 NORTHERN RIVERS
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.
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 – 9 Associations, 91 junior & senior clubs who enter 452 teams, 32 Milo in2CRICKET programs and over 70 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 2008/09) are listed below:
Bendigo DCA - 11 Clubs; 86 Junior Teams; 30 Seniors Teams; 8 Milo in2CRICKET
Campaspe CA - 8 Clubs; 23 Junior Teams; 21 Senior Teams; 4 Milo in2CRICKET Cricket Shepparton - 14 Clubs; 48 Junior Teams; 60 Senior Teams; 8 Milo in2CRICKET Emu Valley CA- 11 Clubs; 0 Junior Teams; 39 Senior Teams; 0 Milo in2CRICKET 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 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
LIGHTFOOT SHERWILL SHIELD
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 14, 16 & 18 both males and females on the last 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.
PATHWAY PROGRAM
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), Aiden Blizzard (Shepparton) and Steve Gilmour (Waaia).
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 and the Fonterra Female Development Squad. 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: (*- also represented Australia in that year)
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; 2009/10 - Kyle Mueller & Nathan Fitzpatrick. 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; 2008/09 - Joe Dwyer; 2009/10 - Dylan Grandell & BJ Squire.
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; 2007/08 - Alex Keath; 2008/09 - Alex Keath; 2009/10 - Josh McDonald, Hamish Winter-Irving & Adam Ward.
Victorian Under 19 team : 2001/02 - Aaron Connaughton; 2004/05 - Steve Gilmour; 2005/06 - Steve Gilmour; 2009/10 - Alex Keath*.
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 CC), Daniel Sartori (Richmond CC), Tim Kelly (Essendon CC), Cameron Taylor (Richmond CC) & Jarrod Wakeling (Richmond CC); 2008/09 - Alex Keath (Melbourne CC); 2009/10 - Josh McDonald (Richmond CC). 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; 2009/10 - Hope Irvine. Victorian Secondary Schools Under 15 team : 2002/03 - Lauren Hall; 2003/04 - Emma Boseley; 2005/06 - Elysha Sartori; 2008/09 - Julia Crocket-Grills; 2009/10 - 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.
REGIONAL COMPETITIONS
The Regions Junior Country Week is played during January and the winners of the relevant grades have been: 2000/01 : Under 16 A Grade – Kyabram, B Grade – Shepparton, Under 14 – Murray Valley. 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.
2005/06 : Under 16 A Grade - Shepparton, B Grade - Deniliquin, Under 14 - Campaspe.
2006/07 : Under 16 A Grade - Shepparton, B Grade - Shepparton, Under 14 - Shepparton.
2007/08 : Under 16 A Grade - Campaspe, B Grade - Shepparton, Under 14 - Shepparton. 2008/09 : Under 16 A Grade - Campaspe, B Grade - Bendigo, Under 14 - Shepparton.
2009/10 : Under 16 A Grade - Shepparton, B Grade - Shepparton, Under 14 - Shepparton. |
