Matt Doric reveals best Premier Cricket memories and next chapter
After a decorated 300-wicket Premier Cricket career at North Melbourne and Essendon, star paceman Matt Doric is ready for the next chapter.
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Matt Doric has revealed his next step after hanging up the boots at Premier Cricket level.
The Essendon great called time last week on a decorated career with North Melbourne and the Bombers, finishing with 332 First XI wickets at an elite average of 21.18.
The star paceman took 30-plus wickets in a season five times, five wicket in an innings 14 times, 10 wickets in a match once, has best figures of 8-37 against Prahran in 2013-14 and a hat-trick against Ringwood in 2019-20.
No bowler took more wickets in Victorian Premier Cricket between 2010 and 2020 than Doric.
Still just 29, the star paceman has signed for a yet-to-be-confirmed VSDCA club.
“I just felt like I’d achieved everything I wanted to achieve personally in Premier Cricket,” he told Leader.
“Over the last few years, once you get to a certain age you don’t get looked at to go any higher, I thought it was time to finish up.
“It was more than I’d hoped for and I’d hoped I wouldn’t play as much Premier Cricket as I did, I would have liked to have played higher.
“Essendon really changed me as a person, I loved my eight or so years there, playing in the grand final a few years ago was one of the best experiences ever.
“North Melbourne gave me my first opportunity when I was about 14, it was awesome to get started there.”
Doric rated the 2013-14 grand final as one of his best memories despite losing to Footscray.
However, it was the long-lasting friendships that will stay with him.
“Just the mates you make, that’s the best part of it – the relationships,” he said.
“My parents loved going down to Essendon and they had great relationships with people there.
“I started out with Aaron Ayre, we joined Essendon at a similar time, James Seymour and Tom O’Donnell have been great mates of mine as well.
“Then seeing some of the young boys like Liam Molloy and Isaac Willett who are ready to take the next step and Connor Rutland, who’s left the club now, I had a good relationship with him.
“There were a few nice personal moments, the eight-for against Prahran a few years back – that was awesome – and the hat-trick a couple of years ago.
“The grand final was a great experience for me, we got smashed but the lead up was awesome.”
Doric was Essendon’s leading wicket-taker this season with 29 scalps and will leave a big hole to fill in attack.
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Cam McClure and Tom O’Donnell both claimed 19 wickets and are mainstays of the First XI while the likes of Nick Gladman, Ammar Ahmed, Luke Stagg, James O’Donnell and Daniel Deasy will be given the chance to step up.
Doric has one more box left to tick in his career.
“I’m looking forward to the next chapter, having a bit of fun but also chasing an elusive flag.
“I’ve got one in England but haven’t got one in Melbourne, so I’d like to chase a flag next year and see how we go.”
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