Chris McCormick appointed coach of Malvern
The former Frankston Peninsula all-rounder joined the Roosters last season and has taken over the reins from Peter Marshall.
Inner East
Don't miss out on the headlines from Inner East. Followed categories will be added to My News.
Chris McCormick enjoys playing cricket and chatting about it too.
“I could sit up in the sheds and talk cricket all day with the boys,’’ he said.
“Cricket’s one of those things that’s in the blood. That aspect of discussing it and trying to get better has always been there.’’
McCormick is now doing it in an official capacity. He’s been appointed senior coach of venerable Sub-District club Malvern, whom he joined last season at the urging of Roosters captain Luke Walker.
McCormick and Walker played together at Frankston-Peninsula in Premier Cricket.
When Peter Marshall moved on after four years, headed for Kingston Hawthorn, Malvern approached all-rounder McCormick about taking over.
He was keen.
“I was happy to throw my hat in for it,’’ he said.
“I had some chats with ‘Doc’ (former president Dave Priddle) and ‘Bricky’ (new president Peter Clifton) after ‘Marshy’ decided to finish up. They asked whether I would be interested in doing the job. I said I would.
“I’ve always liked the teaching side of cricket, trying to help not just myself, but other people to get better and understand the game a bit more. It’s been sitting there with me for a fair while.’’
McCormick, 34, was a better-than-useful contributor to the Roosters last season, taking 20 wickets 20.95 and hitting 240 runs at 34, with his top score of 74 not out in the final round denying the Tonners a finals place.
As Clifton saw it, McCormick also “showed a clear connection with the players with his willingness to assist others’’.
“His experience playing First XI Premier Cricket at Frankston and mentoring younger players began a passion for coaching,’’ he said in a note to his members.
“Chris is a Cricket Australia-accredited coach who is genuinely excited about assisting our players to reach their potential and enjoy their cricket. As a club, we are impressed with his alignment to our values and will support his efforts totally.’’
McCormick had been a stalwart of Frankston Peninsula. Doing a classical District/Premier Cricket apprenticeship, he started in the fourths and rose to the firsts.
By the team he left the club at the end of 2016-17, headed for Sydney with work, he had played 192 matches, making 3139 runs and taking 224 wickets.
Eighty-four were in the firsts, and he was club champion in 2015-16. McCormick also served the Heat off the ground, working on the committee for six years.
He was coached by Keith Jansz, Stuart Clark, Nick Jewell, Anthony McQuire, Mick McClean and Adrian “Ox’’ Johnstone during his time in Premier Cricket.
McCormick said it was an honour to be appointed coach of Malvern.
“It’s one of the oldest cricket clubs in the country,’’ he said.
“Having played at that ground (City Oval) for 140, 150 years, there’s so much history there, and they’ve had some great players from District and Sub-District cricket. Fantastic club.’’
McCormick said the Roosters would field a similar team to last season, when they missed out on the finals. They felt the loss after Christmas of an ill Tom Rickarby, who in nine innings had cracked 411 runs at 58.7.
McCormick said it would be a season “like no other’’.
All matches will be played as one-dayers as the VSDCA comes to grips with COVID-19.
“It’s exciting that we’ll hopefully get the opportunity to play cricket and get back out there and bring community sport back,'' McCormick said.
MORE SUBBIES