Tallarook will usher in a new era this Seymour District Cricket Association season, with club favourite Andrew Dundon set to take the reins as senior coach.
First joining the club in 1997 as a junior, Dundon has seen it all at Tallarook, gathering over two decades of experience as a fast bowler and big hitting lower order batter.
This experience will be vital for a young Tallarook A-grade team, who will be looking to climb back up the ladder after a fifth-placed finish last season.
Dundon will be supported by A-grade captain Lachlan Watts, who is coming off the back of another successful year as a leading cricketer in the competition.
He said it was an honour to accept the job and said his main focus as senior coach would be around the development of the club’s youth.
“It’s a great honour to coach Tallarook after being involved with the club for such a long time,” Dundon said.
“I’ll be putting a really strong emphasis on getting junior cricket back up and running and growing participation in our senior grades.
“Tallarook has been the most successful club in the competition over the last decade, and after missing finals last year, we’re going to be pushing hard to get back to the top.
“Our club is a great place to be and I’d encourage anyone who is thinking about cricket this year to get in touch and come and give it a go.”
Off the field, Dundon has been a valuable contributor to the club over the journey, filling key roles on the committee, volunteering on game day and coaching it’s junior grades.
This commitment made the decision to elevate Dundon to the job an easy one, and serves as a great reward for his years of hard work.
“Andy has been a long-term committee member, player, volunteer and junior coach in his time at the club,” Tallarook president Leigh Irving said.
“He is a huge part of our great club culture, and we pride ourselves on being a real family club.
“We are incredibly excited about this appointment and have no doubt he will do a great job this season.”
In terms of preparation for the upcoming season, which is slated to begin this Saturday, Irving said the club was well-placed from the top-down.
“The committee has been working incredibly hard over winter to make this season a successful one both on and off the field,” he said.
“We’re bringing back junior cricket and Woolworths Blast this year and would love to see some new faces around the joint.”
Prospective players can get in touch via email at secretary.tallarookcc@gmail.com or via Facebook.