Newtown & Chilwell’s Tom Meredith shifts to South Barwon, Kyle Bienefelt returns
South Barwon Cricket Club has won the week for off-season moves, as a former first grade rival joins the Swans and a star allrounder returns after a few years away.
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South Barwon has had a strong week with off-season moves, luring a first grade rival to the club as a champion all-rounder returns to the fold after four years away.
The Swans announced internally this week it had signed former Newtown & Chilwell top order batter Tom Meredith.
It’s another great addition for the club after snaring all-rounder Gurpreet Singh from Torquay and the BPCA’s best player of the past two seasons, Clay Mulgrew.
South Barwon also announced this week that Kyle Bienefelt had returned to the club after several years overseas.
Bienefelt last played with the Swans in the 21-22 season, taking 25 wickets at 20.44 and scoring 166 runs at 15.09.
He also had a season at Geelong in 18-19.
Meanwhile, St Joseph’s opening bowler Tom Smith and Anglesea’s Ollie and Will Huby will play for Grovedale this summer under returning coach Bryan Thomas.
Smith took a club-leading 22 wickets at 17.64 in first grade with Joeys last summer with the best figures of 5-22 off 8.4 overs against Highton and is a former representative at Country Week.
Huby, who claimed 30 wickets across two season at the Roos in the BPCA’s top tier, told this masthead he was keen to challenge himself in Geelong.
“It was time to go back, it was an unbelievable experience out at Anglesea,” Huby said.
“Very different to GCA.
“It’s very relaxed ... I had so much fun, both me and Will ... that’s without a doubt the funnest cricket experience I’ve had, it’s refreshing.
“I reckon I was burnt out (at St Joseph’s), so to go down there and refresh myself was fantastic.
“I wanted to go back and have a crack at some higher quality turf cricket, that’s essentially it.
“I can’t wait to crack in.”
James Bottomley to coach Guild St Mary’s
A former GCA1 first-grader will take the road less travelled towards this coming summer.
Guild St Mary’s Cricket Club recently unveiled former Newtown & Chilwell premiership player James Bottomley as its new senior coach for 2025-26.
It comes as Grovedale has announced that Anglesea bowler Ollie Huby will join the Tigers this season, as will St Joseph’s’ Tom Smith.
Bottomley, who works for the department of government services, joined Guild midway through 24-25 and would play in a one-day competition premiership after rolling Newcomb & District for just 81 in the decider.
It was a nice return to the field for the 39-year-old, who last played for the Two Blues in 16-17 as a fill-in after being lured down for a game with former Newtown teammate, Steve Skinner, after a few years of unsuccessful lobbying.
“That was the big driver,” Bottomley (pictured) said, who had stepped away from cricket primarily due to his work in Melbourne.
“I definitely missed it, it was just co-ordinating (working in Melbourne) … the kids were a bit younger (then).
“I still feel like I’ve got a little bit left in me, playing and coaching.
“I enjoyed being back and playing and I got really involved in helping the players with their general performance.
“The kids are older now, I’ve got the time.”
However, after a coffee with the club’s president, Bottomley was sounded out regarding the top job.
Accepting the gig, Bottomley said he would draw on the knowledge and experience he accessed at the Two Blues from the likesof Bryan Thomas, Rod Kiddle and Ben Neville.
“I’m enjoying the change in scenery … (and) the club has really embraced me coming on board,” he said.
Bottomley, who won three GCA1 second grade flags with the Two Blues, said wanting to lead from the front so it’s likely he will play first grade in 25-26.
While the club is actively chasing players to bolster its stocks, he feels there’s plenty to work with as the ones missedthe finals by just three points, the twos qualified for the decider and its under-13s team won a flag.
It is also set to announce a recruit who played GCA1 last summer.
Bottomley will be assisted by Amrit Sahi as co-coach after five seasons with Guild St Mary’s.
In a statement on the club’s socials, Sahi wielded “recruiting power and persuasiveness” to get new players on board.
