South Croydon’s Ryan Smith caps off memorable season taking RDCA’s top gong and scooping awards pool.
What a debut season for Ryan Smith at South Croydon. The talented all-rounder did it all, plundering runs with the bat and taking pegs with the ball. He even managed to join a teammate in the RDCA All Star team. But he wasn’t the only award winner.
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It’s been a South Croydon debut season to remember for Ryan Smith.
The all-rounder capped off a stellar — yet unorthodox — 2019/20 campaign, winning the Ringwood District Cricket Association’s Bill Dean Medal — announced online late last month.
Finishing two votes clear of Mooroolbark’s Benjamin Thomas, Smith’s medal was complemented by selection in the RDCA All Star team, as well as taking out the Trollope bowling award.
The only catch was he couldn’t be there on the night to collect his swag of awards.
With coronavirus sidelining the association’s medal presentation cancelling the grand final his Bulldogs were supposed to play in, Smith said it was a weird ending to an otherwise memorable season after making the move from Woori-Yallock via Lilydale where he’d won a flag.
“It’s a bit of a weird feeling that one,” Smith said.
“’Zippy’ (captain Michael King) said that because it was the centenary year they (RDCA) were still going to do something for it, whether that be a season launch or once the season starts off again next year or once (coronavirus) finishes off.
“I’d played against a few of the boys so the transition (into a new club) was pretty easy.”
Smith’s plundered 417 runs and took 25 wickets — including a scintillating opening month with headlining performances including a knock of 115 in round five against Mooroolbark.
King — who also earned selection in the All Star team — lauded the club’s new addition after taking out the Bulldogs’ best-and-fairest.
“Once he came on-board, you could tell at training he was going to be something pretty special for us,” King said.
“I think his first four games he would’ve had the maximum votes … he would have had four ‘best-ons’ in his first four games with the club.
“He won our club champion by a long, long way and was the main reason we made the grand final, but obviously we didn’t get a chance to play in it.”
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President Daniel Barsenbach echoed King’s sentiments.
“He’s been an unbelievable addition — does it with a bat, does it with a ball, does it in the field,” he said.
Across the divisions, Templeton’s Niraj DeSilva was named the Bill Wilkins medallist, Cameron Sharpe of St Andrews took out the Stuart Newey Medal and Ainslie Park’s Trent Sier won the Steve Pascoe Medal.
Meanwhile, a three-way tie ensued for the Pat Meehan Medal, with Chris Rakuscek (Warrandyte), Ethan Weston (Heathwood) and Chris Irvine (Norwood) all finishing on eight votes.