Cricket news: Mitch Marsh’s batting coach Scott Meuleman reveals secret behind Allan Border medal win

Mitch Marsh may have been all jokes when he won the Allan Border medal, but the idea he just decided to become the nation’s best all-format male cricketer does not do justice to the work he put in behind the scenes.

The onstage picture painted by Mitch Marsh would have you believe that his rise to the top of Australian cricket came about through a combination of tinnies and tonking.

And yet while it is no myth that Marsh is fond of a drink, the idea that he just decided to free the arms one day and in turn became the nation’s best all-format male cricketer does not do justice to the work he put in behind the scenes.

Certainly that is the view of Scott Meuleman, the personal batting coach mentioned by Marsh in his acceptance speech after claiming the Allan Border Medal on Wednesday night in a result that would have been difficult to foresee even in the middle of last year, let alone three or four years ago.

Mitch Marsh poses with the Allan Border Medal after a stunning turnaround in form. Picture: Getty Images

Like Marsh, Meuleman was born into a famous West Australian cricket family, with his late grandfather Ken playing Test cricket and father Bob representing WA, as did Scott across 19 first-class matches in the early 2000s.

A friend and former teammate of Mitch’s older brother Shaun, Meuleman was referred to the younger Marsh brother in 2017. They have worked together since, particularly during Marsh’s home stints.

There has been plenty of tinkering with Marsh’s game over that period, with various focuses.

Support from wife Greta, Australian captain Pat Cummins and coach Andrew McDonald have allowed Marsh to play with a degree of impunity by which he has felt free to do the things he does best without being stifled by a fear of failure.

Marsh’s personal batting coach Scott Meuleman has praised the star’s hard work in transforming his game. Picture: AFP

“As he’s probably alluded to, over the last year he’s maybe played with a bit more freedom, maybe put a bit less pressure on himself. But it’s been a progression,” Meuleman told this masthead.

But it hasn’t been all beer and skittles. Some beer though, yes.

“And he does work hard. I mean, he might be a tongue-in-cheek joke that he’s a bit overweight and loves beer. But he does work hard. He does put in the time,” Meuleman said.

And it would be oversimplifying things to say that Marsh has just started slogging his way to success.

There have been gradual technical tweaks to improve vulnerable areas of Marsh’s game.

“Initially probably the start point was picking up the length,” Meuleman said.

“That’s one of my biggest coaching philosophies is actually going forward and back. And actually. I think I felt like he was more just a front foot sort of because he was so strong on the front, often it can happen with guys that are as strong as that, they come through juniors and no one can really push them back too often. So they that’s where they just get in the natural habit of doing so initially probably worked on just picking up the length.

“Ultimately, that made him a lot stronger player off the back foot which is almost the strength now. So yeah, I think that was probably one of the big changes.

“And then …(there’s the) releasing of his hands through cover drives. Also hitting I guess hitting in white-ball formats, he would often check drive a bit and I guess what my theory was someone with that much power, if he can get released and generate a bit more bat speed that even his mis-hits are quite likely to still go to six. Whereas with the check drive, I felt like it was he got in the middle it was going for six, but if he didn’t it potentially brings long-off and long-on into the equation. It’s always little things.”

At the heart of the matter though is Marsh always had natural attributes that teased several national selection panels that such a night could arrive. It took well over a decade from his international debut, but Marsh’s legacy is secure: the team’s top player – and by some distance – in what was a red-letter year for the national side.

“Cricket is such a technical game and I guess it’s a lot of my philosophies in coaching have come from my granddad and obviously my father,” Meuleman said.

“But ultimately, the end of the day, you know, you’re working with someone who’s got an amazing level of ability. It all comes back to having someone that can obviously put that all into place and then willing to work hard, which he’s done.”

Further celebrations are in order. Meuleman plans to catch up with Marsh this weekend in Perth.

“Maybe have a beer with him.”

Originally published as Cricket news: Mitch Marsh’s batting coach Scott Meuleman reveals secret behind Allan Border medal win