North Shore Cricket Club works with the City of Greater Geelong to safeguard its future

A Geelong cricket club has found its sweet spot after it withdrew from the GCA’s fourth division, as several local councillors join the fight to safeguard its survival.

North Shore Cricket Club has aspirations of establishing a junior program. Picture: North Shore Cricket Club.

North Shore Cricket Club will not return to Geelong’s fourth division next season as the Seagulls work on a new plan to safeguard its future, its president says.

After producing just one win from its past two seasons in GCA4 first grade, the Seagulls opted out of first and second divisions for 2024-25.

Instead, it has been contesting three of GCA’s one day competitions this season, with the Seagulls currently in second place in GCA1 fifths and a chance of delivering the club a premiership.

Club president Andrew Brogden told this masthead the club was happy to maintain the status quo for next season.

“We’re probably better off where we are,” Brogden said.

North Shore Cricket Club will not return to GCA4 in 2025-26. Picture: North Shore Cricket Club.

“A lot more competitive, but I think it’s because of the grades we’re in.

“We’ve picked up two or three different players, but we’re not blowing anyone out of the water.

“It still would have been the same (result) in division four (this year).”

Brogden said the club had relied on some of its All Abilities players to make up the numbers, but the Seagulls were enjoying a measure of success.

“We don’t want to get too ahead of ourselves,” he said.

“It seems like we’ve turned the corner, things have gotten a bit better morale-wise around the club.

“I don’t want to disrupt that.

“We will keep the status quo for the next couple of years but who knows.”

Meanwhile, Brogden said the club still had a goal of setting up a junior program.

“We try to get one up and going every year, but there seems to be no interest in our area,” he said.

Geelong councillors Eddy and Stretch Kontelj have been assisting the North Shore football and cricket clubs. Picture: North Shore Cricket Club.

“Everyone seems to be at other clubs with an abundance of kids, but we have been trying to get a junior program off the ground.

“It won’t stop us from keeping on trying though.”

It comes as City of Geelong councillors, Eddy and Stretch Kontelj, have been working with several northern suburbs sporting clubs, including North Shore cricket and footy clubs, about their future.

In a social media post, Eddy Kontelj said there was “much work to be done”, including the assessment of future development and participation needs of both clubs.

Originally published as North Shore Cricket Club works with the City of Greater Geelong to safeguard its future