Willetton Premier Cricket Club officially launched their 2024/5 season last week, bringing together players, families, and cricket icons for a night of celebration.
In attendance were special guests, and legends of the club, D’Arcy Short, an accomplished international T20 and ODI batter, Cameron Bancroft, a talented wicket-keeper-batter who has excelled in both Test and T20 formats, and a former spinner, two-time ICC World Cup winner Brad Hogg.
Blue caps were presented to the Under 13, 14, 15, and 17 teams by the special guests, chosen after a challenging selection process from 271 applications.
After being named in the Willetton Dragon’s Team of the Past 40 Years last year, Brad Hogg was awarded a special blue cap of his own on the night, recognising his long-standing contributions to the club.
Addressing the young players after receiving his cap, Hogg said it was an honour to be selected in the team and wished them well for the season ahead, believing they’re in good hands around at the club.
“If you’ve got aspirations to play at higher levels, play for Australia and so forth, you’ve got that big dream, but most importantly, just work on what you’ve got to do right now, don’t think too far ahead, enjoy the moment right now,” Hogg said.
“If it weren’t for these guys at the club, my dreams wouldn’t have come true. They’ve always kept me level, and they’ve always taught me the right way to go about it.”
Club president Carl Sanders was pleased to see the strong turnout and support from the community, as well as both past and present players, and said the presence of the cricket stars means the world to the young up-and-comers.
“It’s always good to have our legends of the club in attendance at our functions; it demonstrates what the club means to them,” Sanders said.
“The players always get a lift when they are in attendance and are able to discuss cricket matters and seek advice from them, it’s so priceless.”
Now in their 41st year since relocating from the WACA to Willetton, the club has continued to foster a strong sense of community in the local area.
Among those who have been touched by the club is former State Minister for Sport and Recreation Terry Waldron, who spoke about the impact the club has had on him.
“I spent a lot of time in the country, so for an old bloke who loved his cricket, this Cricket Club sort of made me feel at home and really helped me and my family when I came back to Perth and felt a little bit lost,” Waldron said.
“It’s so brilliant to see so many young cricketers here and all the senior players, many of whom are still very young themselves, involved with a great club like this.”
Also revealed on the night was that telehealth company Hola Health would be their major sponsor for the next three years, with the B1 and B2 ovals at Burrendah Park now set to be known as Hola Park as part of the new sponsorship deal.
Sponsorship Director at the Dragons, Steve Dobson, believes the club’s success across all grades stems not only from the dedication of players and coaches but also from the hard work of the club’s committees.
“Sport is an expensive business; what you see here doesn’t just appear,” he said.
“It takes a lot of work in the background, and that costs money, so sponsors are critical to any community clubs, let alone a Premier Club, we cannot thank them enough.”
The Willetton Men’s First team, featuring D’Arcy Short, will take on the Scarborough Gulls this Saturday, October 12, at Abbett Park Reserve.”
