Old Students will be turning to its young guns for Cricket Shepparton’s 2024-25 Haisman Shield season.
This is according to newly-appointed senior club coach Vince Gagliardi, who has been involved at Old Students for the past three decades and has spent considerable time with junior cricket development in a local and representative capacity.
Gagliardi has also worked as an administrator at the club and is a former president.
While the new coach knows that the cricket season is still a fair way off, Gagliardi said he had a clear idea of what he would bring to the club during his time as head coach.
“My style is going to be coaching to whatever our needs are and, at the moment, that is going to be a lot of intensity at training and setting the standards, keeping those standards and having player engagement,” he said.
“As a group and as a club going forward, we need everyone to be on the same page, so we need to unite the group with what we want to achieve and where we want to go.
“It will be a lot of the players driving it, not just me because I can’t do it by myself.
“I think that is something that we got away from; we need to start actually thinking about our cricket, especially with two-day cricket.
“Definitely need more of a thought process about game plans, weaknesses and how we can improve, so definitely working on the mental side of things.”
Old Students’ 2023-24 season was filled with rises and pitfalls as the club unearthed a few young guns, but at the same time, struggled to convert the bright spark of youth into victories, finishing in 11th place with three wins from 12 games.
Gagliardi believes that a mix of the club’s vibrant youth and increased output from the team’s more experienced players will help Old Students develop.
“I think you have got to look out for the guys that are starting to break through as last year Sammy O’Brien had a great year for a 16-year-old with 200-odd runs, Oscar Lambourn as well,” he said.
“Opening, we have in B-grade Nate Earl, who is coming through as well, Darcy Smyth; there are a number of kids in there which we can expect to see some good things.
“Our improvement needs to also come from our senior guys like our captain Cal (McCabe); there is definitely improvement in him, and Felix (Odell) had a good year, but I think he can have a better year, but I think if our captain can improve by 20 per cent, it will go a long way.
“I’m really excited about the next journey.
“The club has been a big part of my life as I have been here for 30 years, my son is playing here.”
Cricket Shepparton’s Haisman Shield competition is expected to start later this year in mid-October.