“He is constantly working to improve first X1 professionalism and standards and in tandem with Jimmy we will be looking to improve professionalism throughout the whole club,” the club said.
“Everyone is pumped for the new structure and we can’t wait for pre-season to begin.”
All the ins and outs so far from the GCA off-season
There’s been plenty of movement across the GCA, less than two months after the completion of the 2024-25 season.
Here are all the ins and outs and new coaching appointments so far.
GCA1
Grovedale
IN: Andrew Wedge (Torquay), Tom Smith (St Joseph’s), Ollie and Will Huby (Anglesea), Jacob Lockheart (UK).
New senior coach: Bryan Thomas
South Barwon
IN: Clay Mulgrew (Armstrong Creek), Kisara De Alwis (Highton), Gurpreet Singh (Torquay), Tom Meredith (Newtown & Chilwell)
GCA2
Leopold
IN: Hayden Butterworth
Highton
IN: Noah Pigdon (Leopold), Jake Wells (UK).
OUT: Hayden Burns (Corio)
Bell Post Hill
IN: Mayuka Perera (returning)
Torquay
IN: Tim Stephens (Burnside Springs)
OUT: Gurpreet Singh (South Barwon), Patrick Sullivan (Geelong), Andrew Wedge (Grovedale)
GCA3
Murgheboluc
New senior coach: Joel Davies
Thomson
IN: Josh McDonald (Geelong CC)
Corio
IN: Eugene Stanciu (Newcomb & District), Hayden Burns (Highton), Brad Jones.
Lethbridge
IN: Anand Choudhary (Guild St Mary’s), Caitlin Wight
GCA4
Little River
IN: Stuart Keys (Newcomb)
Meredith
IN: Jake Eyers (East Ballarat)
New senior coach: Harli Givvens
Newcomb & District
IN: Jason Robertson (Armstrong Creek), Aaron Morgan (Armstrong Creek), Shay Williams (UK), Emilia Maddison (UK), Huey Nield (UK)
OUT: Eugene Stanciu (Corio), Rosie Grist (UK)
New senior coach: Craig Hillgrove
Guild St Mary’s
New senior coaches: James Bottomley (Newtown & Chilwell), Amrit Sahi
St Albans Breakwater
IN: Lewis Povey (Newtown & Chilwell), Michael Blain (Grovedale)
New senior coach: Daniel Haines (Grovedale)
Meredith superstar Harli Givvens to coach the Rams
Meredith is set to get stronger again next year in GCA’s division four with another recruit landing from East Ballarat.
It comes as Rams superstar Harli Givvens was announced after the club’s presentation night he had re-signed for a second seasonat Wilson St and will senior coach in 2025-26.
Givvens, who was recruited to the division four outfit from East Ballarat, along with brother Levhi and Matt Ringin, was thecompetition’s leading batter in 2024-25.
First grade skipper Tyler Dittloff said Givvens was keen to bolster his involvement at the Rams next summer after a sensationalfirst season and would also take on vice captaincy duties.
“His family’s entrenched at the club now ... if he was going to go onto a higher standard he’d probably go back to Ballarator try Melbourne,” Dittloff said.
“Matt (Ringin) and I have both had new additions so we’re looking to take a step back, he’s jumped right in.”
Givvens would hit 800 runs at an average of 47.06 and took 25 wickets at 15.68 in the limited overs competition.
It comes off the back of a strong season for Meredith who jumped from fifth on the ladder in 23-24 to a grand final berthand it won the T20 tournament over Bannockburn on Australia Day.
Meanwhile, the club has snared first grade keeper-batter and captain Jacob Eyers from East Ballarat who has moved to St Leonards.
Eyers, in his early 30s, also played in East Ballarat’s back-to-back premierships in 22-23 and 23-24 alongside Givvens andis a multiple Country Week representative with the Ballarat Cricket Association.
Dittloff said Eyers would be a great addition, praising his high class keeping, after commuting to Ballarat for games in 24-25but training locally.
