VTCA: Sunshine YCW eyeing further success after premiership double

Sunshine YCW is celebrating its first premiership double in more than two decades and the VTCA club believes it’s better prepared to deal with promotion this time around. Here’s why.

The premiership double at Sunshine YCW.

It might only have just secured a premiership double but Sunshine YCW is determined for more success.

The VTCA outfit claimed the First and Second XI flags in Division 5 over the weekend.

It was the first time since 2001-02 both sides have claimed the premiership in the same season.

President Shaun Janetzki said the club was now keen to keep moving through the grades.

He labelled the competition’s bottom tier as the “hardest division to get out of”.

“For us it’s about continuing to build,” Janetzki said.

“Ten of the 11 in the First XI are staying which is huge and we’ve already started talking to players about potentially coming across.

“Our aim is to play finals, we’re not going to shy away from that. When we last won the grand final in 2016-17, we lost several guys out of the team and were immediately relegated. I feel we’re in a better position this time.

“I’ve seen clubs we used to play against in Division 5 up in the harder grades now so there’s every reason to believe we can keep moving up.

“For a club who runs three senior teams to come away

YCW’s premiership win was built on the back of a successful bowling performance led by Dylan Payne who claimed 4-21 off 12 overs.

It was a remarkable turnaround in form for Payne, who celebrated his 20th birthday the day before the game, having not taken a wicket in recent weeks.

“He had been bowling very well without reward,” he said.

“He was named player of the match and took the last catch which topped it all off.”

The club’s run to the grand final was nothing short of a rollercoaster.

In the second last round of the home-and-away season, YCW dropped from second on the ladder to fifth.

Then in the final round they needed results to go their way after overcoming Melton Centrals.

Against the odds, YCW then got the better of minor premier Donnybrook in the semi-final.

“Slipping down the ladder that late in the season was a bitter pill to swallow,” Janetzki said.

“On the Saturday night of the last round, we were sitting around the club waiting for results to come in because there wasn’t live scoring in the other games.

“It was a massive relief when we got in. We knew we could beat anyone, it was just a matter of having the opportunity.”