Premier Cricket: Sam Elliott and Jake Fraser-McGurk rewarded with Cricket Victoria rookie deals

Three of the state’s best young talents have been rewarded with Cricket Victoria deals for 2019-20 after standout seasons in Premier Cricket. Find out who made the contract list.

Sam Elliott is one of Premier Cricket’s top young quicks. Picture: Valeriu Campan

Two of Premier Cricket’s best young talents have been rewarded with Cricket Victoria deals for 2019-20.

Fitzroy Doncaster’s Sam Elliott and Monash Tigers’ Jake Fraser-McGurk have each signed rookie contracts for next season.

Elliott is one of the competition’s best young quicks in the competition, taking 26 wickets in 16 games this season.

DANIEL SARTORI TO EXTEND PREMIER CRICKET CAREER

CHINTHAKA JAYASINGHE NAMED VTCA BEST PLAYER

ALLAN WISE NAMED COACH AT FOOTSCRAY

TRENT LAWFORD SIGNS AT YARRAVILLE CLUB

JACOB THORNE WINS FOURTH CONSECUTIVE VAL HOLTEN MEDAL

One champion Premier Cricket batsman this year described Elliott as “one of the most impressive bowlers” in the competition, adding “he hit the bat very hard and bowled with great control”.

Zac and Sam Elliott made their First XI debuts alongside each other in Round 1. Picture: Josie Hayden

The son of former Test batsman Matthew has suffered several injury setbacks in previous years and played five games of football with NAB League club Oakleigh Chargers in 2018.

He made his First XI debut in Round 1 last season alongside brother Zac.

Fraser-McGurk, 17, is considered among the rising stars in Victorian cricket.

Monash coach Shannon Young likened the hard-hitting batsman to white-ball star Glenn Maxwell in October.

“Fraser-McGurk was a kid who first came down to the club at 14 — super, super talented. Really, really gifted,” Young said.

“I guess for some of the guys who have been around our club a long time, the comparison is to a guy like Glenn Maxwell.”

Management group Estrella Sports describes Fraser-McGurk as “one of the most talented and destructive young batsmen in the country” on its website.

Jake Fraser-McGurk in a Melbourne Renegades practice game. Picture: Alan Barber

He crunched 177 from 113 deliveries for Vic Metro at last year’s national under-17s carnival, and made his Futures League debut in November.

Fraser-McGurk was in line to be the youngest debutant to play an Australian domestic T20 when he was named in Melbourne Renegades’ squad to face Sydney Sixers in December.

Camberwell Magpies captain Andrew Fekete also secured a contract after moving back from Tasmania last year.

Essendon batsman Aaron Ayre also returns to the list of contracted players for the first time since the 2016-17 season.

Quick Zak Evans was upgraded to a full contract from his rookie status in 2018-19.

Victoria’s 2019-20 squad

Aaron Ayre — Essendon

Scott Boland — Frankston Peninsula

Jackson Coleman — Melbourne

Xavier Crone — Carlton

Travis Dean — Footscray

Zak Evans — Ringwood

Andrew Fekete — Camberwell

Aaron Finch — Geelong

Sebastian Gotch — Melbourne

Peter Handscomb (C)* — St Kilda

Sam Harper — Melbourne

Marcus Harris — St Kilda

Mackenzie Harvey — Carlton

Jon Holland — Frankston Peninsula

Nic Maddinson — St Kilda

Glenn Maxwell — Fitzroy Doncaster

Tom O’Connell — Monash Tigers

James Pattinson — Dandenong

Will Pucovski — Melbourne

Jake Reed — Geelong

Matthew Short — Northcote

Peter Siddle — Dandenong

Will Sutherland — Prahran

Chris Tremain — Melbourne

Eamonn Vines — Geelong

Sam Elliott (Rookie Contract) — Fitzroy Doncaster

Jake Fraser-McGurk (Rookie Contract) — Monash Tigers

Jonathan Merlo (Rookie Contract) — St Kilda

Ed Newman (Rookie Contract) — Dandenong

Mitchell Perry (Rookie contract) — Monash Tigers

Patrick Rowe (Rookie contract) — St Kilda