However, Dittloff said there was a power of work to do with its second grade finishing second last with just four wins, andsecond last overall following competition assessment of its past two seasons.
Several Tigers seek fresh starts
Torquay Cricket Club could play its home games away from McCartney Oval next summer as three first grade Tigers have sought fresh starts elsewhere within the GCA and beyond.
It was a disappointing end to the second division season for Torquay, who were reduced to 4-28 chasing 229 for victory against Bell Park at Hamlyn Park in week one of the finals before wet weather intervened.
The Tigers were on the receiving end of St Peter’s’ premiership-winning draw the previous summer as they sought to break a 20+ year premiership drought.
However, the club confirmed with this masthead that top order batter Andrew Wedge (Grovedale), all-rounder Gurpreet Singh (South Barwon) and teenage bowler Patrick Sullivan (Geelong) were on the move ahead of next season.
It comes with the Tigers potentially playing their home games away from McCartney Oval in 2025-26.
The local council may allocate funding in its upcoming annual budget to upgrade the wicket over summer.
Wedge, who joined the Tigers from Grovedale during the off-season, struggled for runs in 2024-25 while Singh, who joined Torquay for the 21-22 campaign from Dandenong West, will be a big loss.
He was in the club’s top three for batting and bowling, compiling 420 runs at 26.25 – including three half centuries in four digs – and took 21 wickets at 24.14 last season with the best figures of 4-28 against Bell Post Hill.
In a statement, senior coach Damian O’Brien said the club was in a good space and was focused on maintaining a strong and positive environment.
“‘Guri’ leaves on really good terms and we wish him well,” O’Brien said.
“Guri’s departure means we have cap space to sign a new pro player or potentially bring in an overseas player, which we’re exploring.
“It was a huge call for ‘Wedgey’ to join us from Grovedale last year and we appreciate that he gave it a go.
“He was good around the club and we’ll miss him but we certainly understand his decision to go back to the club he has such strong ties with.”
Meanwhile, Sullivan, a promising bowler who played under-17 cricket for the Tigers, took six wickets at 22.17 in first grade from nine fixtures is off to Geelong Cricket Club, while older brother Jack began playing with Melbourne last season.
“Pat’s a star on the rise who wants to take his cricket as far as he can, so we’re supportive of his move into the Premier Cricket system,” O’Brien said.
“He and his older brother Jack have both been exceptional Torquay juniors and we’re going to follow their journeys closely.”
However, Torquay have re-signed star batter Tristan Kassis who joined the Tigers from St Bernard’s before the 24-25 season and was the Tigers’ most prolific batter (547 runs at 36.47).
‘We’re excited to have re-signed Tristan, he was excellent in his first season with us, so it’s good to have him back as part of the core of our top order, with Tom Dunn and Ash Russell,” he said.
It has also recruited Tim Stephens from Burnside Springs, a batter who also bowls a bit of off spin, after training with the Tigers last season
Peter Herrick to coach the Cats on his own next summer
He was in some respects the accidental senior cricket coach.
After moving to Lara in 2020, former Premier player Peter Herrick struck up a conversation with a Cats committee member during the off-season last year.
Due to work and family commitments, the Melbourne-based firefighter had played only a handful of games for Deer Park in 23-24, and two fixtures filling in with Modewarre’s second grade the previous summer through a friendship with Mark Worthington.
However, Lara’s second grade captain Brad Scown – Herrick had played with his brother at North Melbourne – floated the idea of him coming on board as a co-coach after the Cats were demoted from GCA1 following a disappointing 23-24 campaign.
Herrick was initially hesitant.
“I just thought with my work commitments and family I was going to find that really challenging,” the 39-year-old father of two told this masthead.
“But they twisted my arm ... and here we are.
“I never thought about coaching to be honest ... it’s just been something I’ve fallen into.”
Pitched as Herrick bringing an outsider’s view to Bisinella Oval, he would share coaching duties with esteemed Lara sportsman and captain Dan Weigl.
