Premier Cricket 2024-25: Angus Roach, Brodie Richardson, Tanush Nandini join Fitzroy Doncaster

Ink has continued to hit the paper at Fitzroy Doncaster, with the Premier club casting an eye to the future as a Subbies pair and underage state rep join the fold.

Angus Roach, son of former Victorian cricketer Peter, is among a trio of young signings at Fitzroy Doncaster. Picture: Valeriu Campan

The recruiting has continued at Fitzroy Doncaster.

Subbies pair Angus Roach (Mt Waverley) and Brodie Richardson (Bayswater) are the Premier club’s latest inclusions alongside Ringwood’s Tanush Nandini in what coach Matt Bremner touted as an investment in the future.

Roach is the son of former Victorian cricketer Peter, who finished his career at Fitzroy after 25 first-class matches from 1995-2005.

Angus batted most of the Subbies South-East season at No. 3, plundering 424 runs at 30 including a maiden ton against Moorabbin.

He also claimed eight wickets.

Bremner said the teenager arrived on the recommendation of club great Peter Dickson.

“Peter (Roach) has kept in touch with a lot of ex-players at the club and it was Peter Dickson who actually called me about Angus and said you’d better get on the blower and get him down to Fitzroy, because he’s seriously talented,” Bremner said.

“(His season statistics) says the quality player that he could be at Premier level … we’re really excited with Angus.”

Richardson opened Baysie’s batting as a 19-year-old last season, blasting 439 runs at an average of 30 – including an unbeaten maiden ton against South-East power Noble Park.

The leg-spinner also collected 17 wickets at 24 on the way to winning the Waters’ club champion award.

Brodie Richardson raises the bat after his maiden ton last season. Picture: Bayswater CC

Bremner said Richardson sought a return to Premier Cricket after last playing at Dandenong two years ago.

“He does some of his strength and conditioning work with Your Athlete Hub, and Jayden Clay, who is the owner of the business and looks after our strength and conditioning, put me in touch,” Bremner said.

“He (Richardson) wanted to come back and test his cricket at the next level and we think we have a really good environment to help him be the best cricketer he can possibly be.

“Really good all-rounders are pretty rare – if he misses out with the bat then he’s still got the opportunity to affect the game with the ball.

“In his own words he likes to try and give the ball a bit of a rip.”

Nandini represented Vic Country’s under-17s this year “out of nowhere” according to Bremner.

Featuring in Ringwood’s Third XI for most of the season, the leg-spinner took 13 wickets from 10 matches.

“He wasn’t even on their (Vic Country’s) radar but I think one of the selectors was at a game he was bowling in and said they had to get him into the squad,” Bremner said.

“He ended up trialling and making it.

“He’s more your white ball type of bowler who spins the ball a little bit both ways and lands it on a dime.”

The trio’s arrival follows the inclusions of Big Bash slugger Josh Brown and Northcote batsman Mark Phelan, with the coach declaring an all-rounder was also on the radar.

“That’s for the now, but these (young) players we’ve brought in are also future-proofing us for three, four, five years’ time when your Ejaaz Alavis, Liam Banthorpes and Jack Rudds are not playing,” Bremner said.

“They’re not only potentially First XI players for this year but we’re hoping long future First XI players as well.

“We’re really excited with what our future looks like.”