When it comes to Cricket Shepparton’s A-grade competition, Central Park-St Brendan’s has by far and away been the dominant team of the 21st century.
The Tigers kicked off the new millennium with a Haisman Shield premiership in 2000, later going on to claim an incredible seven consecutive flags from 2004-2011 and a hat-trick of grand final wins in 2014, 2015 and 2016.
Now, a fresh crop of young Tigers will be looking to earn their stripes in this season’s final against Katandra on Saturday.
Connor Holland, Kieran Hogeboom and Max Hooper have surnames synonymous with Central Park-St Brendan’s.
Holland will be looking to follow in the footsteps of his father, Peter — a Lightfoot medallist, seven-time premiership player and club legend at the Tigers.
Holland said he was looking forward to taking on the Eagles in the decider.
“There are obviously nerves and stuff like that, but we had playing in the last game of the season as a team goal for the entire season,” Holland said.
“It is a good achievement for the team to get there, but we want to go one better.
“We know it is going to be tough with the quality of the opposition in Katandra.”
The 21-year-old grew up at Tigerland and said it would be special to earn a grand final victory at a club he had spent so much of his life at.
“It would mean a lot having grown up at Central Park with my old man playing in a bunch of flags, growing up and seeing all the celebrations and seeing how much jubilation it brings to those fellas,” he said.
“The club is like a second family. There are a lot of people throughout the club I have known since I was a little kid.”
Holland made his A-grade debut for the Tigers as a 14-year-old in the 2015-16 season — the season the club won its most recent premiership — but did not feature on grand final day.
He now has a chance to earn his first A-grade premiership medal, the first step in trying to catch his dad’s tally of seven Haisman Shield medallions — although Holland said he didn’t think that was likely.
“A win would mean a lot, especially because I have a lot of chasing to get where Dad got to, but that won’t be happening,” he said, jokingly.
“Never say never, but I am 99 per cent sure that is not going to happen.”
Young Tiger on the hunt
Alongside Holland, Hooper will be another youngster out on the field for the Tigers.
At 15, Hooper only made his A-grade debut after Christmas.
Now, he is about to play for the Haisman Shield — something he said he could never have anticipated.
“I did not think I was going to play in the A-grade team and then come this far and make it to the grand final,” Hooper said.
“When I started playing I was hoping we could go all the way and hopefully we can do it on Saturday.
“It is a bit nerve-racking only being 15 and playing in an A-grade grand final and only being in the team at the back end of the season, but it is exciting too.
“It is a very big step up from B-grade, especially the intensity and the skill level. I started in the A-grade T20s and got a rough idea and then got the call-up to play in the As. It’s a big step up, but I am liking it.”
The Tigers knocked off minor premier Kyabram in the semi-finals last weekend to reach the final, prevailing by six wickets.
Hooper played a crucial role for the Tigers that day, claiming the key wicket of Redbacks bat Kyle Mueller.
“It was a bit nerve-racking bowling to him at the start, knowing he is a very good bat,” Hooper said.
“The first ball of the over I bowled a full toss and it went for four, then the next one I dropped it short and I got him out caught.
“It felt very good, it was very exciting. After we got that wicket we knew we had a very good chance of winning.”
And win the Tigers did.
Now, Hooper has a chance to become a Haisman Shield premiership player.
“It would mean a lot to win, being so young,” he said.
“I wouldn’t think as a 15-year-old I would be playing in an A-grade grand final, let alone winning one. Hopefully we can get it done.”