Gisborne has secured Mick Allen for 2019-20 GDCA season after signing Gavin McKay as coach
Gisborne Cricket Club has scored a huge coup, securing batting great Mick Allen for the 2019-20 season, a week after announcing Gavin McKay’s appointment as senior coach.
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Gisborne Cricket Club has scored a huge coup, securing Mick Allen for the 2019-20 season.
The signing comes on the back of Gavin Mackay’s arrival as coach as the Dragons look to go one step further after a six-wicket loss to Bacchus Marsh in the McIntyre Cup grand final.
Allen will add invaluable experience and leadership having won a Jack Ryder Medal in 2005-06 with Premier club Carlton and VSDCA Val Holten Medal in 2012-13 after scoring a record 957 runs with Melton.
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The former captain-coach of Riddell missed last season but will return to the field for the Dragons, to the delight of Mackay.
“You don’t come across guys with experience, cricket background and leadership all in one very often,” he said.
“It sort of landed in our lap a little bit, we’re very lucky.
“Having Mick is a great thrill, you can build sides around that.”
The Dragons are eyeing off another big name signing with Mackay hoping to begin talks in the coming weeks.
Having previously worked with youth teams in the Central Highlands Cricket Association and been an assistant at Flemington, Mackay was excited to join his hometown club.
“I’ve been coaching away from town, which has been hard, but gaining experience,” he said.
“I had a background with the Central Highlands under 14s program and the idea was to make sure we develop our own - boys, girls - youth better than what we have in the past.
“The idea behind me coaching was to build the entire club, not just focus on one side or one premiership.
“It was around making sure our women’s, our junior girls and junior boys and all abilities cricket teams are all looked after as well as our senior men.
“The idea is to build the club to be the best it can be.”
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