Essendon coach Ben Fletcher discusses the club’s rough season, recruiting plans

Essendon claimed just one Premier Cricket First XI win this season as it bottomed out but coach Ben Fletcher believes there’s cause for optimism in the club’s rebuild.

Essendon batter Connor Poulton evades a short ball. Picture: Andrew Batsch

Essendon hit bottom this Premier Cricket season, now the rise begins.

The Bombers finished 17th with just one First XI win to their name and didn’t have a player in the top-30 run-scorers or wicket-takers.

Key recruits Josh Trembearth and Will Dundon played a combined six senior matches, while UK import Harry Duke failed to fire.

Yet, overall the club won one more game across the four grades than it did in 2023-24.

With more opportunity, several players had career-best seasons.

Coach Ben Fletcher said there was light at the end of the tunnel.

Essendon’s Emerson White dives for the crease. Picture: Andrew Batsch

“It was a very good development year for us, we knew what we were in for by way of rebuilding,” Fletcher said.

“There’s two things that happened, we won more games as a club this year and had a negative-12 First XI players – we basically lost 13 players who played First XI last year and gained one.

“Although it doesn’t show on the scoreboard, I thought it was positive and we made some big steps, a lot of players are better players than they were 12 months ago.”

In a breakout campaign, wicketkeeper-bat Connor Poulton was the Bomber’s leading run-scorer with 438 runs at 29.2, youngster Vihanga Fernando stepped up to open the batting late in the year and finished with 265 runs at 26.5.

Nick McGuane was the leading wicket-taker with 19 scalps, down from 27 last season, while Jarrod Parsons claimed 14 stepping up from VTCA club Druids.

“Vihanga Fernando, we’re super pleased with, started in the Twos but was one of the first picked in the Ones with a couple of nice 50s at the back end of the year,” Fletcher said.

“Connor Poulton took his game to a new level.

“Young Jackson Martin in the Twos, started off as a 15-year-old, he’s a super talent and was the leading wicket-taker in the Dowling Shield too.

Essendon captain Liam Molloy. Picture: Andrew Batsch

“Jarrod Parsons came from park cricket and did some really good things with the ball and bat, Jacob Pawlowicz had a really good year coming back from a horrific injury and Simrth Gill we’re really happy with playing in the Twos.

“Luay Mraz we’re extremely excited about, 15-year-old, 6’2 fast bowler, we think he’s a real talent and we’ll back ourselves that he’ll be an Essendon player for a long time.”

Prasanna Ketheeshwaran and Liam Tobin (both 399 runs) both ranked in the top-20 Second XI run-scorers, while Navdeep Rai was among the top wicket-takers with 23.

Sean Phillips-Williams (394 runs) and Vanshjot Sandhu (375) performed strongly in the Thirds and Krishna Chandak (19 wickets) impressed in the Fourths.

Despite the lack of on-field results this season, Fletcher said the club had taken big steps off it.

After a tumultuous off-season, the club great expected strong player retention this winter and to continue developing young talent.

Fletcher said the club would look to hit the recruiting market but not at the expense of its building culture.

“We are in the market to recruit, especially two First XI bowlers and two First XI batters would be ideal,” he said.

“We’re not going to go super aggressive, we think our list is pretty talented but we’d like to top up.

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“You never fully know this time of year but we’re confident our retention is strong.

“We think the environment is one where people want to be around, it’s changed a fair bit.

“It’s an immeasurable but the culture we’ve got – the training standards, the coaching – it’s the best I’ve seen in 23 years of Premier Cricket.

“It’s a young, hungry, hard-working group, it was all about how can I improve, and I think that speaks to a brilliant leadership group, First XI captain and really good coaching staff.”