CRICKET
Expected incoming Traralgon and District Cricket Association president Steve Kay says the association will continue to operate regardless of whether the proposed Latrobe Valley Cricket Association goes ahead or not.
Kay will nominate for the position of TDCA president at its annual general meeting on Monday and The Express understands he is unlikely to be opposed.
“The TDCA will operate and continue to operate and there’s no doubt on that,” Kay said.
“Whether it operates with five sides, six sides, eight sides, nine sides … it will operate and it will stay in business.”
Last week the Central Gippsland Cricket Association and five breakaway TDCA clubs met and decided to officially pursue the development of the LVCA.
Kay, who served on the TDCA executive until 10 years ago, acknowledged the value of the proposed LVCA but endorsed the current two-competition structure.
“I have watched from afar and I can certainly see merit in what [the Latrobe Valley Cricket Review Committee] are trying to do,” he said.
“What I’d like to see … is two clubs go to Central Gippsland and help resurrect the association and leave us to do what we’ve got to do to resurrect our association.”
“That would give them eight or nine teams for a competition and us eight or nine teams and would allow them to restructure and have a go for a year or so and make it work, and the same for us.”
He said TDCA clubs Churchill and MTY Raiders would likely move to the LVCA but said the executive was working to retain Glengarry, Centrals, Traralgon West and CATS.
“I can see that to rescue the CGCA, they want [Churchill and MTY Raiders] and, as sad as it would be to lose them, I can understand it and I get it,” Kay said.
“I want these [clubs] to stay in Traralgon. I’m hoping they have a bit of faith in me and the new executive to go forward and say ‘let’s give it a go’.
“I’ve had a chat to two of the clubs and I intend to chat to the other three clubs.”
Kay admitted the TDCA would “have to change a few things” in order to “resurrect the competition” and signalled his intent to “reset a new executive”.
“We’ve had an internal review committee who are going to present to the executive after the AGM … and this has sparked the review and I think that’s sometimes required,” he said.
“We need to get our act together and start the ball rolling.”
Kay said there were “some really good things in the pipeline” for the TDCA and earmarked the need to rejuvenate the competition from the ground up.
“The formula is simple. It starts at the bottom and you’ve got to make sure the kids are looked after,” he said.
“I want kids playing white ball cricket on a Friday night at an under-14 and under-16 level … I want to utilise the facilities we have and have our clubs playing under lights.”
Kay said the Latrobe Valley was “not ready for the LVCA” but refused to rule out the possibility of future changes to cricket in the region.
“If, down the track, Central Gippsland didn’t work and Traralgon and District didn’t work – fine,” he said.
“If you’re going to do this then it has to be done on the basis of everyone being on the same wavelength, and right at the moment they’re not.”
