FTGDCA 2023-24: Ferntree Gully wins Norm Reeves Shield, first top-grade back-to-back title since ‘94

For the first time since the 1990s, Ferntree Gully is celebrating back-to-back flags in its First XI. It’s been a season of trials and tribulations ...

FTGDCA: Ferntree Gully celebrates its first back-to-back crown in its top grade since 1994. Picture: Dione

It’s a three-decade first for Ferntree Gully.

The Gully is celebrating back-to-back Norm Reeves Shield crowns in the Ferntree Gully District Cricket Association following a 42-run win over minor premier The Basin.

It’s the first time since 1992-93/1993-94 that the club has toasted consecutive First XI flags.

Ferntree Gully captain-coach Josh Henry was named man of the match, knocking 77 runs while collecting 2-58 with the ball as his charges put on 8-292.

The 30-year gap between back-to-back top-flight grand final victories wasn’t lost on Henry.

“It’s really special and it’s something that doesn’t happen very often,” he said.

“There’s plenty of good sides in there … it’s a very even comp.

“It’s a bit different – last year was the first one we’d won in 15 years (in the comp’s top grade) and it was my first year as captain-coach … this year was in a way a bit of a relief and I felt like there was a bit more pressure on us to perform.

“After the game it was pretty cool to realise what we had achieved.”

FTGDCA: Ferntree Gully celebrates its 2023-24 Norm Reeves Shield grand final win. Picture: Dione

The Gully turned the tables on a Bears side which romped to a nine-wicket victory in the pair’s previous meeting in the first final.

During the business end of the home-and-away season, it had been eight wickets.

Picking itself up off the canvas following the first final, Henry’s men tipped Knoxfield out of the race with a 66-run prelim final victory to set up a third bout with the Bears in six weeks.

“It was incredible really, and they (The Basin) did it to us twice,” Henry said.

“I kept looking back thinking we’re not going to play that poorly again … and I think the boys were waiting for that pressurised situation.

“When we turned up for the prelim against Knoxfield, I could see the boys had changed and were hungry.

“To get to play The Basin again, I think we were never going to put in such a poor performance for a third time in a row.”

A best-afield honour ranks highly for Henry.

“It’s something you’ll look back on later and how you performed on the biggest day of the year,” he said.

“To be able to perform, it’s something you dream of as a kid to have an influence as a leader.”

And it’s a second flag in as many years at the helm for the captain-coach.

“I’m lucky I’ve got a great club with great supporters and great support from the committee,” Henry said.

“We’ve got so many good helpers, and the boys are a great bunch of blokes that put in the hard work and they’re easy to coach.”

Ferntree Gully’s Josh Henry.

Ferntree Gully had its trials and tribulations on and off the field this season, with the club twice burgled.

It was stripped of a winter cricket pitch cover valued at around $5000 in February, after it had lost around $4500 worth of alcohol and soft-drinks in an October burglary.

Henry said winning the flag was a nice reward for the club’s band of tireless volunteers.

“To see some of the old guys, committee members, after the game in tears … it makes it worthwhile when you win that premiership,” he said.

“We faced a bit of adversity (with burglaries) and a bit of adversity in the playing group with a few blokes playing with injuries throughout the year.

“The premiership isn’t just 11 blokes, it’s a whole-club thing.”

Also starring for the Gully was Jayden Bradbury (72 runs) and Harry Cowling (54), while Ben Grimshaw fired with the ball, collecting 3-38 off 11 overs, removing dynamic Bears top-order duo Justin Creed (17) and Blake Walter, who fell for a duck.

Former Premier cricketer Jake Sherriff blasted 82 runs of the Bears’ 250 total.