RDCA 2023-24: Montrose wins Trollope Shield premiership in 45-year first
Bridesmaids no more, Montrose is toasting its first top-flight flag in more than 40 years. From club stalwarts, sons of guns and more, the president says “Every player has their own story” ...
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ONE of suburban cricket’s longest premiership droughts is no more.
Montrose is toasting its first top-grade flag since 1978-79 following its Lindsay Trollope Shield grand final victory over North Ringwood in the Ringwood & District Cricket Association.
Led by captain and man-of-the-match Shane Findlay who starred with a knock of 78, the Wolves put on 5-271 to sink the Bulls (235) by 36 runs.
It had been a way back for Montrose after it fell at the final hurdle to South Croydon in 2020-21 despite its red-hot favouritism.
Montrose president Damian Ford described the emotion on the weekend as “unbelievable”, as the rooms swelled with rusted-on supporters, past coaches and greats alike.
“In the rooms after the game, we had coaches that spanned back 25 years, sponsors, supporters, all crammed in the rooms for an hour while we all had our own little thing to say, it was unbelievable, really,” he said.
It’s a feat more than two decades in the making for club stalwart Michael Edwards, 40, who starred with 53 runs off 70 balls.
Jacob Crowe snared 5-48 – which included the scalp of Bulls’ keeper Aaron Leis on 71 – while Justin Perkins was unbeaten on 46 runs.
“For a guy like Michael Edwards who’s played 300 First XI games, he has been there since 2002 when he could have gone elsewhere to get that success,” Ford said.
“The likes of Jacob Crowe and Justin Perkins to get the success that we’ve been craving at the top level, it was an outpouring of emotion.
“Every player in that side has their own story.”
Family connections run deep through the Wolves’ First XI, with young guns Liam Storm and Blake Podesta saluting the flag that eluded their fathers – Ashley Storm and Anthony Podesta – both greats of the club.
“They’re young guys who are 19, 20 years old, both of their dads are hall of fame members, life members and club legends … for them to have sons playing in the game and achieving the success of a Chandler/Trollope flag that they were never able to achieve is remarkable,” Ford said.
“It ingrains the depth of the culture and connection for what it means to these two boys and their families.”
Late club great Barry Wellington – whose name adorns the club champion medal – was never far from collective Wolves’ thoughts.
“We lost Barry in the middle of last year, and I felt like on the weekend he was still with us, and the players were still wearing black armbands … the fact we could celebrate that for him as well means a lot to a lot of players,” Ford said.
“We were lucky enough to have Barry’s family there and we presented them with a premiership medallion on Sunday afternoon.
“They’re small things making sure that we don’t forget where we’ve come from.”
Meanwhile, Findlay’s heroics with the bat followed a move from Croydon North ahead of last season.
“He really set the springboard up for us on Saturday,” Ford said of the former Fitzroy Doncaster Premier cricketer.
“He probably deserved 100 with how well he batted … (but) it’s a great reward for him and it was a big decision to leave his junior club where he was a star player … it (the flag) justifies the move in my opinion.”
First XI coach Lincoln Grigg steered the Wolves to a near-unblemished record after Christmas.
It’s his fifth Chandler/Trollope flag – but his first as a coach – also overseeing son Cooper win a premiership.
Lincoln had been captain of the Wolves’ Second XI before taking a step back at the business end of the campaign and Ford said he would leave an indelible mark on the club.
“The decision the club made at Christmas to have Lincoln Grigg, an RDCA hall of famer, stop playing and ask him to focus his coaching efforts and direction on the First XI … then to go seven wins and one loss after Christmas and to be holding the cup up … he’s won four Chandler premierships as a player, and now done one as a coach at Montrose,” he said.
“He’ll write his name in the legacy and history of the club forever with that.”
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