OUR MOST VALUABLE PLAYER/FIELDLOW VOTE COUNTS - THIS SUNDAY 
We're holding our Most Valuable Player/Fielding awards vote count at the Ormond Park pavilion from 7pm this Sunday.
It will follow on from the First and Second Eleven semi finals, which we're playing on the Saturday/Sunday this weekend, and our Women's Semi.
Here's hoping that we're going to be celebrating all three teams winning through to a Grand Final.
It's the Sunday of the long weekend, so you can celebrate well into the evening.
The pavilion bar will be open for the night. Entry is $20, which gets you a pizza meal ($10 for under-18s).
We will have a big screen slide show going through the vote count for both the Most Valuable Player in each grade, as well as the fielding award.
Please give an indication by Thursday of your likely attendance so we can organise the catering. Send advice via email to mooneevalleycricket@gmail.com  However, players, family and friends who have not booked are still welcome to attend.

LANKAN CUISINE COMES TO THE VALLEY

Thanks to our Sri Lankan First Eleven players for a taste of their national cuisine - Rusiru Jayasiri, Suraj Weerasinghe and Ruwan Jayaweera took over the Ormond Park kitchen on March 7 and cooked the evening meal.
There were lamb and chicken dishes - suitably spiced - and our trio fed the hordes on selection night for the semi finals.
                 
Above: The meals and our chefs - L-R Suraj Weerasinghe, Rusiru Jayasiri and Ruwan Jayaweera.

HONORING

OUR HEATH

The Moonee Valley Cricket Club hosted Moonee Ponds on February 29 for the Webb-Johnson/Pascu Cup - held to draw attention to men's health issues.
Moonee Ponds took out the game - played 16 overs per innings - after the Valleys had won the three previous encounters.
At right: Lezanne Webb-Johnson with Reid and Bree and the Webb-Johnson/Pascu Cup.
Moonee Valley couldn't get its innings on track and lost its 10th wicket in the final over for a total of 82 - which was never enough.
Moonee Ponds chased down the target four wickets down - and now holds the Cup - until we win it back next season!
Heath Webb-Johnson's widow Lezanne and their children Reid and Bree were there to watch proceedings, along with good attendances from both Moonee Valley and Moonee Ponds.
The Cup was first contested in 2020/21 following the passing of Moonee Valley's Heath and Moonee Ponds' Gary Pascu, and both clubs saw the need to promote and highlight men's health.
It is a perpetual reminder of two loved and respected players and mates no longer with us.
Both clubs had been hit hard by the loss of much-loved members to men's health issues in recent seasons, and determined to stand up and be counted. The inscription on the cup says everything - "their passion and legacy transcends cricket and will be forever celebrated".
Above: Reid and Bree Webb-Johnson in Heath's old Valley shirts - and our team which played the match. L-R Rusiru Jayasiri, Suraj Weerasinghe, Ruwan Jayaweera, Tom Janetzki, Henry Thomas, Luka Anderson, Zac Nilsson, Tom Morrissy, captain Jack Newman, Tain Piercy and Joe Adams.
Up to now we have contested the Cup each time we met in the regular VTCA season, but as Moonee Valley is now in a higher grade we agreed to play off-fixture on a training night. Thanks to accredited umpires Paul Simon and Marcus Lee for donating their services.
Watch this space - more photos HERE

Full House for our poker night (not quite)

We had plenty to celebrate at the Moonee Valley Poker Night at the Ormond Park pavilion on March 3, as both the Firsts and Seconds set up their finals campaigns earlier in the day.
We had around 20 players on the tables with the Wild West Poker theme, and plenty of non-card sharps watching from the sidelines.
Congratulations to our winner, former junior Jesse Maljanek-Smith, with runners-up Brendan 'Jonty' Rhodes and Luka Anderson.
Thanks to the key organisers and facilitators for the event, Luke Brock and Brayden McGregor.
Above: They kept a poker face while the action was on, but not after the final hand: L-R Brendan Rhodes, Jesse Maljanek-Smith and Luka Anderson.
The event was a boost for the MVCC coffers, with a portion of the prize pool going back to the club and plenty of patronage across the bar.
****More pictures - click HERE

OUR

CRAWDAD

CUP NIGHT

An enthusiastic crowd got into the swing of things when we staged our Yabby Races event at the Ormond Park clubrooms on February 24.
The "track" was marked in a circle under a marquee on the grass in front of the pavilion, and the punters showed great excitement as each event got under way.
At right: Clerk of the Course Nick Brelis swabs some of the "runners" before the big race.
Bookmaker Steve Hazelwood from "Haze Bet", ably assisted by penciller Luke Brock, shouted the odds and had no shortage of takers.
Thanks to Tain Piercy for locating and delivering the yabbies, and master wrangler and Clerk of the Course Nick Brelis for his expert handling of the temperamental "thoroughbreds" - most of which ended in the pot at the end of the night.
Thanks also to Dean Lawson for getting back to the clubrooms after playing in the Fifths out at Altona Meadows, and feeding the hungry hordes.
At right: Bookie Steve Hazelwood (left) and penciller Luke Brock review the odds.
The driving force behind the organisation of the night was Jack Newman and the regular players from the Firsts, so we thank them for this excellent fundraiser.
For more pictures from the night, click HERE - and thanks to Suraj Weerasinghe for many of the photos.



Senior training - Tuesday/Thursday

Senior training is held on Tuesday and Thursday evenings, starting 6pm.
Moonee Valley is open to new senior and junior players as the season progresses.
Our senior training sessions are at our home ground at Ormond Park, Pattison St, Moonee Ponds.
We field men's teams on both turf and hard wicket, and both Saturday and Sunday grades.
Our premiership-winning women's cricket team plays in a Twenty20 competition on Sundays.
We have juniors at Under 16, Under 14, Under 12 and Under 10 level, and these teams play Friday evenings.
Anyone interested in playing for Moonee Valley - seniors, juniors or our women's team - can phone or text Coach Mark Gauci on 0457 778 335 , Junior Co-ordinator Paul Sevenson on 0407 556 950 or President Charlie Walker on  0411 705 381.
* Players now have to self-register through a new cricket registration system, PlayHQ. Here is the link to get into the system. Only register for one association - not all the associations we play in.  

Buy club clothing, pay your membership, buy tickets to club functions - do it all at www.mooneevalleycricketstore.com.au

Junior Registration - link here - https://play.cricket.com.au/club/moonee-valley-cricket-club/147223ea-86d8-eb11-a7ad-2818780da0cc

     Main Club contact details:

* Charlie Walker - President 0411 705 381; 9370 1802
* Allan Cumming - Treasurer 0438 380 990
* Brendan "Jonty" Rhodes - Secretary 0419 491 174
* 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 : March 7, 2024.
For more of our history, including our Premierships, click HERE