GCA 2023: Leopold playing coach Corey Ogle on round one ton and new English import

A Leopold star caught a lucky break and made the opposition pay for the mistake. He sheds light on his hundred and the club’s new English import.

Corey Ogle started the season in style. Picture: Mark Wilson

Leopold playing coach Corey Ogle was counting his lucky stars last Saturday.

After a scratchy start where he couldn’t get anything going out in the middle, he was given a life early in his innings when a delivery that he “f---en smoked” was spilt at mid-off.

Ogle made Geelong West pay, going on to club 11 boundaries and four sixes on his way to an unbeaten 116 – the second highest total in all GCA competitions in round one – as he led his side to a crushing 133-run win,

“I was pretty fortunate, my first 40 balls I felt like I was using the wrong end of the stick to be honest,” Ogle said.

“I gave a chance on about 30 and then after that I got set and just felt good. I was lucky to hit a few to the short boundary and got a good score and a good win.

“I f---en smoked it, I absolutely crunched it. The poor guy was on the ring at mid-off and I smoked it and he didn’t pick it up and it burst straight through his hands.”

Corey Ogle was given a life early in his innings and went on to score an unbeaten ton. Picture: Mark Wilson

Ogle’s Lions face a sterner test this weekend in last year’s preliminary finalists Geelong City, who had a comfortable win themselves in round one.

Leopold will be bolstered by a new face fresh off the plane from England in Stoke-on-Trent import Matt Hodson.

The keeper-batter will slot in at the top of the order for the Lions after arriving in Australia on Wednesday.

“He played premier 1st division in Stoke on Trent so he’ll open the batting for us and keep so very excited to have him on board,” Ogle said.

“He looks to be a very, very talented player.”

Originally published as GCA 2023: Leopold playing coach Corey Ogle on round one ton and new English import