Our Barooga Pre-season trip

Moonee Valley ventured to Barooga on September 21 for a pre-season practice match on turf, and came up trumps.
Playing against the Barooga Cricket Club, we posted 172 - losing our last wicket on the last ball of the 45th and final over - and in reply got them all out for 118 in the 30th over.
Barooga has two excellent turf grounds which are regularly used pre-season by the NSW Sheffield Shield team and by State rep junior teams, so we thank Barooga CC and their President Wes Sutton for fitting us in.
Above: Our Barooga practice match winners: L-R Coach Tony Gleeson, Stephen Esmore, Nick Brelis, Jack Newman, Muhammed Ashraf, Channa DeSilva, Abhishek Mehta, Anthony Cafari, Ben Thomas, Suraj Weerasinghe, Sameera Vithana and Shiwantha Kumara.
It's the third time we've had a pre-season game in Barooga over the past few years, and following discussions post-game we're close to locking it in with Barooga CC as an annual event.
Moonee Valley has also entered the Barooga Masters over 35s tournament in January for the past six years.
Thanks also to the "link" between the two Clubs - Moonee Valley Life Member and Premiership player Sean O'Kane has been instrumental in developing the relationship with his home-town club.
Moonee Valley fielded a strong 11 for the match, with about six other players and supporters making the journey to the NSW border town for the weekend away.
The game gave us a chance to look at some new players under match conditions, and it was a good pointer to the season.
Sri Lankan international player Suraj Weerasinghe only got off the plane mid-week, but showed his class with 26 runs and an excellent game behind the stumps, making three stumpings and taking a top catch.
Recruit Sameera Vithana, previously with Jacana, opened the batting aggressively for 35 runs.
Our other Sri Lankan international Shiwantha Kumara, in his second season, hit a towering six before being beaten by a top ball. He took 1/3 off four overs, and the Barooga batsmen said he was turning it sideways.
New recruit Abhishek Mehta is a livewire between the wickets and made 22 excellent runs, and backed up with 2/6 from five overs. Barooga's wise heads on the boundary remarked on his excellent footwork and predicted a big season from him.
And our other recruit Muhammed Ashraf, who arrived from Pakistan in June on a study visa, made nine runs and took 2/29 - and was on a hat-trick. 

VALLEY'S GRAND FINAL FUNCTION - BE THERE!

Moonee Valley is celebrating the long-awaited move into our new pavilion with another exciting event - the AFL Grand Final.
It's being held on Saturday, September 28 (when else??) down at our Ormond Park ground, with a senior training session under senior coach Tony Gleeson (a Hawthorn supporter) beforehand to get everyone warmed up.
Festivities start at 1pm when the bar opens, and run through to late as we all watch the action on the big screens.
There's no admission price this year, and we'll be putting on typical Grand Final fare - a barbecue - at $2 for a snag and $2-plus for a burger.
Drinks are at bar prices, and we'll have a discounted Beer of the Week for tasting.
Our junior won't be neglected either, and we'll have drinks from the canteen.
We understand that a number of people have long-term traditional commitments to Grand Final functions, but they can come and join us when their celebration or commiseration winds down.
So be there or be square - and bring a friend or two.
Win, lose or draw (we understand a draw is out of the equation) - you'll have fun with your teammates and clubmates. Dress up in the colors of the competing teams, or of  your own team that's not there this  year (brown and gold is recommended but not compulsory).

Welcome back, Caf

Moonee Valley Cricket Club is pleased to welcome back Anthony Cafari, who returns after playing a season in the VTCA's second-highest grade.
Caf spent a year at Royal Park-Brunswick to experience the demands of cricket in the higher grades, but was always wanting to come back and continue his career at the club where he has played since the Under 10s.
Pictured: Coach Tony Gleeson (left) with returning player Anthony Cafari.
Even in his season "away", Caf was a regular attendee at Moonee Valley functions, and even socialising in the "starlight lounge" around the portables in the time our new pavilion was being built.
Coach Tony Gleeson was keen to have the Prodigal Son return, as a classy bat who will bolster our top order.
Another bonus of Caf's return is that he is also returning to junior coaching, jointly taking on the Under 14s this season with Stephen Esmore.
It will be Caf's third season coaching and developing our juniors.
So he's welcome back in more ways than one!

New coach, new committee, new season, new clubrooms, new players - get on board

Moonee Valley Cricket Club enters the 2019/20 season on a roll - with a new coach, a revamped committee, our new $2.5 million showcase clubrooms, new players and a determination to get the job done.
And if YOU want to be part of it, get on board now!
We've got:
*  New coach Tony Gleeson (right), who oversaw Carlton's Premier Cricket flag in 2018/19 as First Eleven team manager.
*  A new and revamped committee running our club, with new members Liam Shaw and Joshua Gorry.
*  Our $2.5 million new clubrooms - sure to be the envy of every other club in the region.
*  New players - including Carlton Fourth Eleven premiership captain Sam Walker; Jacana club champion Sameera Vithana, Sri Lankan import Suraj Weerasinghe, and Sri Lankan international Nadeera Thuppahi, who starred at Moonee Valley several seasons ago.
*  A core of returning players to build a First Eleven team around, including captain Jack Newman and Sri Lankan first class player Shiwantha Kumara.
*  A group of exciting teens from our junior program, already pushing high into our senior grades.
There's a real buzz around Ormond Park.
Coach Tony Gleeson is keen for players to be challenged, so there are plenty of opportunities for more new players to come on board and push for spots.
So anyone keen to come down to - or come back to - Moonee Valley should phone Tony Gleeson on 0427 043 891, Vice President Mark Gauci on 0457 778 335 or President Charlie Walker on 0411 705 381. You can also email us at mooneev@club.cricketvictoria.com.au

Our 2018/19 AGM and new Committee 

***For details, click HERE

    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 0414 800 145  pjp@vicbar.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: September 22, 2019.
For more of our history, including our Premierships, click HERE