Buckley Park secures Bendigo District premiership-winner as captain-coach

North West Metro grand finalist has a new captain-coach for 2022-23, luring a Bendigo District premiership-winning captain and favourite son back.

Buckley Park has a new captain-coach. Picture: Andy Brownbill

Buckley Park has locked in its captain-coach for 2022-23 with a favourite son returning.

Elliott Massina will take the reins next season, returning to the club after eight years at Huntly North Epsom in the Bendigo District association.

It’s a significant coup for the North West Metro grand finalist with Massina captaining Huntly North Epsom to a BDCA Lienhop Shield premiership in 2018-19 and multiple finals appearances.

A family connection helped lured Massina back to Buckley Park.

“We’re really excited to get Elliott back, he’s played at the club before and made a really big impact,” president Nick Seers said.

“His brother-in-law is part of the furniture at the club and when we heard it was a possibility he was looking to maybe move – and with our captain-coach taking a step back – it was a natural fit.

“He’s done some really good things at Huntly as captain-coach and we’re looking for some similar leadership.

“We’ve turned the list over quite a bit in the last two seasons, so we’ve got a fairly young senior team.

“We made the grand final but lost to Pascoe Vale and hopefully he can be the difference that will hopefully get us over the line.”

Outgoing captain-coach Michael Maloney will remain at the club as vice-captain.

Massina spent a season at Premier Cricket club Northcote before playing two seasons at Buckley Park in 2012-13 and 2013-14.

The all-rounder scored 202 runs and took 10 wickets in 12 matches before moving to Bendigo.

He knocked in 167 runs at 13.92 and took 14 wickets at 19.71 this season for Huntly North Epsom, helping the club reach a semi-final.

Further boosting the Beavers’ hopes of ending Pascoe Vale Centrals’ stranglehold, Massina brings with him all-rounder Danushka Wijemanna.

Wijemanna will serve as assistant coach and is a danger with bat or ball.

He posted 278 runs and took seven wickets this season, while also serving as wicketkeeper in a number of matches.

Seers was looking forward to seeing him in action.

“He and Elliott work together, so when Elliott was coming he told Danushka and he was keen to join him,” Seers said.

“Seeing some of his highlights, there was an article in the Leader a couple of years ago when he hit four sixes in the last over to win a game.

“That sort of talent will fit right in in our top order.”

Buckley Park will be looking to go one better next season after four consecutive grand final losses to Pascoe Vale Central.

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Seers said the club had achieved a lot despite a host of players departing and was confident it could turn the tide.

“(Central) have been the team to beat for a long time in Luscombe Shield,” he said.

“They’re probably two or three years ahead of us in regenerating their list.

“They’ve got guys that have been there for three, four, five years and has made them dominant and it doesn’t look like it will change so we’ve got to do something to catch up.”