Michael ‘Juice’ Shepheard: Manly cricket club’s beloved first grade manager dies aged 42
Michael ‘Juice’ Shepheard, one of the northern beaches’ most beloved and respected sporting characters, has died. He was 42.
Manly
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One of the most beloved and respected sporting figures on the northern beaches has died.
The Manly Warringah District Cricket Club has been thrown into mourning after its first grade squad manager, Michael ‘Juice’ Shepheard died suddenly on Wednesday.
He was just 42.
Michael, who was well known throughout the wider cricketing community, collapsed while at work in the Coles supermarket at Dee Why Plaza.
He had been a much-loved volunteer — and great mate to hundreds of players — during his 27 years with the club based at Manly Oval.
Michael first came down to the club as a 16 year old to look after the scoreboard in 1995.
Club officials described Michael, a dedicated Wests Tigers NRL fan, as humble, with a great sense of humour, who would be “irreplaceable”.
Last year Michael, who lived at Narrabeen and had a disability linked to cerebral palsy, was made a Life Member of the club in a surprise investiture at its annual presentation night.
In a Facebook post to its fans about Michael’s death, officials wrote that “our club is broken”.
“Our heart, our soul for so many years is no longer with us.”
Club president Andrew Fraser told the Manly Daily on Friday that there had been a massive outpouring of grief and disbelief on the news of Michael’s death.
Mr Fraser said the club had received hundreds of messages from here and overseas including from Cricket NSW, dozens of former players as well as from other clubs and other sporting organisations.
“It’s a tremendous loss for the club. It feels like we’ve lost a family member.
“He would just do anything for you,” Mr Fraser said.
“He was at training, and on match day he came to the fore and would do anything for the boys.
“Even on 40 degree days at Fairfield he’d be running out drinks at every wicket, at the end of every over.
“He just lived for those boys.
“His love for them was returned by the players. I had boys in England last night crying, it was just horrendous for them.”
Mr Fraser said that in his 44 years with the cricket club, he had never seen anyone have as much of an impact as Michael had.
“There is a saying that no one is irreplaceable, but that doesn’t apply to Juice.
“He is irreplaceable.
“No one can provide what he’s provided us for 27 years.”
Michael is survived by his parents Pat and John, a brother and a sister.
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