard yet in terms of ticket sales, but we've got through to March 3, 2025.
Apart from the cars, prizes include coaching clinics for club members with Cricket Australia players, special experiences at cricket matches and signed memorabilia.
There are no costs for the club and no need to organise permits or prizes. Toyota has everything organised, so it's free, easy and contactless. So hop in now, buy some tickets and support Moonee Valley.

Junior and Senior Registration - link here - CLICK

*SENIOR TRAINING - THE DETAILS 

Coach Brayden McGregor and assistant coach Tony Gleeson run senior training each Tuesday and Thursday at our home ground, Ormond Park in Pattison St, Moonee Ponds.
Training starts at 6pm.
Moonee Valley has five senior men's teams - four of which play on turf - and a women's team, as well as juniors across all age groups and a Blast program for the younger players.
We still have spots available in all teams. Anyone interested in joining Moonee Valley can phone Brayden on0429 559 797, junior co-ordinator Paul Sevenson on 0407 556 950 or President Charlie Walker on 0411 705 381.

     
Main Club contact details:

* Charlie Walker - President 0411 705 381; 9370 1802
* Allan Cumming - Treasurer 0438 380 990
* Sarah Fenn - Secretary 0438 141 179
* Mark Gauci - Vice President 0457 778 335 
* Paul Sevenson - Junior Co-ordinator - 0407 556 950   

Emails: mooneevalleycricket@gmail.com
        charlie.walker@optusnet.com.au 

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

Last updated : January 23, 2025.
For more of our history, including our Premierships, click HERE