Jayden Hayes death galvanised Ballarat-Redan to win in his honour
Just days after leading his team to victory a popular country cricket captain died in his sleep. Now his club is on the cusp of remarkable finals success after embracing his grieving family in their darkest hour.
Ballarat
Don't miss out on the headlines from Ballarat. Followed categories will be added to My News.
A country cricket club still grieving the sudden death of its captain mid-season is on the verge of completing a remarkable season centred around honouring the legacy of their mate called ‘Tickets.’
Jayden Hayes, 30, died in his sleep on October 30 from a medical episode mere days after leading his first grade cricket team to victory.
His death rocked the Ballarat community, particularly his football and cricket clubs, Rokewood-Corindhap in the Central Highlands Football Netball League and Ballarat-Redan in the Ballarat Cricket Association.
Through the fog of grief the cricket club has embraced the mourning Hayes family and has surged to an unlikely finals berth.
This weekend Ballarat-Redan will take on Wendouree looking to make the grand final in first grade for the first time in years.
His father Paul Hayes said the club was focused on victory in honour of the impact Jayden had on Ballarat-Redan.
“They’ve always been a very close knit group and part of that was because of Jayden,” Mr Hayes said.
“He was like we have to celebrate our wins and we have to commiserate our losses.
“Cricket was his real love and where his skill set was most dominant.”
Paul said his son was a social person who earned his nickname by expressing how good at football he was, despite sometimes not having the skills to show it.
He said his son’s death should also serve as a warning to others.
Mr Hayes revealed Jayden suffered two strokes in the final 24 hours of his life, the first at cricket training on Tuesday afternoon and the second, final one, when he slept.
In between he went to hospital but left before being treated.
“He had the seizure here at training on Tuesday night, then we went to the hospital,” he said.
“We stayed until about 9pm and he was fine.
“Usually when he had seizures he’d be really groggy and struggle to remember stuff.
“He remembered absolutely everything.
“He was fine, we went home. Then he went to bed and had a seizure in his sleep and that’s it.
“If he stayed in hospital there’s every chance they would have looked at him.
“They probably keep him in and things might have been different.
“If you make the effort to go to hospital you should wait until you are seen.
“But it was his choice.”
Honouring a mate
Every weekend since Jayden’s death Ballarat-Redan have worn black armbands in his honour.
It won’t stop until their season either ends in the semi or the grand final.
“Jayden’s death has actually brought them closer together,” Mr Hayes said.
“There’s a purpose there at the moment you wouldn’t have foreseen.
“It’s galvanised them as a group.”
Ballarat-Redan captain Chris Egan said the team mindset was that Tickets is still with them every time they play.
“We didn’t really discuss it as a group or anything like that,” he said.
“It just sort of got to the next week and we shared the tape around and we went what do you think, should we keep wearing it?
“And I think we all just agreed that it was nice to honour him in some way.
“You don’t feel like you have to talk about him every ten minutes but it’s nice to just look down every now and then.
“It’s just a nice little reminder that he’s with us.
How a cricket team fought on
Ballarat-Redan president Brett Mason said despite the on-field success this season all involved were still struggling with Jayden’s loss.
“I couldn’t be prouder of them, they are a very impressive young group of men,” Mr Mason said.
In the days after Jayden’s death there were doubts as to whether the team would take to the field the following weekend.
“There was talk at (one) stage they were not to play,” Paul said.
“I said ‘guys Jayden wasn’t the most empathetic person he’d say I’ve died get on with it’.
“He’d be pissed if you didn’t play on Saturday.”
The team played on but lost three of its next four games.
“It took us a few weeks and that was reflected in the results,” Ballarat-Redan player Nathan Patrikeos said.
“Once we gathered ourselves and got over the initial grief, initial shock, everyone wanted to honour Jayden and the way he played.”
The turning point came against Golden Point when the side lost from a winning position and a finals campaign seemed unlikely.
Chasing 195 for victory the team lost 6-17 after being 4-173.
Ballarat-Redan fast bowler and Country Week representative Matthew Aikman said the players then flicked a switch.
“We decided we’re just going to play for one another and just get the job done for Jayden,” he said.
Since then Ballarat-Redan has not missed a beat.
The team won the T20 competition over Mount Clear before going on a seven-game winning streak in first grade.
“A few of the boys just took it upon themselves to like go, all right, I’m going to do what Jayden used to do and help everyone out here and we are going to get by this,” Mr Aikman said.
In Jayden’s absence Chris Egan has taken more responsibility with bowling while Michael, Jayden’s brother, is also playing a role with his spin.
Max Riding has stepped up with the bat, making an emotional 100, his first in first grade, which he dedicated to his mate.
The season has all been about honouring Jayden but captain Chris Egan conceded it would be bittersweet if the team won the premiership.
“I know he was just so desperate to have some success,” Egan said.
“It would be incredible to be able to honour him that way for sure.
“I feel almost bad that he didn’t win because I knew he was working just as hard as me, if not harder than any of us to get this result as well.
“At the same time you’d like to think he’s able to be watching us and be super proud of it.”
A premiership would also provide some closure to the family.
“We’re achieving what the team is capable of achieving,” Paul said.
“I take comfort in that while this group is around his legacy will always be part of how the team plays and how they perform.”
‘It would save lives’: New app could solve delayed calls for help
New technology which allows people to text lifesaving information and images of incidents to triple-0 has been pitched as a solution to improve long wait times for help.
Controversial ‘Skybarrel’ for sale amid ex-developer’s liquidation
A short-stay barrel-style home on the edge of an extinct volcano could be yours for a little more than $1.1m as its developer’s liquidation continues.