And the partnership would prove to be a massive success with the ones and twos going through the GCA2 season undefeated and winning four senior premierships.
Herrick won a flag in the twos coming in at number four, while the firsts replicated Leopold’s efforts of 30 summers prior of going through a season undefeated.
“It was really nice to get some reward for everyone’s hard work,” Herrick said.
“One of the cherished memories I’ll have for a very long time will be that Sunday night after the grand final when you’ve got the whole club sitting around enjoying the fruits of success ... not just one or two grades.
“To win a club championship and win four flags was something pretty special.”
He likens himself to a former Brisbane Lions player who took over at Kardinia Park 14 years ago.
“I’m really lucky, mate, I feel like Chris Scott in 2011, walking into a club that had everything ready,” he said.
“Casey Young did a great job in his years before that, and Adrian Harris did a great job when he was there as well.
“But I think an outside voice has helped. My philosophy is not to overcomplicate things, it’s to simplify things and make it easy for everybody to get on board.”
Herrick said there was no guarantee the Cats would bounce back after being relegated from GCA1 after the 23-24 season.
“When you get demoted in any competition, or any sport, it can go one way or the other,” he said.
“I was really proud of how everyone got to work.”
While Herrick will coach alone next year, he said Weigl had produced an outstanding individual season, twice rescuing Lara from deep trouble against Murgheboluc: in week one of the finals – 4-27 chasing 87 for victory – and in the decider, stroking an unbeaten 86 after the Cats were 6-59 in pursuit of 147.
“The grand final was perfect example of that, 80 odd not out, really got us out of a hole,” he said of Weigl’s batting.
“He is somebody who, when the chips are down, you’d want him out there batting or bowling.
“He’s got such a strong will about him ... I’m really glad I was able to share that role with him, he taught me a lot.
“He knows the game so well, he’s in the top three of all time captains I’ve seen.”
Herrick is also excited about the next crop of youngsters coming through — those in the 18-25 bracket and the 13-16 cohort.
“We’ve got a really deep squad,” he said.
“I’m really confident our team can continue the success.”
While Herrick is unsure if Lara will be elevated to the top tier – with the GCA’s annual club movement to occur before the end of the month – he’s convinced success will follow if they do go up.
“Going down (for the 24-25 season) has given us a bit of a reset as a group,” he said.
“I would welcome us going back up wholeheartedly, the reset has been great for the whole group, the whole club, it’s taught us that we can win and we can win from any position.
“Our firsts are as good as any first side at club cricket that I’ve seen.
“Some guys who know their games inside out.
“I think we’ve got the tools there ... (to) get back to being a powerhouse of the GCA1 that I believe we can be.”
And just importantly, Herrick, a former schoolteacher, has come to realise he might actually be a natural coach: “I love thinking about the game, I like simplifying the game and I love working with all players, but especially the development of the junior guys.”
Two GCA superstars to meet
A GCA midtable club is poised to appoint a new coach, this masthead understands.
It comes after St Albans Breakwater and Murgheboluc announced new mentors while Leopold and Thomson have secured the signatures of Geelong Cricket Club veterans Hayden Butterworth and Josh McDonald respectively.
Meanwhile, a star from an upper echelon club is reportedly meeting with a gun bat from the lower divisions after a stunning 2024-25 with the blade about a potential shift in allegiances.
Supersaints appoint new coach
St Albans Breakwater Cricket Club has lent into historical links with a first division outfit to appoint its new senior mentor, Daniel Haines.
Haines, who has played all of his cricket with the Tigers, but is now living near St Albans Reserve but has never coached at a senior level before.
Haines joins the Supersaints after the club’s first summer down in division four – finishing with two wins from 17 games – following an exodus of players during the off-season.
Haines scored 220 runs at 24.44 for the Tigers’ fourth grade in 2024-25, batting mostly as an opener.
However, secretary Mick Graham, who stepped up to coach the Supersaints in 24-25, said Haines was motivated to accept one of the toughest gigs in the GCA.
