NORTHERN RIVERS HISTORY

The Victorian Cricket Pathway, which restructured cricket throughout the State in 1999, called for the amalgamation of all Associations affiliated with the Goulburn Murray Zone and five Associations from the Loddon Zone to establish Region 5 – Northern Country.

In line with the significant changes initiated by the Pathway, the Steering Committee decided to create a name for the Region which would be synonymous with the area and also be instantly recognised as the name that represents the elite cricket squads.

After considering several options, it was decided to rename Northern Country NORTHERN RIVERS which reflects it’s location within the State as well as the five major rivers which run through the Region.

To celebrate the opportunities that the Pathway provides junior players, an annual carnival is played between the Northern  Rivers and North East Knights Regional teams for Under 13, 14, 16 & 18 males and Under 16 females on the second Sunday of November.

The carnival, known as the Lightfoot/Sherwill Shield, is named in honour of Bert Lightfoot (Shepparton) and Keith Sherwill (Benalla), who have served cricket in the area for over 60 years as players and administrators.

The Lightfoot/Sherwill Shield is awarded to the Region who wins the most games at the carnival, with the current winner being Northern Rivers.

The Northern Rivers area has a proud history of supplying a steady stream of Victorian representatives at junior levels as well as in the First Class arena, with the most notable in recent times being Matthew Elliott (Kyabram), who has also played for Australia, Craig White (Bendigo), who has also played for England, Matthew Inness (Broadford), Rohan Larkin (Shepparton), Bryan Doyle (Dookie), Tim Welsford (Bendigo) and Aiden Blizzard (Shepparton).

The Region stretches 270 kms from Dookie to Boort (East/West), 230 kms from Cobram to Kilmore (North/South) and has the highest participation figures in the State – 11 Associations, 108 junior & senior clubs who enter 452 teams, 37 Milo Have-A-Go programs and over 60 schools playing in the Milo Kanga 8/Super 8 carnivals held in Bendigo, Shepparton, Rochester, Marong, Katunga and Seymour.

Associations within the Northern  Rivers and their details (current for season 2006/07) are listed below:

 

Bendigo DCA - 10 Clubs; 77 Junior Teams; 30 Seniors Teams; 9 Milo HAG

Campaspe CA - 8 Clubs; 25 Junior Teams; 22 Senior Teams; 4 Milo HAG

Emu Valley CA- 11 Clubs; 0 Junior Teams; 32 Senior Teams; 0 Milo HAG

Kyabram DCA -11 Clubs; 23 Junior Teams; 24 Senior Teams; 4 Milo HAG

Murray Valley CA -12 Clubs; 9 Junior Teams; 31 Senior Teams; 3 Milo 

Northern United CA - 8 Clubs; 0 Junior Teams; 8 Senior Teams; 3 Milo 

Pyramid Hill CA - 5 Clubs; 3 Junior Teams; 5 Senior Teams; 0 Milo 

Seymour DCA - 12 Clubs; 25 Junior Teams; 33 Senior Teams; 6 Milo 

Upper Loddon CA - 11 Clubs; 7 Junior Teams; 10 Senior Teams; 2 Milo 

Yea JCA - 4 Clubs; 4 Junior Teams; 0 Senior Teams; 0 Milo

2001/02 : Under 16 A Grade - Seymour, B Grade - Seymour, Under 14 - Shepparton.

2002/03 : Under 16 A Grade - Bendigo, B Grade - Seymour, Under 14 - Shepparton.

2003/04 : Under 16 A Grade - Kyabram, B Grade - Shepparton, Under 14 - Kyabram.

2004/05 : Under 16 A Grade - Kyabram, B Grade - Campaspe, Under 14 - Shepparton.

Under the Pathway, the Region has nine Development Squads : Male - Under 13 Primary Schools Squad, Under 14, Under 16, Under 18, Under 21 and Adavanced Winter Coaching Squad; Female - Under 14, Under 16 & Under 18.

A summary of the Pathway programs and performances by Northern Rivers squads at the relevant State Championships can be found under the Male Pathway and Female Pathway tabs.

Since the inception of the Pathway in 1999/00, the following Northern Rivers players have been selected for:

MALE:

Victorian Primary Schools Under 13 team : 2000/01 - Trent McCormcik, Bryan Vance & Daniel Sartori; 2001/02 - Ashley Hockey & Blair Holmes; 2003/04 (played in July 2003 at Darwin) - Mitchell Winter-Irving; 2004/05 - Alex Keath; 2005/06 - Jesse Clark; 2007/08 - Kurt Brandt & Tyler Larkin; 2008/09 - Liam Barrett & Kyle Winter-Irving.

Victorian Secondary Schools Under 15 team : 2000/01 - Cameron Armstrong; 2001/02 - Steve Gilmour; 2002/03 - Bryan Vance & Daniel Sartori; 2003-04 - Trent McCormick & Jack Kennedy; 2004/05 - Joe Kelly; 2006/07 - Alex Keath; 2007/08 - Cody Irvine & Adam Ward

Victorian Under 17 team : 1999/00 - Matthew Knight & Liam Gledhill; 2000/01 - Dom Taylor & Aaron Connaughton; 2001/02 - Kane Tenace; 2002/03 - Steve Gilmour.; 2003/04 - Steve Gilmour & Brett Deledio; 2004/05 - Bryan Vance & Daniel Sartori.

Victorian Under 19 team : 2001/02 - Aaron Connaughton; 2004/05 - Steve Gilmour; 2005/06 - Steve Gilmour.

Premier 1st XI cricket : 1999/00 - Leigh Parsons (Carlton CC / Northcote CC); 2000/01 - Dom Taylor (Richmond CC); 2001/02 - Brandt Clutterbuck (Carlton CC), Paul Newman (Sth Melbourne CC) & Chris Durbridge (Footscray CC); 2002/03 - David Newman (Sth Melbourne CC / Dandenong CC) & Aiden Blizzard (Richmond CC); 2003/04 - Steve Gilmour (Melbourne CC / Ringwood CC), Kierin Hink (Northcote CC); 2004/05 - Paddy McKenna (Richmond CC); 2005/06 - Ben Way (Melbourne CC); 2006/07 - Ben Gunn (Footscray), Daniel Sartori(Richmond), Tim Kelly (Essendon), Cameron Taylor (Richmond) & Jarrod Wakeling (Richmond).

FEMALE

Victorian Primary Schools Under 13 team : 2002/03 - Emma Mannes; 2003/04 (played in July 2003 in Darwin) - Kacey Heywood, Rebecca Crothers & Olivia McEvoy; 2007/08 - Kayla Shepherd; 2008/09 - Taryn Heddo.

Victorian Secondary Schools Under 15 team : 2002/03 - Lauren Hall; 2003/04 - Emma Boseley; 2005/06 - Elysha Sartori; 2007/09 - Julia Crocket-Grills.

Victorian Under 17 team : 2003/04 - Kathleen Roe, Ashleigh Keenan & Samantha Heron; 2004/05 - Kathleen Roe; 2006/07 - Emily Ryan.

Victorian Under 19 team : 1999/00 - Renae Haeusler & Jessica Harvey; 2000/01 - Renae Haeusler & Jessica Harvey; 2005/06 - Kathleen Roe.