DDCA: Hallam Kalora Park has made two ‘perfect’ off-season additions
Hallam Kalora Park is planning to revamp its squad next season and is sure its two new recruits will be key to the transformation.
Outer East
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Hallam Kalora Park is looking for “a freshen up” next season and its confident its two off-season recruits are the perfect way to do it.
Coach Matthew Cox has retired from playing and gloveman Ciaron Connolly has moved on.
But the Hawks have signed Premier Cricketers Damith Perera and Austin Fardell to fill their gaps.
Perera, from Greenvale, made two first XI half-centuries last summer, one against eventual grand finalist Casey South Melbourne.
He has moved locally and is keen to keep wicket and bat in the top four.
“We’re an older group and we need to a freshen up a bit, so we’re trying to look after the club by bringing some younger guys through,” Cox said.
“He (Perera) didn’t keep for Greenvale last year but he is a keeper and he’s moving from Sunbury out to Casey.
“It’s more the batting side of things and he wants to keep so he’s a perfect for us.”
Fardell, meanwhile, is still a teenager who played lower grades for Fitzroy Doncaster.
He struck 541 runs in a side that finished on top of the ladder.
Cox said the Hawks happily welcomed the “Hallam local” back from Premier Cricket.
“We welcome him back with open arms because the kid can play,” he said.
“He’s only 18 or 19 years old, he’ll slot into the middle order and bowl a bit of medium pace.”
The Hawks lost the elimination final by a whisker to Narre South last summer but were one of few sides to defeat premier Buckley Ridges during the season.
Springvale South and Buckley Ridges have played off in the past three Turf 1 grand finals but Cox knows Hallam Kalora Park can snap the Bloods and Bucks’ dominant run.
“Well, we were the previous ones to break the wheel before that,” he said, alluding to the Hawks’ 2020-21 premiership.
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