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Front Page - up to March 22, 2020

Moonee Valley players and other friends of Heath Webb-Johnson send him off with a guard of honor.

MOONEE VALLEY - WE DID HEATH PROUD

More than 50 Moonee Valley Cricket Club players, partners and past players turned out in force at the funeral of much-loved member Heath Webb-Johnson on March 12 to demonstrate the impact he'd made on our Club in just over a dozen years.
The Moonee Valley Cricket Club was left devastated by the death of one of our most bubbly yet uncompromising members, on March 3, and we were determined to show our support.
In a heart-breaking scene, little Reid Webb-Johnson holds a bat aloft in a tribute to his dad. Most of our players turned out in the requested Moonee Valley black tops, and were part of a guard of honor with raised cricket bats as Heath ended his innings and left the field for one last time.
A heartbreaking but poignant image was Heath and Lezanne's son Reid with his bat as part of the guard of honor.
As a further mark of the impact Heath Webb-Johnson made on our Club, he has been named as 13th man in our First Eleven Grand Final side. All our players will have Heath at their back as they take to the field for the decider.
The service was held at Tobin Brothers Diamond Creek. It was a request of the family that there were no flowers and any gifts were to be in the form of a donation to the Black Dog Institute.
At left: In a heart-breaking scene, little Reid Webb-Johnson holds a bat aloft in a tribute to his dad.
Heath played 98 games in the black and white since his debut in 2006/07, and no-one was more fiercely proud to pull on the club colors and represent us without compromise.
Heath Webb-Johnson We learned of his passing on March 5, and a large group of players, supporters and past players, including those who have moved on to other clubs, gathered at the Ormond Park clubrooms to honor him and reminisce about Heath's impact on our Club.
Moonee Valley players wore black armbands to honor Heath the weekend after his passing - the Fifths for their Grand Final victory, and the Firsts for their semi final win.
Heath's finest moment as a Moonee Valley player was his 150 not out v East Keilor in the Seconds in February 2013. He backed it up the next day with a 50 retired in the Fourths, doubling up across the weekend.
His games had been sporadic in recent years but even this season Heath chimed in with a 54 in the Fourths and 64 in the Seconds, as well as playing a key role in our Barooga Over 35s tournament team in January.
Heath's bright red helmet was an indicator of how he was prepared to stand out and be counted, and he was passionately proud that it could be seen as a target for the opposition bowlers. The harder they came at him, the more he liked it while representing Moonee Valley. Heath leaves behind two children, Reid and Bree with Lezanne.

Our Fifths - their day to Shine

Moonee Valley's Fifth Eleven - affectionately known as the Shiners - put up an emphatic end to their season when they won the NWMCA Girolami Shield one-day grand final at home at Ormond Park on March 7.
The "Moonshiners" took full advantage of the home ground advantage - we originally expected to play away but were gifted a home game following some shenanigans uncovered at one of the other teams - and were in control from the first ball.
Moonee Valley 2/81 in 8.1 overs defeated Northern Lions all out for 80.
At right: The Shiners show off their Premiership medals: L-R. Back - Ryan Chirgwin, Paddy Shelton, Justin Trowell, Liam Farrell, Jesse Nankivell-Sandor, Sam Kater, Dominic Rettino and Jarrad Sims. Front - Samuel Gunther, Manu Poulose, Cassidy Box, Shane Chalmers and Liam Shaw.
Co-captains Liam Shaw and Dominic Rettino had dominant games, but the whole of the team of 13 pulled their weight, bowling tightly and showing exceptional skill and commitment in the field.
The Shiners have been probably our best-performed squad over the past five seasons, but haven't been able to bring it home until this year. For a full match report, click HERE

Our MVP and Fieldlow vote count night

Moonee Valley's Most Valuable Player and Fieldlow vote count night was held in the Ormond Park clubrooms on March 8, and there was plenty to celebrate.
The Fifths were still coming down off their Premiership win the day before, while the Firsts took just 15 minutes earlier on the Sunday to wrap up their Semi Final and march into the Grand Final.
It's great to be celebrating in the new clubrooms, and thanks to Peter Golding and Brendan Rhodes for putting on such a professional show for the count.
At left: Most Valuable Player winners L-R Dejan Gilevski, Anthony Cafari and Cassidy Box show their medals, while an image of Heath Webb-Johnson shows as the backdrop.
The winners were: MVP - Firsts Anthony Cafari, Seconds Jim Polonidis, Thirds Dean Jukic, Fourths Jaykumar Patel, Fifths Cassidy Box, Sixths Dejan Gilevski and Sevenths Graeme Bloom.
Our Fielding Award winners were Firsts Daniel Comande, Seconds Michael Ozbun and Stephen Ward, Thirds Peter Golding, Fourths Jaykumar Patel, Fifths Paddy Shelton, Sixths Dejan Gilevski and Sevenths Channa DeSilva.
*For more details on the voting, click HERE .

Milestones as team record tumbles

Liam Shaw and Shane Chalmers achieved personal milestones as our Fifths set a new high mark in marching on to the one-day finals.
The 5/363cc score against Maribyrnong Park St Marys in the semi final at home at Ormond Park was the highest-ever score achieved by a Moonee Valley Fifth Eleven.
At right: Shane Chalmers with the ball and Liam Shaw with the bat after their personal milestones. L-R: Back - Ryan Chirgwin, Justin Trowell, Liam Farrell, Cassidy Box, Jesse Nankivell-Sandor, Shane Chalmers, Paddy Shelton, Liam Shaw. Front - Jarrad Sims, Dom Rettino, Sam Kater, Manu Poulose and Samuel Gunther.
And while we were reaching the mark, Liam Shaw, batting under a bit of restriction with a sore back, knocked up 102 not out - his second century this season and fifth for Moonee Valley.
Not to be outdone, Shane Chalmers took 5/33 to help rout Maribyrnong for 100.
It was Shane's first five-wicket haul in any game of cricket, and is a fitting reward for a fine player who has bent his back for Moonee Valley since joining us as part of the original group of tertiary student mates looking for a game of cricket.
As Shane says he never really played as a bowler in his earlier years of cricket - but the way he hoops, swings and makes the ball talk, clearly his previous clubs missed seeing his potential.
There's one game left now for the Shiners to put the seal on the season - so let's concentrate on the Grand Final.
While Liam's unbeaten century opening the bat provided the base for the team to launch, Sam Kater's 90 towards the end, 44 from Manu Poulose and 34s from Jarrad Sims and Liam Farrell ensured that we stayed on track to scoring at a tick over 10 per over.
The previous Fifths mark of 7/325 was set in 2009/10 by our B Matting team in the old Moreland Moonee Valley Cricket Association, and was led by 170 by Lou Raffaele, 42 from Danny Terzini and 40 from Pat Felmingham.

OUR SENIOR WISDEN 2018/19 - ALL 122 PAGES OF IT, WITH STATS, RECORDS, PHOTOS AND COMMENTARY. CLICK HERE TO SEE IT

Main Club contact details:

* Charlie Walker - President/Secretary 0411 705 381; 9370 1802
* Peter Golding - Treasurer 0419 009 721
* Mark Gauci - Vice President 0457 778 335
* Peter Pickering - Junior Co-ordinator - mooneev@club.cricketvictoria.com.au
* Channa DeSilva - Membership Co-ordinator 0402 833 592

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 : March 13, 2020.
For more of our history, including our Premierships, click HERE