Our president, Paul Sheahan AM, bade farewell after 15 years in the role when he was inducted as a Victorian Lord’s Taverners’ Legend at a prestigious dinner held at Royal South Yarra Tennis Club – but Paul certainly has not severed his ties with the “Tavs”. The present MCC president and former Test batsman is moving up the batting order to take over as national president of the organization from John Lill, while Cricket Victoria CEO Tony Dodemaide has been nominated as the next president of the Victorian branch.
Tony’s appointment is expected to be endorsed at the annual general meeting to be held in the Melbourne Cricket Club’s Committee Room on October 28. All members are invited to attend the AGM, which will provide us with a rare opportunity to set foot inside this august chamber.
After receiving his Legends citation, Paul admitted that when he retired from first class cricket at 27, his best years as a batsman would have been ahead of him. “I was really a schoolteacher who played cricket,” he said, adding with candour that he probably had it too easy, too early.
“I think growing up my parents were too protective and I would love to retrace my steps and do it all over again in a different way.” Most cricket lovers would endorse those sentiments expressed by one of the most elegant batsmen to have played the game at the highest level.
Also inducted into our growing band of Legends, and fittingly the inaugural female, was Sharon Tredrea, the trailblazer for women’s cricket in Victoria. An aggressive allrounder, Sharon made her debut for Victoria in 1972-73 and rose to captain Australia against New Zealand and England. As a one-day captain, she won 14 out of 15 internationals and became the first woman to score a half century at Lord’s.
An absolute highlight of the evening was the brilliant and emotional speech by Bill Woodfull’s daughter, Jill Armour, who accepted the citation that also saw the great Test opener and Australian captain post-humously inducted as a Legend.
Victorian branch chairman John Kilgour summed up the audience reaction when he said afterwards that it was an honour to hear Jill’s recollections about growing up in the Woodfull family.
“They were wonderful insights into a truly remarkable man,” John said. “He was a man who refused to retaliate under any circumstances – a man who held true to his values and a man who played cricket in the spirit of our great game. He approached life the same way.
“It was a truly emotional and humbling experience listening to Jill.”
It also emerged at the dinner that serious moves are taking place to further honour Bill Woodfull’s memory by naming Carlton Cricket Club's current home ground, Princes Park No.1, after him.Earlier in the evening, Yarra Valley schoolboy Sam Harper was named the Male Junior Victorian Taverner of the Year. The young wicketkeeper-batsman, who is set to tour Sri Lanka with the Under-19 squad and is a former Dowling Shield Player of the Year, is one the brightest prospects in Victorian cricket.
The Female Junior Taverner of the Year is Bairnsdale’s Sophie Molineux, who handles a bat like Aaron Finch – she hit 98 off 74 balls against Western Australia last season, the last 83 from 34 deliveries. Sophie is off to the Centre of Excellence camp in Brisbane shortly together with Nicola Hancock, who was named the Betty Butcher Emerging Player for 2014
Tony’s appointment is expected to be endorsed at the annual general meeting to be held in the Melbourne Cricket Club’s Committee Room on October 28. All members are invited to attend the AGM, which will provide us with a rare opportunity to set foot inside this august chamber.
After receiving his Legends citation, Paul admitted that when he retired from first class cricket at 27, his best years as a batsman would have been ahead of him. “I was really a schoolteacher who played cricket,” he said, adding with candour that he probably had it too easy, too early.
“I think growing up my parents were too protective and I would love to retrace my steps and do it all over again in a different way.” Most cricket lovers would endorse those sentiments expressed by one of the most elegant batsmen to have played the game at the highest level.
Also inducted into our growing band of Legends, and fittingly the inaugural female, was Sharon Tredrea, the trailblazer for women’s cricket in Victoria. An aggressive allrounder, Sharon made her debut for Victoria in 1972-73 and rose to captain Australia against New Zealand and England. As a one-day captain, she won 14 out of 15 internationals and became the first woman to score a half century at Lord’s.
An absolute highlight of the evening was the brilliant and emotional speech by Bill Woodfull’s daughter, Jill Armour, who accepted the citation that also saw the great Test opener and Australian captain post-humously inducted as a Legend.
Victorian branch chairman John Kilgour summed up the audience reaction when he said afterwards that it was an honour to hear Jill’s recollections about growing up in the Woodfull family.
“They were wonderful insights into a truly remarkable man,” John said. “He was a man who refused to retaliate under any circumstances – a man who held true to his values and a man who played cricket in the spirit of our great game. He approached life the same way.
“It was a truly emotional and humbling experience listening to Jill.”
It also emerged at the dinner that serious moves are taking place to further honour Bill Woodfull’s memory by naming Carlton Cricket Club's current home ground, Princes Park No.1, after him.Earlier in the evening, Yarra Valley schoolboy Sam Harper was named the Male Junior Victorian Taverner of the Year. The young wicketkeeper-batsman, who is set to tour Sri Lanka with the Under-19 squad and is a former Dowling Shield Player of the Year, is one the brightest prospects in Victorian cricket.
The Female Junior Taverner of the Year is Bairnsdale’s Sophie Molineux, who handles a bat like Aaron Finch – she hit 98 off 74 balls against Western Australia last season, the last 83 from 34 deliveries. Sophie is off to the Centre of Excellence camp in Brisbane shortly together with Nicola Hancock, who was named the Betty Butcher Emerging Player for 2014
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