Princes Hill (re)United

Princes Hill (re)United

Part of the history of cricket in the Carlton area came back to life at Moonee Valley when three former players of the now-defunct Princes Hill Cricket Club played together again in the Valley’s Ninths team.

Ninths captain Paul Comino (left above), former MVCC senior coach Tony Gleeson (centre) and their old PHCC team-mate Phil “Gerry” Horner pulled on the whites for Moonee Valley in the January 20 game against Jacana.

It had been an aim of the three to play together again, and our Sunday Ninths fixture game them that chance.

Chances don’t come regularly now for Tony and Phil – as they are key officials at Premier Cricket club  Carlton – Tony as Second Eleven team manager and Phil as team manager for the Firsts.

But with a Sunday off, it was a chance to play together again.

Tony played for Princes Hill in 1991/92 after coming down from Warragul as a young man, and then joined Moonee Valley when Princes Hill folded at the end of the 1996/97 season.

Tony played and coached at Princes Hill for five seasons, winning two premierships in the Club’s final two seasons before it sadly joined the list of clubs that are no longer with us and are just a name in  history.

Paul played in the original Fifths at Moonee Valley, and transferred to Princes Park when our team was folded at the end of the 1992/93 season. He came out of retirement when Moonee Valley resumed with a fifth side in 2003/04, and has been a regular ever since.

Princes Hill had a relatively short but proud history, playing in the Jika Cricket Association after forming around 1963. It played originally on one of the grounds at Princes Park, and was then transferred to Royal Park, playing on grounds on both sides of the tram line where it enters the park on Flemington Rd.

At least the Princes Hill name lives on with its connection to the vibrant and growing Moonee Valley Cricket Club.

As well as Tony Gleeson, Paul Comino – and now Phil Horner – names with a Princes Hill connection you’ll find in the Wisden include Peter Rogan and George Formisano.

30/1/08