Premier Cricket 2024-25: Mark Phelan joins Fitzroy Doncaster, Sean McNicholl departs

Experience in the form of thousands of First XI runs has landed at Fitzroy Doncaster with its latest signing – but its Team of the Year quick has departed.

Premier Cricket: Mark Phelan has joined Fitzroy Doncaster. Picture: Valeriu Campan

Fitzroy Doncaster’s latest signing is set to bolster the club’s top batting order – but the Premier outfit will get to work on filling the void left by a star bowler.

The Lions have secured Northcote batsman Mark Phelan, but Team of the Year quickie Sean McNicholl headlines the exits, who will try his hand at a professional career in Ireland.

Fitzroy Doncaster coach Matt Bremner said the club had been chasing Phelan for some time.

The right-hander finished with 379 runs at 42.11 last season, and had sailed past the 600-mark in three of his previous five campaigns, including a haul of 743 in 2018-19.

He brings more than 5000 First XI runs’ experience to Schramms Reserve, tipping in 3450 at 30.3 during a seven-year career with Carlton.

“We’ve been really keen on ‘Phelo’ the last couple of years … just to add a bit more experience into our line-up,” Bremner said.

“He’ll bat in the top four and we’ve been keen on him because we think he’s a three-format player.

“We think he can adapt to the red ball and batting for long periods of time, but we also think he’s a really good white ball player as well, who can take the game on and play in different situations.

“We’re stoked we’ve picked him up.”

Bremner said a host of First XI guns had been among Phelan’s biggest advocates.

“I know ‘Banners’ (Liam Banthorpe), Ejaaz (Alavi) and ‘Ruddy’ (Jack Rudd) were really keen on him the year before I took over,” Bremner said.

“For his own reasons, he stayed at Northcote, but he’s been really keen to come on board and start again.”

McNicholl will vie for a List A contract with Irish club Munster, after blitzing his way into the Premier Team of the Year in his maiden season at the Lions off the back of 40 wickets at 15.9.

Premier Cricket: Fitzroy Doncaster's Sean McNicholl is off to try and make a go of a career in Ireland. Picture: Supplied

“We’re really supportive of his move to go and pursue his dream of professional cricket in Ireland and we think he’ll make a really good fist of it over there,” Bremner said of the ex-Greenvale man.

Bremner said the club would look internally to fill the void, touting experienced head Kobe Smith among the suitors.

A long-time fixture in the First XI, Smith emerged for his maiden top-flight appearance of the season in the final home-and-away round clash with St Kilda this year, finishing with spells of 4-21 and 3-34.

“Ideally we would like to strengthen our bowling, but we also think we’ve got really good depth in the club and we need to back in the players we already have,” Bremner said.

“We’re confident we have the depth to cover his (McNicholl’s) loss.”

Key batsman Liam Smith (overseas) is also among the departures since season’s end.

But there could be another star batting recruit in the works, with Melbourne Renegades Big Bash man Josh Brown in the Lions’ sights.

The 30-year-old has struck the interest of several clubs.

“We’re like many clubs who would be really keen on Josh joining us,” Bremner said.

“But we understand there’s many clubs out there and at the end of the day, it’s up to him.”