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up a sign of a new direction for Victorian cricket
TWO weeks ago, as he watched his former football team Morwell go down to Sale in the grand final, Peter Siddle had cause to reflect on the changes that had taken place in his life in the six years since he was running round as a 17yearold fullback.
For one, he was sitting in the seat reserved for the club's No. 1 ticketholder an honour bestowed on him at the start of the footy season and thus didn't have to pay for a drink or meal all day. He was chuffed, he says, adding that it wasn't bad for a bloke who was probably never going to worry the AFL scouts too much.
On the back of a solid Pura Cup (Sheffield Shield) season, albeit interrupted by a second dislocated shoulder, he took 33 wickets in just five matches at an average of 15.75 and was selected for the Australian squad along with 36yearold legspinner Bryce McGain.
"Getting the callup was a bit of a surprise," Siddle said. "I thought with having my shoulder reconstructed straight after the season last year that if there was an Australia A position this year, I might probably miss that. But I got that and now I've gone one better, which is pretty amazing really."
And not just amazing for Siddle. Victorian cricket's change of fortune in recent years in producing Australian players has been a quantum turnaround.
It was in 2001 that Damien Fleming played his final Test match for Australia, ending a period in which Victoria was regularly represented at Australian level with the likes of Warne, Paul Reiffel, Merv Hughes and Dean Jones.
In the time since, only Warne flew the flag regularly, with the odd cameo by Brad Hodge at Test level. Victorian Bushrangers skipper Cameron White and the now retired fast bowler Mick Lewis were in the oneday arena.
Yet this summer, Victoria could have as many as seven players wearing Australian colours: Siddle, McGain and White the latter called up yesterday at Test level, with Hodge and David Hussey also in contention in either oneday international or Twenty20. Further down the list, but still very much in the sights of the selectors, are West Australian recruit Chris Rogers, who has already played a Test match and allrounder Andrew McDonald.
It is a situation that thrills Cricket Victoria chief executive Tony Dodemaide, himself a Test and limited overs bowler in the 1980s and '90s. He says that while the strength and stability of the Australian side in the past halfdozen years contributed largely to denying Victorian players opportunity, much work still needed to be done to ensure that when opportunities did arise, Victorian players were good enough to step up.
This was helped by making Australian representation a major plank in Cricket Victoria's strategic plan as well as an effort to increase the level of professionalism and money in the sport. Not only has this driven players at the top end but, importantly, improved talent identification and development programs.
Victorian cricket is now divided into regions with their own dedicated recruiters (a job previously left largely to local coaches or people with enough gumption to make a phone call to Cricket Victoria), it holds a statewide carnival for the cream of the young players, and has initiatives such as a fast bowling academy.
"The Diamonds in the Bush program has been going for some time now and when you see the likes of White, (Aiden) Blizzard, McDonald and Siddle you know it is working," Dodemaide said.
"And because of the turnover in the Australian team up and down the order our guys are getting a sniff, which is great.
"Looking back over my time playing, there wasn't a great encouragement. If you were looking to play for Australia, or even were already playing,[url=http://www.floware.fr]michael kors femmes[/url], it was almost a bit uneasy in the dressingroom because you weren't concentrating on Victorian cricket.
"What we have tried to do is to set out and explain that the two goals are complementary, rather than contradictory.
"Winning trophies is certainly one measure of our success, but so is producing players for the highest level of the game."
Across all levels, cricket is said to have the most participants of any sport in the state. And at the elite level, the Bushrangers' last season had the chance to make history by being the first side to win all three domestic competitions. They managed only the Twenty20 title, which will see the team travel to India in late November to contest the Indian Champions League against teams from South Africa, India, England and Pakistan to compete for a $US6 million purse.
Bushrangers coach Greg Shipperd has long believed that his performance should be measured, at least in part, by the number of Australian players he produces. But he admits it brings challenges to winning domestic titles.
"All in all it was a very, very good season as opposed to a great season and our challenge is to take that one step further, complicated perhaps by the fact that we will now be experiencing some Australian player loss from our squad," Shipperd says.
"Which is the other side of the coin but one which we are really happy to accept. It provides churn in your squad which gives opportunity to emerging young players as well."
Adding to mix is the fact the Bushrangers have lost bowling depth with Lewis retiring and Allan Wise and Gerard Denton moving interstate.
"We will be tested. But we think Clinton McKay is ready to shine, Siddle's obviously been acknowledged, the Pattinson boys will be worth watching, (Darren, who played a Test for England in the off season and younger brother James) and there will be more pressure on Dirk Nannes to perform consistently," Shipperd said.