MPCA: Adam Ciavarella appointed captain-coach of Rye

Rye has lured a young quickie from a rival club as new captain-coach Adam Ciavarella reveals the Demons’ strategy to return to finals and climb the grades in the MPCA.

Adam Ciavarella and recruit Charlie Wigg. Picture: Facebook

Adam Ciavarella arrives at Rye Cricket Club at what he calls a “fork in the road” moment in time.

The Dromana premiership batter has been appointed captain-coach of the Demons and is well aware of the club’s long finals drought.

Rye has battled since winning the 2009-10 MPCA District premiership but has improved steadily over the past two seasons and looks ready to contend in Sub-District ranks.

Ciavarella brings enthusiasm and lofty ambitions, and talks about Rye climbing “through the grades”.

“It’s good to see them pick themselves up,” he says of the Demons’ improvement in recent years.

“Now they’re in a bit of a fork in the road where they can go one way or the other.

“There are some guys there who have done a lot of hard yards and we’re looking to give them an opportunity to see some success.

“This is your big opportunity now to keep going forward, so we’re going to continue to invest in the guys we’ve got and bring in as much youth as we can and try and get into a final next season.”

In a major boost, Rye has signed young Sorrento paceman Charlie Wigg, 20.

He will lead the Demons attack, with raw pace and aggression.

“He was our number one priority,’’ Ciavarella said.

“He’s young and hungry for opportunity.

“He will get to bowl as much as he possibly can, he will get to take the new ball, he will get to bowl every week.

“That was our key message to him, he’s too good a player now to be playing twos cricket, he’s got to strike while the iron’s hot.’’

Jack Harris has been named vice captain.

Calder McKenzie.

In other Rye appointments, Jack Harris has been named vice captain and Calder McKenzie deputy vice captain.

Nathan Hunt, who made 691 runs at 49.3 last season, ex-club captain-coach Jordan Blades and former first-class spinner Ravi Palleguruge have helped put Rye back on the right path.

“They’ve done the hard yards and I just want to make sure that they see some success,’’ Ciavarella said.

“We’re looking to play with five older guys and six younger guys.’’

A two-time premiership player at Dromana, Ciavarella intends to bring some of that successful formula at Dromana to Rye.

“In some ways it’s not much different from Dromana,’’ he said of Rye.

“In Subbies, especially, you’ve got to try and build without spending too much coin as well because you’ve got to get up the grades, you’ve got to keep paying for more blokes so you’ve got to be pretty smart about it, you’ve got to try and win it without investing everything into it.

“That’s what I saw at Dromana and every grade we went up and we kept building on that. Don’t try and jump too early, just build your way through the grades.

“So that’s what we’re going to try and do.’’