Ivanhoe looking to make finals challenge in VSDCA North-West season
Ivanhoe will blend youth and experience as it looks to rise up the ladder this VSDCA North-West season and have secured former Camberwell Premier Cricket coach Brad Loveluck.
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Ivanhoe captain-coach Sunny Fernando believes the club’s mix of youth and experience will see it make a finals charge this VSDCA season.
The Saints finished 10th in the North-South conference last season but are targeting a rise up the ladder as the competition shifts to North-West in 2020-21.
The club took down heavyweights Brighton, Plenty Valley and Moorabbin last season before a three-game losing streak knocked it out of finals contention.
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The arrival of former Camberwell Premier Cricket coach Brad Loveluck will certainly help.
With more experience around them, Fernando is confident his young players can be more consistent.
“I think we had a good season last year, we had a lot of close results,” he said.
“A lot of the youngsters are coming through and getting more experience.
“Last season we probably had four or five players 16 to 20 years old, so it’s a big step for the club.”
The fourth-year captain-coach highlighted Alex Pannell, Jonathan Kuch and Connor O’Brien as three players to watch this season.
“Those boys, I’m really looking forward to seeing how they go this season,” he said.
The Saints will be looking for more support for star all-rounder Kasun Adikari and a replacement for spearhead Yoshan Kumara.
After a brilliant debut season in 2018-19, Adikari knocked up 572 runs at 57.2 - fourth most in the competition - and claimed 16 wickets last season.
It saw him finish equal sixth in the Holton Medal and be named in the VDSCA Team of the Season for the second time.
Kumara was a revelation with the ball, finishing with 28 scalps - equal second most in the home-and-away season - but has departed for VTCA outfit Deer Park.
The arrival of Loveluck and return of Scott McNaughton loom as massive boosts on and off the field.
Loveluck didn’t play while coaching the Magpies and last played for New Town in the Tasmania Premier Cricket competition in 2017-18.
He and McNaughton are both Level 3 coaches and will together with Fernando will form one of the best coaching panels in the VSDCA.
“They’ve played a lot of cricket, so I’m really confident they complement our youngsters,” Fernando said.
Ivanhoe will hold its first training session on Saturday after metropolitan Melbourne’s lockdown was lifted.
The club will have just under a month to prepare for Round 1 when they’ll host Taylors Lakes on November 21.