Young gun’s rapid rise from local cricket club to Essendon’s First XI

Essendon young gun Connor Poulton was playing local cricket last season but a handful of games later is making a splash in the Bombers’ First XI.

Essendon trio (from left) Connor Poulton, Tom O'Donnell and Farzan Chowna.

Just 13 games ago, Connor Poulton was playing local cricket for Yarraville Club in the VTCA.

Two Third XI and five Second XI appearances later he made his Premier Cricket First XI debut for Essendon and is one of the competition’s rising stars.

It’s a rapid rise for the 18-year-old wicketkeeper who has a pair of half-centuries and 13 dismissals in his last four matches.

In just six matches he already has six stumpings – the most of any wicketkeeper in the competition.

Essendon coach Ash Cavigan has been amazed at his young charge’s progression.

Connor Poulton in action for Yarraville Club. Picture: Hamish Blair

“He was identified a few years ago when Mitch Johnstone was still coach,” Cavigan said.

“He had a few training sessions with us then and then we got him in for a couple of sessions last year and we played him in the last couple of Third XI games to have a bit of a look.

“We thought he was going to be alright but he’s definitely going to be a very, very good player, so we’re pretty excited and lucky to have him.

“You talk to our spinners about his impact on our team, they love it.

“No disrespect to previous keepers, Connor just converts most of the opportunities.”

It’s not just behind the stumps that Poulton has impressed.

The Melton junior scored a maiden half-century in Essendon’s Round 9 loss to St Kilda – a team-high 61 – when the Bombers were 4-22.

He again delivered under pressure on Saturday, playing a critical role in the Bombers’ 20-run win over Fitzroy Doncaster.

Coming to the crease at 3-30, Poulton scored another team-high 57 before claiming three catches and a pair of stumpings.

“On the weekend we were under a lot of pressure, we came in at 3-30 in about the 10th over and got out in the 47th or 48th.

“He and Tommy O’Donnell had a really good partnership and then he and Musa (Hussain) navigated that back end really well and battled hard to get that 172 score.

“Against St Kilda he was in at 4-20 and got 61, that highlights his temperament and knowledge of his game and ability to deal with pressure.

“I can’t wait to see his two-day stuff, temperament and technique wise he’s really nice to watch.”

Poulton played 28 senior games at Yarraville Club in the VTCA’s Senior Division.

He can count Ryder Medallist Trent Lawford, former Essendon coach Johnstone, former Premier players James Damjanovski and Will Sheridan and ex-AFL star Adam Contessa as teammates.

Cavigan has no doubt the extra season with the Clubbers made Poulton a more Premier-ready cricketer.

Essendon trio (from left) Connor Poulton, Tom O'Donnell and Farzan Chowna.

“He’s an intelligent young man and pretty mature,” Cavigan said.

“He made a really good decision himself to have the extra year at Yarraville Club, which has really worked well for him.

“He had a couple of years with Trent Lawford and Will Sheridan and played good hard cricket against men.

“Whoever helped him with that decision making has helped him out a lot with his cricket because it’s helped him progress as quickly as he has.

“Already he’s got a good understanding of what he can and can’t do.

“He comes to training and he’s very specific with what he wants, which isn’t always the case with guys that age, they generally ask the coaches what they need to work on.”

In his last season with Yarraville Club he compiled just 167 runs with 18 dismissals but scored 375 runs at 62.50 in the under-18 competition.

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He defied that form to score 43 not out on debut for Essendon’s Third XI in 2020-21 and scored a half-century and claimed seven dismissals in the Second XI this season before earning promotion.

Given the rapid development, Cavigan believes he can go even higher.

“It’s a big call, I don’t want to put any more pressure on him, but if I was up above I would be watching very closely,” he said.

“He’s one to monitor, see what performances he puts up in the next couple of years with bat and gloves. They’ve got to get down and have a look.”