Who starred in VTCA Senior Division, Division 1 and 2 premiership triumphs
Find our more about the inspiring performances that delivered Deer Park, Altona North and Maribyrnong Park St Mary’s history-making VTCA premierships.
Local Sport
Don't miss out on the headlines from Local Sport . Followed categories will be added to My News.
Deer Park is back-to-back VTCA Senior Division premier.
Aaron Shellie’s match-winning century guided the Lions to an eight-wicket Turner Shield triumph over Yarraville Club at Hansen Reserve on Saturday.
Fawad Ahmed was named man-of-the-match after his destructive 5-39 performance with the ball last week to help dismiss Clubbers for 184.
SCROLL DOWN FOR DIVISION 1 AND DIVISION 2 COVERAGE
Lachlan Fitzgerald was also brilliant with the ball, taking 3-31 including the key wicket of Michael Hill for six, while Angelo Emmanuel can consider himself unlucky not to be honoured after 2-49 and then 45 opening the batting.
Shellie and Emmanuel put on a 125-run opening stand to set the platform for victory, Mohammad Alfar then made 45 not out as Deer Park finished 4-248.
Shellie, who joined the Lions this season from Coburg, said the club’s decision to take a risk and bowl on day one had paid off.
“That’s why we play cricket, isn’t it, so we’re soaking it up.
“We had to take the risk and bowl first last week.
“Lachie was sensational, he’s a special kid and he’s going to be a very good cricketer. He hits good areas, he bowls good pace, he just wants to do well and obviously he’s a local homegrown talent.
“And Fawad is Fawad.
“I’ve had to face him in the nets all year and I still can’t pick anything he bowls at me. He’s next level.”
Shellie and Emmanuel had to face four overs before stumps on day one, day two was then washed out.
After a wet week, the pair knew they needed to dig in against Yarraville Club’s vaunted attack.
None of Matt Doric, Mitch Johnstone, Trent Lawford, Ash Sweet or Josh Eaton finished with a wicket.
“We had to get through a tricky period last week, four overs, and then there was a bit of rain around this week and the wicket was a little tacky, a little soft,” Shellie said.
“The first hour was massive for both sides, we got through it as best we could, we’re both aggressive players so we had to curb and played within ourselves.
“Angelo is a weapon, he’s a special talent, I’ve opened the batting with Aaron Ayre for a while and he’s the best cricketer I’ve played with but Angelo is very close, he hits ball you don’t expect him to hit.
“And Alfar is a machine, he’s probably my favourite batter to watch bat, the way he hits the ball is magic and he’s such a good fella.”
After more than 1100 runs in the past two seasons at Coburg, it had been a rough season for Shellie – 163 runs at 14.8 before his grand final knock.
He would walk off with 103 runs from 187 deliveries and hit the winning runs with great mate Aaron Ayre with him at the crease.
“It was a weird one. I don’t feel like I was batting bad through the year, I just kept getting out,” he said.
“As I’ve said before you live by the sword, you die by the sword and it was one of those years so it was nice to show the Deer Park faithful what I could do.
“They gave me a lot of grief over the year, which was warranted and all in good fun, so I showed them I was an OK cricketer and repaid the faith.
“Spinners were the danger, I curbed my natural aggression a little bit, MJ bowls a lot of overs and such good areas for so long, so I had to sit on him and find runs elsewhere.”
Michael Hill was Yarraville Club’s leading bowler, claiming 2-18, dismissing both Shellie and Ayre to gain some small bragging rights over his former Essendon teammates.
Viraj Lakshitha finished with 2-42.
In the Second XI Quinn Shield grand final, Sunshine United is celebrating a bittersweet premiership, smashing Airport West by 182 runs, as the club is relegated to Division 1.
DIVISION 1 – ALTONA NORTH
Joe Harrison had done his best work with the ball for Altona North this season – but it all changed in the grand final.
He was named player of the match as North secured a 51-run win over Sunshine in Division 1 to earn promotion back to the VTCA’s top flight.
Harrison set the game up on day one with a half-century which ended of 63 off 107 balls.
His previous high score this season was 25. He had only passed 20 once.
“He’s probably been under-utilised with the bat this year,” Altona North skipper Luke Rainone said.
“His role was so crucial because getting those extra runs on the board really got us out of trouble, probably saved us from defending a much smaller total.
“We’ve used him as more of a bowling all-rounder this season but it was fantastic to see him play such a strong role with the bat.”
North had posted 9-177 on the game’s first day with Harrison’s innings playing a crucial role.
Trent Frydas (30 off 58) helped to steady the innings before the home side was all out.
The win was set up late on day one when Sunshine crumbled to 5-45 at stumps.
With play delayed by a week, due to Melbourne’s wet weather, Sunshine almost resurrected their innings with Pramud Hettiwatte (45 off 73) set at the crease before Harrison eventually dismissed him.
“He certainly looked comfortable,” Rainone said of Hettiwatte.
“Once we had him, we attacked and were able to finish it off. Nathan Patrick and Jinang Shah at either end of the innings were great.
