Sub-District cricket: Jack Sheehan elevated to hall of fame

Legendary Subbies player and administrator Jack Sheehan has been added to the VSDCA hall of fame.

Jack Sheehan (right) with former Cricket Victoria CEO Ken Jacobs.

All night they made a steady procession to his table to offer their congratulations.

John “Jack’’ Sheehan shook so many hands it would be no surprise if his right paw is sore today.

He must have felt famous.

In fact, he’d just been added to a hall-of-fame, the Victorian Sub-District Cricket Association’s, in recognition of his long playing career at Caulfield and his administration at club and competition level.

The “Subbies’’ association was formed more than a century ago.

Sheehan was its president when Cricket Victoria came up with a “turf taskforce’’ and a contentious proposal to create cricket regions and competitions.

It meant the Sub-District association would be dismantled and its clubs allocated to metropolitan zones.

Jack Sheehan speaks after his elevation to the VSDCA hall of fame.

Sheehan dug in like Geoffrey Boycott at his determined best.

“We’ll fight it tooth and nail,’’ he declared, adding that the VSDCA remained a vibrant and relevant competition, and had produced 10 Premier clubs.

“We haven’t got a crystal ball but whatever happens in the future we’ll be defending our competition as one of the best in Melbourne,” Sheehan said.

Last night at the VSDCA annual presentation dinner former CV chief executive Ken Jacobs presented Sheehan with a plaque for his elevation to the hall of fame.

As he did, Jacobs called him “the man who saved Sub-District cricket’’.

Sheehan’s speech was stirring: eloquent and passionate as he recalled his start at Caulfield, the history of the VSDCA and its longstanding officials, and his hopes for its future.

The competition expanded to 32 clubs on Monday night.

Jack Sheehan and other Caulfield greats with the legendary Harold Little (right).

Sheehan was delighted.

“Why wouldn’t clubs want to come and join the Victorian Sub-District and play that standard of cricket in this state?’’ he said.

Sheehan had joined the Fielders as an “18-year-old boy, probably wet behind the ears’’.

“They mentored me. They were very much like a second family,’’ he said.

“I had an opportunity to play elsewhere, higher, but I didn’t want to leave Caulfield because I felt very comfortable … Caulfield had struggled for 30 or 40 years in terms of where they were on the ladder, but there was a group of people saying they wanted to improve, to get off their bottom and get up the top and start playing finals cricket.

“They didn’t want to be known as a good social club. They wanted to be known as a good cricket club that enjoyed social occasions. To that I’m very grateful.’’

A skilful and accurate medium pace bowler, Sheehan had an outstanding career in Caulfield’s top team.

In 204 matches, spread from 1970-71 to 1987-88, he claimed 557 wickets at an average of 14.78 – the third-most wickets for the club, behind WJ Rayson and Keith Walker.

On 34 occasions he claimed five wickets in an innings and once he took 10 wickets in a match, returns of 7-29 and 5-31 against Brunswick in a final.

There were some hefty hauls for him: a staggering 64 wickets at 10.64 in 1976-77, 53 at 13.03 in 1980-81 and 52 at 12.76 in 1975-76.

And, for the club that wanted to be known for playing good cricket, he figured in the 1977-78 and 1980-81 championship teams and the group premier side of 1976-77.

Sheehan served Caulfield just as mightily off the field.

He was president from 1989-94, 1999-2003 and 2004-2009 – 17 seasons in total – and its VSDCA delegate for 20 years.

Jack Sheehan (right) with VSDCA board member and former Victorian opener Geoff Richardson (left) and Caulfield captain Jacob Thorne.

At association level he was vice-president from 200102 to 2008-09 and president from 2009-10 to 2016-17.

Sheehan was on the executive for 23 seasons and the VSDCA delegate to Cricket Victoria for 17, as well as the VSDCA delegate to the VCCL for seven seasons.

He’s been the VSDCA patron since 2017-18.

“The thing that makes Jack special is that he was elite as both a player and as an administrator … most people are either one or the other,’’ Caulfield president and former premiership captain Shaun Richardson said.

Referring to his elevation to the hall of fame, Sheehan said it was an “honour to join Sub-District royalty’’.

He said his 51 years in the competition had “gone very, very quickly’’.

“I’d do it all over again,’’ he said.

“It wasn’t a chore. It was a labour of love, and in a finishing quote, long live Sub-District.’’

VSDCA hall of fame

John Barnes (Williamstown)

Colin Hyland (Ormond)

John Craig (Ormond)

William Rayson (Caulfield)

WJ (Bill) Dowling (Brunswick)

Gordon Robinson (Brighton)

Ken Fewster OAM (Box Hill, Balwyn)

John Salvado (Ivanhoe, Malvern, Croydon)

E.A. (Dick) Goss (Hawthorn, Camberwell)

John Swanson (Brunswick)

Ian Aitken (umpire)

Graeme Anderson (Port Melbourne)

Keith James (Balwyn)

John Wildsmith (Sunshine)

Geoff Turner (Broadmeadows, Brunswick)

Jack Sheehan (Caulfield)