Noble Park coach Dale Christie to dip into young ‘talent pool’ at Parkers

New coach Dale Christie outlines his plans for Noble Park ahead of the 2021-22 Sub-District cricket season.

Dale Christie celebrating a wicket for Ormond in the 2014-15 grand final.

Dale Christie was appointed coach of Noble Park a few weeks ago.

Restricted by Covid, he’s yet to take his players for training.

He did meet most of them before the recent AGM.

But Christie has been in regular contact via a team app and he’s analysing results and sifting through stats as he tries to get a handle on the Parkers.

He’s come to a few conclusions.

The departure of the great all-rounder Isi Perera will leave a “massive hole’’ at Moodemere St.

Noble Park needs a top-order batsman and a frontline spinner (Perera served both roles for more than a decade).

It must be able to apply more pressure with the ball and in the field.

It also needs a more even contribution, rather than relying on two or three individuals.

“Last season they could score big but they also got scored big against,’’ Christie said.

“They were very good running downwind, if you like, but weren’t great running the other way.

“So the plan is to tap into that aggressive, attacking ability and then rein it in with a bit more guile and a bit of planning. Because in every grade last year runs-against was bigger than runs-for.

“We’ve got to give that some thought, and what I have been able to do is education stuff, giving the players documents on training, game plan, things they can start doing to fit in with the team.

“Because we’re going to need contributions from the entire XI, players finding their role and playing their role. It’s a role-based game plan.’’

The Parkers finished six points away from the top six last season, and Christie is encouraged that they have a good group of young players coming through.

The great Isi Perera has moved to Deepdene Bears.

The up-and-comers include batsmen Blake Hinchliffe and Josh Crozier (the son of former coach Matt), all-rounder Neil D’Souza, opening bowler Kunj Desai and left-arm spinner Kirtan Patel.

“It’s a pretty big talent pool of 17 to 21-year-olds,’’ Christie said.

“A lot of them got games under their belts last season, which was really good.’’

With no face-to-face meetings, recruiting has been difficult.

“It’s always tough, but it’s easier when you’re doing it in person,’’ Christie said.

“You can get a feel for the personality of the recruit whereas it’s hard to get your point across in a phone call or a Facebook message.’’

And what would he convey to potential signings?

That Noble Park is a proud and successful club with a ground, training facilities and social club that few can match.

Batsman Achintha Rajapakse, who captained St Mary’s in DDCA Turf 1 last season, is one confirmed newcomer; Robbie Ewing has returned from Premier club Frankston Peninsula; and the Parkers hope to see more of Lachie Treverton, who can bowl with decent pace.

Aside from seven-time club champion Perera – Christie called him the “perfect Sub-District cricketer’’ – Noble Park has lost left-arm opening bowler Nishan Weerakkody (Lower Eltham), hard-hitting batsman Amal “Mikey’’ Athulathmudali (relocated to Gippsland) and all-rounder Heshan Perera (Dandenong West).

Christie, of course, is no newcomer to the VSDCA.

The former Premier Cricket fast bowler coached Ormond to a premiership in 2014-15, its first in almost 40 years, and anyone who witnessed the celebrations at the grand final will long remember them.

Since then he’s been involved at Seaford and Parkdale. Halfway through last season he returned to the Monders and played a few games in the lower grades.

Christie is football manager of VFL club Frankston, and he didn’t imagine a return to cricket coaching.

But he was interested to hear of the Noble Park coaching vacancy, spoke with the club and decided he was in.

And he’ll be in even more when he finally gets to take training.