The Supersaints were demoted from GCA3 after the 23-24 season, yielding just 36.84 points over the two-year rolling average.
And there were some tough afternoons for the club, rolled for team totals of 66, 75, 82 70, 81 and 49.
“We’re still a good few years away from probably being in that promotion window, at the moment he’s really looking forward to making sure we’ve got things in place,” Graham said.
“The committee are right behind him.”
Graham said the Supersaints had joined forces with Grovedale in the past to field junior teams, so it understood the cultural landscape at Burdoo Recreation Reserve with Bryan Thomas now in charge.
“We’re well aware of how professional they are,” he said.
“It’s his first gig at coaching of a senior side, it’s a fresh face, we’re really happy with how he presented.
“They couldn’t speak highly enough of him (at) Grovedale.”
Meanwhile, Graham said the Supersaints’ performances after Christmas had given him confidence the club was on the right track, with defeats of Guild St Mary’s by 32 runs and Teesdale by two wickets on their home deck back in February.
“The two wins after Christmas were really big,” he said.
“The win against Guild was huge ... and then we chased down 226 against Teesdale at Teesdale.”
The club also recorded a win in the T20 competition against Guild in November.
Meanwhile, its seconds were beaten by Guild in the last over of week one of the finals, the thirds finished sixth and there were decent numbers at training.
“Everyone really bought in with what we wanted to achieve, we knew we were up against it in the first eleven,” he said.
The club also discovered a few players, including Pakistani recruit Abdul Samad Awan, who had never played competitive cricket before arriving at St Albans after Christmas.
With natural improvement over five first grade games, and further coaching during the off-season, Graham believes the Supersaints can turn him into a handy bowler to support Jake Spalding and Matthew Mott.
Geelong CC veteran Josh McDonald joins Thomson
Former Geelong Cricket Club skipper and keeper Josh McDonald will join reigning GCA3 first grade premiers Thomson next season.
Shepparton product McDonald, who called time on his Premier career in March, has strong off-field connections with the Tigers.
In what had become one of the GCA’s worst kept secrets, the club confirmed on Tuesday that McDonald would play at Godfrey St.
McDonald was revealed to be one of the leading batters at Kardinia Park over the past 10 seasons.
However, McDonald, who got married on the weekend, previously told this masthead he had no coaching aspirations for the 2025-26 season.
The Tigers, who brought in Zac Smith, Jackson Burke, Blake Ritchie, and Shane Bremner from Corio midseason, beat Marshall by 61 runs in the grand final last month.
It comes as McDonald’s friend and former Cats teammate Hayden Butterworth joined Leopold in GCA2.
Joel Davies to coach Murgheboluc
He’s developed a fondness for one side of the game of cricket, but don’t expect Murgheboluc’s new senior coach Joel Davies to be back playing anytime soon.
Davies, 36, was unveiled as the Frogs’ main man on social media last week, after taking on batting coach duties during the 2024-25 season at King Lloyd Recreation Reserve.
Through a connection with Frogs captain Luke Brown, Davies found a niche at Murghe and was impressed by their fantastic facilities in a picturesque environment.
“I found I actually quite liked that,” Davies said of the new gig.
“It’s a club that can go places if we can put in some good structures around the place.
“It became pretty apparent they’ve got a good group of close-knit mates that are quite young,
“And experience is what they needed around the group to develop not only the first eleven but the whole club in general.
“It just seemed like a good fit ... and here we are.”
But there’s no chance of Davies — revealed to be one of GCA1’s top performing batters of the past 10 seasons – actually playing in 2025-26.
“Certainly not, no,” Davies said with a chuckle when asked by this masthead of his chances of putting on the creams next season.
“I’ve got no interest in playing.”
Davies, who would cross to Anglesea for his swansong of 22-23 from South Barwon, to play with friends Brett Venables and Ty Norman, said he had grappled with the feeling for at least three years while at the Swans he might be done.
