LIAM DURKIN
CRICKET
By LIAM DURKIN NOT often this many legends are in one room. The inaugural presentation of the George W Munro Award was held at Ted Summerton Reserve, Moe on Sunday. The award, established last year, recognises those in Gippsland who have contributed greatly to junior cricket. Its namesake is the current Gippsland Cricket Region 7 president. With Region 7 encompassing all six associations across Gippsland, ranging from Bairnsdale to Warragul, Munro has been a lighting-rod for junior representative cricket, continually advocating and pushing for greater opportunities for young players. As the citation on the award states: The George W Munro Award Presented by the Board of Gippsland Cricket In recognition of outstanding and sustained contributions to the advancement of junior representative cricket programs run within Gippsland and/or elite junior programs in which Gippsland competes and the mentoring of junior cricketers competing at these events. Sunday represented the ideal time for those passionate about junior cricket across Gippsland to gather, as the regions Youth Premier League team, Gippsland Pride, was in action out on Ted Summerton Reserve. A total of 18 recipients were awarded certificates, including those from Traralgon District Cricket Association and Latrobe Valley District Cricket League. Among the throng was also legendary Warragul footballer and former Shield player Bob Baldry, and Graeme Anderson – father of Australian comedian Wil. Anderson, a dairy farmer from Heyfield, has given tremendous service to local cricket for the best part of 50 years, and his love for the game is undoubted. Upon receiving his certificate, he quipped how he still played cricket the day he was married, and made the trip to Country Week the day Wil was born. A humorous story told in his son’s book ‘Survival of the Dumbest’, tells how Wil told the old man he didn’t want to be a farmer because he didn’t want to spend the rest of his lift getting up at 5am to milk the cows. And sure enough, upon landing his first radio job, he was required to get up at 3.45am. The old man even called him on his first day to say “congratulations, now I’m just going to sleep for another hour”. Munro congratulated all award winners, and wished to acknowledge their contributions. “All those people deserve the award, let’s hope there is a lot more that get onto that shield because of the work they do in Gippsland junior cricket,” he said. Well-known SMCA identity David Anderson was also present, and spoke of the background in seeing the award established. George W Munro Award recipients Robert Baldry (Gippsland Cricket Region 7), Leon Davies (GCR7), Keith Henderson (GCR7), Brendan O’Loughlin (GCR7), Rod Pollock (GCR7), Ray Alvin (Bairnsdale), Tim Cavanagh (Bairnsdale), Max Semkin (Leongatha), Geoff Wyatt (Leongatha), Kristen Webber (Latrobe Valley), Ian Rossborough (Latrobe Valley), David P Little (Traralgon), David W Little and Mary Little (Traralgon), Darryl Webber (Traralgon), Graeme Anderson (Sale-Maffra), Ken Bailey (SMCA), Charlier Pierrehumbert (Warragul), Brian ‘Barney’ Snell (Warragul).
