Phil O’Meara reflects on tenure as VSDCA chairman after 14 years at the helm

After 14 years as VSDCA chairman, Phil O’Meara is stepping down, and reflects on the highs and lows and the future challenges facing his successor.

Holten Medallist Sahan Perera and VSDCA chairman Phil O'Meara.

After 14 years leading the Victorian Sub-District Cricket Association, Phil O’Meara is handing over the reins.

The association was fighting for its existence a decade ago but is now arguably Victoria’s second-highest competition behind Premier Cricket.

Ahead of his 74th birthday, O’Meara believed now was a good time to inject new blood.

Named captain of Australia’s Over-70s earlier this year, while also fighting prostate cancer, O’Meara was proud of his tenure.

“We’ve achieved quite a lot,” O’Meara said.

Sahan Perera, Phil O'Meara and Glen Parker.

“We’ve expanded, introduced the points system, introduced salary caps, the umpires are growing and we’ve divided Division 3 and 4 into two divisions.

“More importantly, we’ve been stable.

“We’ve got strong foundations, there hasn’t been too many issues and whenever there was, we’ve sorted it out.”

Along with Jack Sheehan, O’Meara led the fight to stop an attempted dismantling by Cricket Victoria.

The past season was its 117th but it has continued to grow.

In the past decade, the competition has added seven clubs and currently has 32 members.

“The first big fight was to stay as Subbies when Cricket Victoria was trying to restructure, that went on for years and at the end it all fell apart,” O’Meara said.

“I reckon most of the associations didn’t like what happening and, secondly, I don’t think they had the funds after spending a quarter-of-a-million a year in the South-East

“I think everyone recognises us as the senior community association … because we’re so wide spread.”

O’Meara will remain involved in the VSDCA, overseeing club’s adherence to the salary cap.

However, he will now look to spend more time playing cricket – having captained a tour of New Zealand in March – and travelling, recently returned from India.

He’s also confident his cancer battle is progressing well.

“(The doctors) are all very pleased with me at the moment, my PSA is zero,” he said.

“It’s partly (health) but I think when you’ve been around for a long time and achieved what you want to achieve – I’m not one to just hang around.

“I like to be seen to be doing something and planning, it never ends and there’s a lot of meetings behind the scenes.

“I try to go to as many club functions as I can … you try to be the face of Subbies really.

“I loved it, don’t get me wrong, so stepping down – health was part of it and I achieved what I want to achieve.

“I am 74 next month and it was time to get someone younger.

“While I can, I’m trying to play as much cricket in the over-70s, I’m trying to travel as much as I can.”

O’Meara praised chief executive Ken Hilton for his commitment and tireless work to keep the competition and clubs running smoothly.

“I have to thank Ken for all the work he does, he’s fabulous,” he said.

“A big advantage, he lives very close, he’s just a couple of Ks down the road, and we bounce a lot of things off each other.

“He’s very important and when I stepped down, I told Ken he had to stay on for at least two years for Neil, to help him.

“The problem is going to be finding someone to replace Ken, it’s going to be difficult to find someone who knows what he’s doing with his governance and corporate, and we had our eye on a couple of people but they’d be getting $150,000 a year.”

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While the competition goes from strength-to-strength, adding female cricket is the next challenge facing the association.

The VSDCA announced a five-year strategic plan in 2023 that declared an expansion into female ranks as a key pillar.

That challenge faces newly minted VSDCA life member, Altona’s Neil Burns, who is expected to be ratified by clubs as the new chairman at the association’s AGM in August.

“The Craig Shield is very important to us and it will be important for the future to get a female Craig Shield-type concept up,” O’Meara said.