Keswick Cricket Club mourning legend, mate and 300 gamer Craig Coretti
Keswick Cricket Club is in mourning and has lost its “heart and soul” following the death of a much-loved larrikin, who dedicated his life to the club.
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Craig Coretti was the heart and soul of Keswick Cricket Club.
The club was his second home and its members were his family.
Coretti, a former player, captain and junior coach died on Australia Day after suffering a brain aneurysm three weeks ago.
He was 39 years old.
Players, volunteers, officials and families connected with Keswick have remembered Coretti as a dedicated, friendly mate, passionate about cricket and the club.
Last year, he became the youngest person at the club to reach 300 games, having joined Keswick as a 12-year-old and barely missing from then onwards.
Club mate Heath Mackay said Coretti, who helped establish junior teams about eight years ago as well as playing, was a “bloke everybody knew”.
“He’d walk into a pub or come to the cricket and everyone’s eyes would light up because that was just the sort of bloke he was – he made everyone feel welcome,” Mackay said.
“He meant so much to everybody, he wouldn’t say a bad word about anybody and no one had a bad word to say about him.
“He was just a legend of a bloke on and off the field.
“He was such a close, dear friend and basically a family member to us, to my wife Elizabeth and my daughter Mahni, he was part of the furniture.”
Coretti, a swing bowler, featured in more than 300 games and played in three Adelaide and Suburban Cricket Association premierships with Keswick.
He helped the club claim an C grade flag as a 15-year-old in 1996/1997, won an A grade premiership in 2015/16, then captained the B grade to a grand final victory in 2017/18.
But cricket was not his only love – Coretti was also passionate about Australian rules and loved the Richmond and Glenelg football clubs.
“We were able to celebrate a Glenelg premiership together out on the hill at Adelaide Oval and we spent the day with Gary Sweet and had a great day with him,” Mackay said
“It meant so much to us to share in that day and the celebrations afterwards.
“When Richmond won its flags, he was in our man cave out the back … and it was a day of celebrations.
“I am completely shattered, beyond words.
“I couldn’t be any more prouder to see the fight he had in him, he never gave up and I’m so proud to call him my mate.”
Coretti was still lining up with the club’s B grade in Section 4 and was the team’s leading wicket-taker so far this season with 13 scalps from six games.
Teammate Brad Williamson remembered one of the more recent games “CC” played a crucial hand in.
“One of his last efforts was hitting the winning runs for us coming in at No. 11 in the second to last game he played for the club,” Williamson said.
“He was passionate, he loved everyone and everyone loved him.
“He never had a bad word to say about anyone and he’s always very caring.
“That would sum him up.”
Mark Brake, who played alongside Coretti and co-coached the juniors with him, said his legacy would never be forgotten.
“He never missed a training, coached all these kids, he taught my daughter how to swing bowl,” Brake said.
“He’s just a legend and the heart and soul of the club.
“He’s going to be very missed.”
Coretti never got his driver’s licence and his father, Vittorio Coretti, drove him to all the games he played and coached.
He was proud of his son and grateful for the club’s support.
“He loved his cricket, his coaching, he loved umpiring,” he said.
“He spent most of his life living with me and I looked after him.
“Craig was always out and about with his friends.
“He was very friendly, I was blown away when they said there would probably be 100 people at his funeral.
“I’ve never had so many hugs.”
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