Mordialloc Cricket Club great to play game 550

Mordialloc cricket great Darryl “Nooka’’ Campbell talks about his journey on the eve of his 550th game for his beloved Bloodhounds.

Mordialloc legend Nooka Campbell hams it up. Picture: Facebook

Darryl “Nooka” Campbell says he gets it a lot…people expressing surprise that he’s still playing cricket.

But the spritely 62-year-old is quick to set them straight.

“I tell them, ‘that’s what summer’s there for, to play cricket’,” he said.

Cricket, and more specifically cricket at Mordialloc, is in Campbell’s blood.

He played his first game for the Bloodhounds at the age of nine and half a century later he’s still going strong.

On Saturday, Campbell will play his 550th game for Mordialloc.

That’s a lot of hot summer Saturdays, VB stubbies and highs and lows.

“My two sons worked out the number of overs I’ve bowled I’ve walked around Australia twice,’’ Campbell said.

Mordialloc legend Nooka Campbell. Picture: Facebook

Darryl — “I prefer Nooka’’ — is one of 10 children to Bill and Joan Campbell.

Nooka is the youngest of six boys and fondly remembers the lively backyard cricket matches with his brothers at their home in Warren Rd, Mordialloc.

Soon, all the Campbell boys made their way to Mordialloc to play competitive cricket.

“Mum wanted us to play local football and local cricket so when the oldest brother went down I followed,” Nooka said.

Nooka said his nickname emanated from those backyard battles with his brothers.

“I put them over the fence and one of them would yell out, ‘go over and get that Hooka’, and it was changed to Nooka,” he said.

Nooka sends one down. Picture: Facebook

A talented batsman and medium pace bowler, Campbell is arguably Mordialloc’s greatest ever allrounder.

Back in the 1980s he was was one of the first paid players in local cricket.

And it was cash that saw him switch to neighbouring club St Brigid’s for a one-off season in the late 80s.

“St Brigid’s offered me $1.50 a run and and $2.50 a wicket,” he said.

“I was the junior coach at the time and I bought all the kids’ trophies at the end of the year.”

Nooka’s stay at St Brigid’s was short — one season, which yielded a premiership — before he returned home.

“My heart was at Mordialloc,” he said.

In recent years, Nooka has played in the lower grades — he’s in the fifths this season — helping juniors progress through senior ranks.

He always wears his hat backwards and has Nooka printed on the back of it.

“So you can’t forget his nickname,” Mathew Campbell, Nooka’s nephew, laughed.

“He’s a character. He’s got his own delivery called the ‘Nooka ball’.

“He tells the umpire to come back three steps and he bowls it from 28 yards.”

Nooka Campbell does one of his famous handstands. Picture: Facebook

Nooka prides himself on getting through his overs in a tick over a minute.

“I demand the ball come straight back to me,’’ he said.

“If my overs are not done in one minute I am very disappointed.’’

Nooka has enjoyed incredible success at Mordialloc.

“I believe I’ve played in 17 premiership wins and two lossess,’’ he said.

“And the two losses we were back doored; we were in front on the first innings and got too p..... on the Saturday night and they snuck up and beat us.’’

Nooka is proud of his family’s immense contribution to Mordialloc.

“There are three famous families at the club, Martello, Campbell and Gibbon,’’ Nooka said.

“And there’s been a Campbell playing at the club since 1958.

“I’m the last of the brothers. The others retired 10 or 12 years ago.

“I’ve had the pleasure of playing with (my nephews) Mathew, Travis, Dylan and Adam over the years, I’ve been their coach in juniors and played in premierships with them.’’

The Campbell family has collectively won over 50 premierships at Mordialloc, along with something like 35 First XI bowling averages, batting awards, dozens of club championships and much more.

“It’s remarkable that one family could bring so much success to a club,’’ Mathew Campbell said.

What they say about Nooka Campbell:

“Nooka, what a star! When I think of Nooka, gun bat and bowler, freakish gully fielder, headstands, long balls and VB. My best memory playing with Nooka was my first senior game batting together and he hit a ton. I was 14. I’m now 46 and I’m 200 games behind him. Congratulations Nooka, absolutely amazing accomplisment.’’ — Leon Kennedy

“I played with Nooka for many years in 1st grade and he was one of the smartest and best cricketers I’ve played with. When bowling he was the best tactician that I’ve seen, mesmerising the batsmen. Even as a batsman, he would out think the bowlers. As a teammate you could not ask for more, always encouraging and never a negative word or thought. Congratulations Nooka.’’ — Mark Richardson

“A remarkable achievement.

“Nooka” Campbell is a genuine legend of the Mordialloc Cricket Club.

550 games is a extraordinary feat, where for the majority of his career he played two-day matches and for a lot of his career on turf was prior to covers and some seasons he may have played only eight or nine matches.

He is part of a legendary family where at least a dozen Campbells have represented Mordialoc in the First XI.

He has won every award possible at Mordialloc and countless league awards, he is a fierce competitor who still plays the game hard.

Over the last 10 to 15 years Nooka has played in the lower grades where he has mentored and encouraged junior players in their first foray into senior cricket and a number of these players have gone on to be multiple 1st XI premiership players.

Nooka is a fantastic clubman and Mordialloc CC is extremely proud of his achievement.’’ —Jamie “Rev” Walker, president