GCA1 top young cricketers in 2022/23 season revealed
From the best young batters to star bowlers and guns in gloves, the GCA’s top young talent has been revealed.
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From the best young batters to star bowlers and guns in gloves, the GCA1’s top young talent has been revealed.
The talent does not just stop at GCA1, with the other grades set to be covered in the coming weeks.
Read about some of the region’s best young players here.
SOUTH BARWON
Banjo Dyer
Dyer played alongside former Swans gun Harry Hauenstein in the under-18s representative team last year, and played high-level cricket for South Barwon as well.
The leg spinning all rounder made 98 runs for the season and took five wickets, and has stepped up his game in the pre-season training the club has done so far.
Coach Brad Hauenstein said he expected big things from Dyer in 2023.
Will Breuer
The rising gloveman will be a “first choice keeper” for coach Hauenstein, after an impressive season in the second’s last year.
Breuer took 16 catches in 14 games, including one first team appearance, while also making 96 runs at an average of 32.
Jed Hannaysee
The right-arm swing bowler will start the season in the seconds this year, but the 18 year old is not far off top-flight cricket.
Hannaysee took 23 wickets in the reserves last year, taking at least one wicket in all but one game and finishing third in the competition’s leading wicket taker tally.
Hauenstein said the pace bowler was “touch and go for first team cricket”, and he expected to see him in the senior side at some point in the season.
Charlie Barnett
Another young keeper at South Barwon, Barnett is a new recruit from Barrabool.
Hauenstein said he did not expect Barnett to play in the senior side to start the season, but he wanted the 18 year old to challenge Breuer for the starting spot.
“He will definitely take the gloves in our seconds to start the year,” Hauenstein said.
NORTH GEELONG
Tom Bagg
A certified wicket-taker in the senior side already, Bagg has a bright future in the GCA1.
The right-arm finger spinner took 20 wickets last season, finishing third on the club’s wicket taking leaderboard after a 2020/21 campaign where he took 42 wickets.
He also took 5/25 against Bell Post Hill last season.
Coach Craig Biddiscombe said he was “really proud” of the young gun.
“He has stood out thanks to the power of work that he has done on his craft over the past few seasons,” he said.
“He also has an ability to take wickets when needed the most, including a five wicket haul in the grand final a couple of seasons ago.”
Connor Hangan
A fresh recruit for North Geelong, Hangan is set to challenge for a spot in the senior side after arriving at the club from Shepparton.
Hangan is an all-rounder with aggression and can hit power shots, with Biddiscombe excited by his strength and skill combination.
“(He) is a very skilful cricketer, but for a young guy to play fearless cricket in the way that he does shows a lot about his character,” he said.
Hangan made 252 runs last season in Shepparton’s A-Grade competition, while also 16 wickets with best figures of 7/15.
Tom Webster
The tall fast bowler has already broken through for a debut and a handful of games at North Geelong, but with another year at the club he would be hoping to become entrenched in the senior side.
Webster took 13 wickets last season, including 3/42 against Lara in the seconds.
Biddiscombe said he was excited at the progression the teenager has made.
“Tom has done a lot of work in the off season to get really fit and strong and we are excited to see him make the most of his ability to swing the ball at pace and generate steep bounce due to his height,” he said.
“He has the ability to take quick and early wickets.”
Harry Vivian
The right arm medium pacer lands the ball good areas on a consistent basis, and that is why Biddiscombe expects the young gun to play senior cricket in 2023.
Vivian will return to North Geelong after missing all of last season with an ACL injury, but in 2020/21 the bowler was close to breaking through for a run in the senior side.
He did not take a wicket in just three of his 16 games in the seconds that season, and took three wickets in a game twice.
Xavier Norman
The right-handed opening batter is also a talented left arm finger spinner, and will use both of his skillsets to push for a senior game in 2023.
A broken finger suffered last season prevented the talented youngster from breaking through for senior selection, but Biddiscombe said Norman had “the ability to bat for long periods of time and accumulate runs, while also being able to bowl consistent lines and lengths with his left arm offies.”
Patrick Visentin
A talented wicket keeper and a strong top-order batter, Visentin is seen as the next keeper in line behind Adam Costello at North Geelong.
Athletic behind the stumps, Biddiscombe said Visentin was “coming along in leaps and bounds” and will break through for a senior game soon.
The teenager played 13 games in the seconds last season, making 160 runs, taking six catches and securing two stumpings in the campaign.