“Nathan’s ball to get Mackenzie Findlay was picture perfect. It cut back in and hit the top of off.
“We felt good all season and it’s absolutely huge for the club to be promoted. There’s a few in this group who have never played in a senior premiership, so it’s a special one for them.”
North had been forced to play the finals without star all-rounder Tom Taylor who was recalled by his English county side at the end of the home-and-away season.
But even when he departed, the minor premier were confident about their chances.
“We knew it was a chance of happening,” Rainone said.
“He made a really strong impression on our club and it just became a matter of next man up. Even speaking to him, he said he could see the group’s confidence was there to finish the job.”
DIVISION 2 – MARIBYRNONG PARK ST MARY’S
Maribyrnong Park St Mary’s overcame constant adversity this season to win a stunning McNamara Shield premiership.
After losing all their points due to a player points error early in the season, the Lions’ “do-or-die” approach the every game saw it scrap into fourth.
They knocked off minor premier Williamstown Imperials in a stunning semi-final boilover, taking the final six wickets for just 21, before taking down second-placed West Coburg St Anthony’s on Saturday to claim a second premiership in three seasons.
The dominant eight-wicket win secured a historic VTCA Division 2 crown, adding to a Division 4 title in 2022-23 and Division 3 grand final appearance last season.
Julian De Zilva and Seth McDowall starred in the victory.
De Zilva snared 6-47 last week to help skittle the Redbacks for 148, taking his season tally to 67.
McDowell was then the hero with the bat, smashing an unbeaten 102 to lead the chase as Maribyrnong Park reached 2-152 in 55 overs.
He’d previously only scored 84 runs this season, more than doubling his season output.
Now two-time premiership captain Daniel Starvris said the club’s early season struggles prepared it for cut-throat finals.
“Obviously, much adversity this year from losing our points early on in the season,” Stavris said.
“Virtually, every game this year was do-or-die, which set us up well for the semi and final.
“Making 160 in the semi and the opposition being 4-100 – taking 6-20 to beat them – and then last Saturday bowling them out for 140 and getting them two down, it’s amazing.
“Julian taking six-fa last week, back-to-back years with 70 wickets and Seth making a hundred after batting eight for most of the year, this team is pretty special.”
Maribyrnong Park won the toss and bowled first, with a late counter-attack from Kyle Adams (41) leading West Coburg to 148.
Shasheen Fernando (2-20) and Cameron Sturrock (2-48) supported De Zilva with the ball.
Stavris (18) and McDowell survived a tricky period before stumps last week, putting on a 41-run opening stand.
McDowell smashed 12 boundaries and two sixes in an explosive knock, while competition leading run-scorer Sam Evans finished 22 not out.
“It’s Julian’s consistency, he changes his flight, he’s a very smart cricketer,” Stavris said.
“I think what tends to happen is, he’s already got you out before he’s bowled to you because his stats are so good, ‘this guy has 70 wickets’.
“I’ve never seen him cop tap, get hit, he’s taken five-fa in every red-ball game we’ve played, which is pretty incredible.
“He makes my job so easy as captain.
“Then Seth, we had a lot of tired bodies coming off the ground and had to bat nine or 10 overs and he’s an opener back home in England.
“I thought if we could get to next week then it would hold us in good stead, he faced 28 balls without scoring a run and then smashed 102 off 184, so it’s really 150 (balls).
“On a lush outfield, he’s hit 14 boundaries and the rest of the team hit two, so it’s an incredible knock.”
Adams (1-39) and Ryan Blair (1-24) each took one wicket for West Coburg.
It continues an amazing rise for the club.
The Lions broke a 12-year drought with the Division 4 premiership in 2022-23.
They reached the Division 3 grand final last year but fell to Williamstown Imperials, earning a modicum of revenge in the sem-final.
They will compete in Division 1 for the first time next season.
Stavris paid tribute to the work behind the scenes, led by president Paul Kinross, in getting the club to where it is on and off the field.
VTCA: LEADER’S TEAMS OF THE YEAR REVEALED
LEADER: GET YOUR LOCAL CRICKET NEWS HERE
GDCA: LEADER’S TEAMS OF THE YEAR REVEALED
“Definitely, there’s been so much hard work behind the scenes to set it all up and it’s good to get some reward,” he said.
“It means all the time and effort people have put in, it’s all worth it.”
“Everyone is ready to give it a crack (in Division 1) and hopefully do this all again.”
West Coburg had some consolation, winning the Second XI Jamieson Shield with a 37-run victory over Sunbury. Ben Carroll took 5-26.
‘Zinged past my face’: champ to play 400th First XI game in GF
Nick Christides talks about becoming the MPCA’s first 400-game First XI player, his trademark dashing approach to batting and the hurt behind his move from Delacombe Park to Pines.
Watch replays: Falcons soar as star shooter proves unstoppable
City West Falcons standout shooter Jane Cook continues to set the league on fire with her shooting, proving her side unbeatable in the competition so far. Watch the replays.