CRICKET

CLV

By LIAM DURKIN

 

EVERYONE says they want leaders who tell it like it is.

Cricket Latrobe Valley has exactly that in newly-elected president, Evan Sheekey.

The straight-shooting Sheekey was elected unopposed at the league’s annual meeting this month.

As is often the case, Sheekey found his new job rather innocuously, following coffee and a chat with fellow CLV board member, Pat Spiteri.

“We just got talking about it, got put onto me about whether I’d be interested, I said ‘as a last resort’, but (then) had a bit more of a think about it,” Sheekey said.

“It’s an ageing community, so I think it’s good initiative, good thing to get someone my age, around 40 years, to get involved in the board side of things.”

While Sheekey admitted he was stepping in “wide-eyed” and “freshly faced”, he had also received a great deal of support.

“All the feedback I’ve got, everyone is on board, they’ve all backed me in,” he said.

“Hopefully I can fill the shoes of Cricket Latrobe Valley as president and do it justice.”

Sheekey has previous experience in sports administration, serving as president of Yallourn Yallourn North Football-Netball Club.

He oversaw the Jets through a chaotic period taking in a change of league from the Mid Gippsland Football-Netball League to the North Gippsland FNL.

As if changing league’s wasn’t complicated enough, YYN did it during the pandemic, winning flags either side of local sport returning.

Sheekey also brings on-the-ground understanding to the presidency, having played for a host of cricket clubs across the region, and volunteering in junior sport.

“Every club is different but ever club’s the same, it’s a bit contradictive, but most clubs are the same with how they go about it,” he said.

“This time of year it is pretty quiet, just getting the rules up and dated for the first president’s meeting (expected to be held in the next four to six weeks).

“That’s when all the other clubs have had their AGM, we know who we’re dealing with, we can finalise the booklet for the 25/26 season and we can look at rocking into cricket season.”

Sheekey himself will play this season, going around again for Moe, but did not anticipate this would negatively affect his ability to serve as league president.

“Come Saturday arvo I’ll have my club hat on, Saturday before that it will be all things Cricket Latrobe Valley,” he said.

“I’ll play where I’m required. I’m still pretty keen, fittest I’ve ever been so I’ll still be running around.”

Inevitably, participation in cricket remains a challenge, exacerbated by the fact the sport is time-consuming and most of its participants are now time-poorer.

Sheekey however was hopeful the 20-club strong CLV could see the sport prosper.

“Making the environment now for these kids to thrive and their families to go along with it,” he said of his vision.

“Life/balance comes into it now with family and both partners working. Cricket does take a lot of time away from the family home for those who have got young children.

“We’re here to strengthen, make this (the league) a force and a development for future stars that are going to come out of it.”

When asked about representative cricket, Sheekey said the CLV board would do all it could to ensure the league was well represented in the Gippsland Cricket League (GCL) and at Melbourne Country Week.

CLV did not send a team to country week last season, after failing to attract enough interest from players.

“Most clubs and players want country week, so the board will work to put the right people in those positions,” he said.

“(It’s) definitely something we’ve got to work towards. It’s about finding the right leader, the one that wants to be there and having the players that want to make themselves committed for that (representative cricket is played on Sundays).

“I know when I was playing GCL it was an honour, and that’s what we’ve got to try and get it back to.

“With being the second-biggest league in country Victoria, we should be at Provincial at Country Week (the highest grade), but it all depends on the commitment from the players.

“We’ll put it out, get a manager, get a captain, experienced players that want to go, and get the best side that we can get, we’re not going to go half-asked and mediocre.”

Away from cricket, Sheekey works in construction management, and said his schedule was flexible enough to allow him the time needed to be league president.

Most importantly, he was given the all clear from his better half to do the job.

Stepping in for the first time however, he has called for some understanding.

“I don’t know it all. We’re (the board) there to serve, but let’s have respect back the other way,” he said.

Sheekey has given a personal guarantee of at least two terms, while his predecessor, Brad Howlett will remain on the board. The latter was instrumental in overseeing the first two seasons of CLV, as the former Traralgon District Cricket Association and Latrobe Valley District Cricket League merged.