“I was enjoying the game a lot less, but I was enjoying the people at the club and the people I’d grown up with,” Davies said.
“The social side of it kept me going, but it just got to the point with work and family and sitting out there for six hours on a Saturday where I really wasn’t enjoying that side of it, it got too much.”
Davies had also been tempted to play under then Roos coach Bryan Thomas, who has since shifted back to Grovedale, whom he had known for around 20 years.
“It was always going to be it,” he said of that final season.
“I played a lot of cricket when I was younger, and playing cricket 10 months of the year ... since I was probably 14.
“It’s a lot of cricket, and just the love for playing the game went away.”
Hayden Butterworth to play with Leopold this summer
Two local run machines will land at GCA clubs next summer.
Leopold Cricket Club scored an early off-season coup last month by enticing Hayden Butterworth to the Lions for the 2025-26 season.
Butterworth, revealed to be one of the leading batters and bowlers at Kardinia Park over the past 10 seasons, retired after the 23-24 campaign.
He was the leading batter for the Cats that year with 628 runs at 39.25, to bow out on a personal high.
Butterworth, who joins his brother Chad and father Tom at Leopold, played 361 Premier matches, scored 9574 runs with 12 centuries and took 277 wickets and the best figures of 6-63.
However, it’s a return of sorts, with Butterworth playing for Leopold in a GCA T20 competition alongside brother Chad during the 16-17 season — reuniting the pair after playing together 15 years prior in a C Grade clash for Ocean Grove.
It comes as the GCA anticipates where Butterworth’s friend and teammate Josh McDonald may head in 25-26 after calling time on his Premier career last month.
Lions gun Tom Treble, who will continue in his co-coaching role alongside Reece Plumridge next summer, said Butterworth would bring plenty to the table.
“It was a drawcard with Chad being at the club and Tommy his old man who has been helping out for many years now, it was a nice wholesome thing to see all three of them together at one club,” Treble said.
“He is going to be helping in a non-official role ... an assistant coach type thing.
“The thing with ‘Butters’ is he’s a guy that once he commits to something he gives a lot of time and effort to people.
“He just won’t be able to help himself, he’ll help younger guys and others to be better, it’ll just come natural.
“There’s no really need to appoint him in any official role.”
He said Butterworth taking a break from cricket during the 24-25 season would freshen him up.
“I definitely think there was a need for Hayden (to take a break), playing cricket at the highest level takes its toll on you, just being able to mentally show up each season,” he said.
“To have that break, it will be able to refresh you a lot, and he has other interests, he’s a very social person.”
Meanwhile, leading batter Corey Ogle may return for 25-26.
After a semi-final finish in 23-24, Leopold slipped to sixth this season
In a statement last month, the club said the return of Butterworth would “bring so much to Leopold in every aspect”.
“Hayden is an incredible clubman and someone who the entire playing group will be able to train alongside and learn immensely from,” the club said.
Meanwhile, Murgheboluc has announced that South Barwon batter Joel Davies will coach the club for the next two seasons, taking over from Dan Grozdanovski after three years.
Grozdanovski, who guided the Frogs to their maiden first grade flag in 28 years two seasons ago, told this masthead he expected to continue playing for the Frogs, but ultimately needed a break.
“Joel joins us with an exceptional pedigree, having spent time with both the Victorian and South Australian state programs along with an impressive career at Premier and local levels,” the club said.
“His cricketing knowledge and coaching expertise are second to none and we can’t wait to see him bring his vision to life at the Frog Pond.”
Davies, who played for South Australia at an under-23 level, departed South Barwon for Anglesea ahead of the 22-23 BPCA season.
Davies was revealed to be one of the most prolific batters of the past 10 GCA1 seasons.
It comes after Anglesea coach Bryan Thomas stepped down as Roos coach 24 hours after a semi-final loss to Barwon Heads, then announcing he was the new senior mentor at Grovedale the following day.
In other off-season whispers, this masthead also understands a GCA club in the upper echelons is prepared to spend up to $15,000 on a top order batter.
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