Prahran poised to break club championship drought despite not playing a home game

Prahran Cricket Club is poised to be crowned Premier Cricket’s best club, breaking an extraordinary drought, despite not having a home this season.

Tyler Lewis

@tmlew_

3 min read

March 2, 2023 - 3:32PM

Stonnington Leader

Premier Cricket Prahran v Melbourne. Prahran batsman Damon Egan. Picture: Valeriu Campan

Inner South

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Prahran coach Justin Graham is exultant with what his club is on the cusp of achieving this Saturday.

The True Blues have been effectively homeless in 2022-23 as Toorak Park undergoes major redevelopments.

The hurdle has caused the First XI to play on the road for the entirety of the season.

However, it hasn’t restrained Graham’s men, his ‘caged animals’ as he calls them, who currently sit 23 points ahead of St Kilda in the Premier Cricket club championship race.

With one afternoon of cricket to play, Graham says he is yet to hear a complaint out of his group.

“The biggest thing with this group, across all four grades, is that there’s no whinging,” he said.

Prahran’s Damon Egan. Picture: Valeriu Campan

“There has been no ‘oh poor me’, or ‘poor us’, it’s just okay this is the challenge in front of us, let’s just have a crack at it.

“We don’t leave any stone unturned, the boys just get out and whoever, wherever, have fun and play the game.

“I am most proud of how well the group is sticking together and playing together, no matter of where they are at.”

Prahran won the first First XI premiership after Covid and is poised to clinch a club championship just two years on.

Graham is confident the ‘wherever, whenever’ mindset his side adopted since the pandemic has reaped the rewards on the field.

“It probably dates back to the mentality since Covid has come in,” he said.

“We have taken the mentality that whatever is given to us we can’t do much about, we just get on with playing the game we love and enjoying each other’s company.

“Sometimes you get your ground taken away for a year, sometimes you get a game cancelled half-way through because of Covid, whatever, it’s all out of our control.

Matt Wilcox. Picture: Valeriu Campan

“We just control the controllables and have fun regardless of where we are at.”

In almost 150 years of cricket in the Premier competition, the True Blues have not yet welcomed a club championship through their doors.

And while acknowledging the awards importance, Graham confirmed he will continue to be proud of each of the four XIs on Saturday irrespective of the final result.

“144 years or thereabouts we haven’t yet saluted in the club championship,” he said.

“I have had a lot of messages of support from the committee, past players, supporters of the club, wishing us well for this weekend.

“It’s a special award the club championship; premierships are great and really special, but to win an award where all four XIs have contributed is a really special award.

“It’s one that I know this weekend we will be going out to do our best, if we win it, it’s absolutely fantastic, but if we don’t get there, I couldn’t be prouder of this group.

“Zero complaints – about training, the weather, having no grounds, there’s never a complaint, so to be this close to it is absolutely fantastic, hopefully we can salute on the weekend.”

The True Blues have played at 15 Premier Cricket venues this summer, so far missing out on just Bill Lawry Oval and Windy Hill.

But Graham is hopeful that with Windy Hill hosting this season’s men’s final, his side can add a 16th to the list.