West Gippsland Cricket Association: Influx of new players for Nar Nar Goon/Maryknoll

The Marygoons have a new, youthful committee and picked up “pretty well a whole team” of recruits from Cheltenham Park for the 2021-22 West Gippsland season.

Nar Nar Goon/Maryknoll recruit Jas Gill (centre). Picture: Facebook

Up to 16 players from Cheltenham Park will join Nar Nar Goon/Maryknoll in season 2021-22.

Already, 10 have been granted clearances — Brendan Kroon, Tracey Kroon, Jake Caisley, Brandon Interlandi, Andrew Lowres, Cameron Watts, Russell Perry, Mark Thomason, Aaron Baker and Callum Eastburn.

New Marygoons president Nick Mueller said the newcomers would add “well needed depth” as the club looks to field three senior sides.

“They’re good additions to the club, good club people,” Mueller said.

“They’re all from further down this way anyway. I think a lot of them payed at Jindivick before Cheltenham.

“They’re all coming back closer to home and heard about our club culture, got in contact and wanted to come down.

“We were only too happy to have them.”

Nar Nar Goon/Maryknoll’s key recruit is Jaswinder Gill, a powerful opening batsman from Cranbourne Meadows.

He scored 246 runs, at 22, last season, including successive scores of 46, 47 and 48.

Gill will also serve as an assistant coach.

“He’s a big powerful hitter. We’re pretty excited to see what he’ll do for us,” Mueller said.

Manny Ahmed will again coach Nar Nar Goon/Maryknoll, continuing the job he started.

“He’s been fantastic for us building on the culture we’ve tried to set in place, working with our sponsors on the committee. He’s been a godsend for us, really,” Mueller said.

Mueller, 24, has played at the Marygoons for eight years and is passionate about taking the club forward and building a strong culture.

He’s stepped up to be president after serving as secretary for the past two seasons.

“We’ve got a young, enthusiastic committee that’s ready to step up, they’re realising that their time is now which is fantastic for us,” Muller said.

“Our club’s in a state of change really, we’ve needed it.

The Marygoons will field three senior sides in 2021-22.

“When I got to the club they had a lot of players leave, about 40 or 50 I think in one year, so they’ve been trying to rebuild ever since and now it’s my crack at it I’m trying to change the language around that… trying to move forward and rebuild.’’

Nar Nar Goon/Maryknoll’s committee is made up of Mueller, who is also secretary, Alan Downes (vice president), Ryon Tocknell (treasurer), Thomas Medwin (sponsorship), Nykayla Mills (social), Dylan Cameron (food and bar) and Russell Jackson (online data).

Mueller said he learnt a lot as a committee member under Colin Medwin and then Geoff Ball.

Four of Nar Nar Goon’s committee are 27 or under.

“We’re in a good place at the moment but there’s a lot of room for us to continue building,” Mueller said.

“We are fortunate we’ve got a fantastic club culture and that’s something we are going to lean on as much as we can while we get the other processes right.”