Junior cricket at Moonee Valley

The Moonee Valley Cricket Club has a proud history of more than 30 years as a senior Club. The Club regularly won A Grade Premierships in the North West Cricket Association, and more recently in the Moreland-Moonee Valley Cricket Association. Our Firsts and Seconds are now in the Victorian Turf Cricket Association.

The club has also won Premierships in the lower senior grades in the Associations in which we have played.

In 1996/97, Moonee Valley Cricket Club in conjunction with a group of local parents set out to establish junior cricket for young people from Moonee Ponds, Ascot Vale, West Coburg, West Brunswick and surrounding districts.

The Club commenced with an Under 10 team and an Under 12 side in 1996. With solid promotion of the sport by the Club in local schools and throughout the surrounding suburbs, our junior section has now grown to the extent that in the 2003/04 season just concluded, Moonee Valley fielded two Under 10 teams, three Under 12 teams, two Under 14 teams, two Under 16 teams, a girls’ Under 14 team and a girls’ Under 17 team.

As a result of our forward planning, we again fielded teams in all these age groups in 2004/05.

Most of our junior cricket is played on Saturday mornings. Our Under 16 and Under 14 teams play their home games at Ormond Park, and two Under 12 teams play home games there also. We also have facilities available at Moonee Ponds Central School, and have held discussions with Brunswick South West Primary School about redeveloping and using its ground also.

Our Under 10 teams and Under 14 Girls play their home games at Ormond Park, and the Under 17 Girls play all home and away games at Fairbairn Park, beside the Maribyrnong River. The Under 10s play on Sunday mornings up to the start of Daylight Saving, and on Friday evenings throughout the rest of the season. The Under 14 and Under 17 Girls play Friday nights, with the seasons commencing after Daylight Saving starts.

Our innovative junior development program has also produced a number of young players who have performed meritoriously in senior ranks, and so helped to ensure a healthy future for our Club.

Moonee Valley also has a policy of giving our Under 16 players a taste of senior cricket before they end their junior playing days. The Club keeps spare spots in the senior teams, which are offered to Under 16 players on a rotational basis to give them experience. This means that when they finish their junior days, these players already know that they have the skills and ability to compete in senior ranks.

Anyone wanting more information on the junior club, or details on how to join should phone Junior Co-ordinator Charlie Walker on 9370 1802 (home) or 0409 237 543.