GROVEDALE
Bailey Sykes
One of the BPCA’s top young talents last season, Sykes will ply his trade in the GCA for Grovedale this season.
Sykes took 36 wickets for Drysdale last season, leading the competition for the BPCA A2 grade, while also making 170 runs for the season as well.
Grovedale coach Jordan Moran said he was “excited to see how Bailey goes in turf cricket”.
Nathan Harper
The 16 year old is set to challenge for a senior debut in the upcoming season after an impressive 2021/22 campaign in which he claimed 15 wickets in the second and third grades.
While playing in the under-15s competition last year, Harper also made a handy 172 runs at an average of 34.4.
Moran said Harper “was just outside of the senior side for now”, and he expected to give him a run at some point this season.
NEWTOWN & CHILWELL
Nick Burke
The quick has been tapped to lead the bowling attack at Queens Park this summer, and could take the new ball each week.
A strong season in the second XI in 2021-22 saw Burke make his top-level debut and snare three wickets.
Two Blues coach Tom Meredith said the 21-year-old was bowling “seriously quick” in the next and was ”one to watch” this season.
Archie Bain
A Geelong College graduate, Bain will be available full-time for Newtown & Chilwell this summer after playing a handful of games in 2021-22.
The 18-year-old has plenty of pace and could pair with Burke for the next decade.
Tom Kiddle
The son of legendary bat Rod Kiddle, 17-year-old Tom has stepped into the turf squad at Queens Park.
Like his old man, Kiddle bats at the top and could earn a first XI cap this summer.
EAST BELMONT
Noah Quick
The son of Peter Quick, Noah became an important member of the second’s premiership run.
His fast bowling has continued to improve throughout the preseason, and Quick has been named to debut for East Belmont the past five weeks.
Charlie Walter
A genuine all-rounder, Walter broke into East Belmont senior side as a junior and has already won two premierships.
He initially came into the side as a bowler but now has developed his batting to a point where he is a genuine threat to score runs each week.
LARA
Kaden Marum
A star in the making, the top-order bat made his first ton for Lara way back in the under-13s.
The 17-year-old pounded 82 early last season against Newtown & Chilwell and 87 for Geelong in the Dowling Shield against Greenvale.
Should he not step up to higher levels, Marum will be locked in at the top of the order for the Cats years to come.
Lucas Paatsch
A right-arm leggie with “really good control” according to Lara coach Casey Young.
Paatsch has spent pre-season working under Cats skipper Ed Kol and experienced tweaker Robbie Pehar.
“He has a thirst for learning and great character,” Young said of the 15-year-old.
“(He is a) future leader of the club.”
Henry Wood
The 15-year-old jumped over to Lara from Newtown & Chilwell this off-season and has impressed as a dangerous left-arm quick.
The teen has already been pegged as a long-term prospect.
“He moves the ball both ways and has some flair with the bat as well,” Young said.
HIGHTON
Nash Viney
An off-spinning all-rounder who moved to Geelong from Bendigo club Eaglehawk before this season, Highton is high on Viney’s potential.
As a spinner he took 11 wickets at 25.8 and chipped in with 209 runs at 17.4 with his left hand batting last year.
Brady Somers
After a disappointing second half of the 2021-22 season, the Heat are expecting a jump to come from Somers this summer.
Batting in the middle order, he knocked up 160 runs last year and chipped in with six wickets, numbers that will almost certainly rise for the former Barwon Rocket.
Lewis Campbell
Another heat youngster looking to take a step this season, Campbell couldn’t turn his starts into scores last season.
The wicketkeeper-bat got to 12 seven times and only passed 50 once but will be a big part of Highton’s plans this summer.
More than handy with the gloves.
ST JOSEPH’S
Rani Jamieson
Fresh off opening the batting in City United’s premiership Colac and District side, Joeys are chuffed about the 18-year-old’s move to Geelong.
Jamieson made 345 runs at 28.8 as an aggressive opening bat, enough to win the district’s Aaron Finch Award as best young player.
Ben Clarke
One of several talented quicks at Joeys, Clarke, 20, continues to develop at a rapid rate.
Tall and able to move the ball, Clarke’s speed continues to rise and he will work closely with club coach and former Geelong quick Cam Alford this summer to up his game.
Mitch Keane
Having played six first XI games in the past three seasons, Keane is ready to make a mark.
A wicketkeeper-bat who has the full array of shots, the 20-year-old was named the club’s junior cricketer of the year back in 2018-19 and spent time with the Barwon Rockets.
Ready to make a mark at the top level with Joeys.
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