Celebrating 175 years - Melbourne Cricket Club

CLUB NEWS
From the President
Paul Sheahan
It’s that time of year when I have an
opportunity to “free range” over a
number of topics that interest me.
Whether they interest you, the reader, I do
not know but at least I will feel better
having expressed my views!
We have just completed one of the most
unsatisfactory international cricket seasons
at the ’G with the playing of the final
one-day international on February 10. I say
that it was unsatisfactory because, at the
greatest cricket stadium in the world, we
have seen a total of five-and-a-half days of
the game played at international level.
Without wishing to point the finger
directly at any individual, it seems
inconceivable to me that the Test matches
finish so early in the season and that one of
the competitors in the limited overs form of
the game sneaks into the country
unannounced, is trounced and departs
again before the public has been given a
chance to gain some knowledge of who they
are.
The scheduling seems to be dictated by
the Indian Premier League, a forgettable
form of the game if there is one, the equally
unmemorable T20 Big Bash League and the
desires of the television broadcasters to fit
in with their global programming.
Is the public confused by the rather
staccato manner in which the season
unfolds? Are they sick of paying high
admission prices? Are they tired of crowd
behavior that occasionally sweeps up the
innocent with the guilty? Can they watch too
much on television from the comfort of
their homes?
Is enough cricket being played for the
game to form part of their summer
thinking? There was not an international
game played at the ’G between the end of
the Boxing Day Test on December 28 and
the one-day international on January 11,
followed by the T20 between Australia and
Sri Lanka more than a fortnight later on
January 28 – a long time between drinks for
a sport-hungry city.
There are many questions for Cricket
Australia and the International Cricket
Council (ICC) to ponder about their
programming in the future. At least
Melbourne will host a Test match of
significance next Boxing Day when the
Englishmen are here. And don’t we
relish that prospect!
Following that we are hoping to host
plenty of cricket, including the final of
the ICC World Cup in 2015. They will be
thrilling matches and a Melbourne
crowd would embellish the contests
considerably.
Moving to a brighter subject, members
will be aware that a regulation now limits the
time of committee members to three terms
of three years. Because this regulation was
“grandfathered” in 2004, we will see the
retirement of four committee members over
the next two years. The first to step down will
be vice-president David Crawford.
David joined the committee in 1997 and
has been a magnificent worker for the club.
Having been elected to the vice-presidency,
he took on chairing the Grounds Subcommittee
and it is no coincidence that
matters associated with operations at the
ground are running so smoothly and
efficiently.
We shall miss the monumental and varied
skills that David has acquired through his
associations with businesses at the highest
level in Australia and has brought to
committee considerations.
At the same time as expressing our deep
gratitude to him, we wish him well for what
we hope will be a slightly less frenetic time
for him. At this point I also express our
sincere thanks to David’s wife Maureen who
has helped us to entertain in the Committee
Room, and in other places, with grace,
warmth and style.
In a world where governance carries much
greater responsibility than it might have in
the past, we have engaged an executive
search firm, Amrop Cordiner King, to assist
us in identifying suitable replacements for
those stepping down from the committee.
If Full club members are interested in
serving on the committee, they are
encouraged to express that interest to Amrop
Cordiner King, bearing in mind that there is
a range of skills that the club seeks to
embrace through committee membership.
On behalf of the club I wish also to
farewell John Wylie as chairman of the
MCG Trust and to thank him for a mighty
job well done. John steps down after 13
years and will take on chairing the
Australian Sports Commission.
He has been a passionate supporter of
sport at the ’G and, though we might have
had our differences of opinion from time to
time, he has always had the best interests
of the ground at heart.
The fourth matter I wish to mention is
one that I have written about before.
Arguably the major issue we have on our
plates at the moment is how we should
deal with a growing waiting list and a
growing length of time between
nomination and the offer of Restricted
membership.
Currently that time is around 17 years
but, if nothing is done, we will see the
waiting time grow intolerably.
Several propositions have been brought
forward. Each has advantages and
disadvantages and we are working our way
through them in an endeavour to choose
the best course. But it is not a quick and
easy “fix”, so members and nominees will
have to be patient.
Finally, the cricket season makes way
for the 2013 football season in the
twinkling of an eye, and we hope to
present another dazzling array of matches
played in a spirit that embodies the best
ideals of sport!
Fred Oldfield joins committee
Fred Oldfield
The club is pleased to advise members that
Mr Fred Oldfield was appointed to the
MCC Committee in December, filling a
casual vacancy created by the retirement of Peter
Mitchell in 2011.
Mr Oldfield is currently a non-executive director
at Westbourne Capital, a funds management
company that invests in infrastructure debt.
He previously spent two years in the legal profession
(1981-1983) before a 16-year stint with investment
bank Potter Partners, which ultimately became UBS.
He also was executive director of Hopkins
Partners Funds Management (1999-2001)
and manager of strategic development and
stakeholder relations at Transurban (2001-06).
An MCC member since 1982, Mr Oldfield
serves as a trustee of the Melbourne Football
Club’s Red and Blue Foundation. He has been
president of Glen Iris Junior Football Club for the
past two seasons.
March 2013
MCC NEWS
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