August - Melbourne Cricket Club

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club news A MISMATCH TO REMEMBER They gave an arm and a leg to play on the MCG evidently determined not to throw a chance away — threw away his crutch instead, after taking block, and defiantly faced the bowling on his only leg. One-legged made 66 and 18. One-armed 6/144 declared. This article appeared in the Leader newspaper on March 21, 1891. We can assure readers that the report was serious. Even before World War I, there was a large number of limbless men in the community because of workplace accidents. Something like a revival of the old Greenwich pensioners’ cricket contest was attempted on the Melbourne Cricket Ground on Tuesday, when a match was played between onearmed and one-legged players. A.H. Sudlow, to whom the management of the affair had been deputed, has for some weeks past been busily engaged in making the necessary preliminary arrangements, the result being that both teams were in readiness to take the field at the appointed time. A band had been engaged, and the match well advertised, but it must be admitted that the result was disappointing, the attendance being very small, and the display of cricket (with, however, several exceptions) rather more ludicrous than interesting. Before the start opinions differed as to whether the loss of a leg or an arm would prove to be the greater handicap, but the result showed that the one-legged men had no chance with their more agile opponents, who played 12 men against 13, and won with an innings and 60 runs to spare. Five of the one-legged players were connected with the Victorian Railway department, and it was noticed as a remarkable but inexplicable fact that while right legs had generally been lost, the deficiency of left arms was equally noticeable. The loss of a leg was clearly shown to militate against the free use of both hands in batting, the one-legged men wielding the willow with much less freedom than their opponents, who were, of course, seen to great advantage on the field. During one brief period, and only one, the one-legged men had the best of it, and that was at lunch, where they fairly lost their opponents in deftness with the knife and fork. Before the game commenced some curious questions of umpiring arose, amongst others a discussion as to whether “crutch before wicket” would be fatal to a batsman, and one player — Top score was Pearson, who, despite the loss of his right hand, made boundary hits in rapid succession, scoring 43 not out. Pearson, who hails from Port Fairy, is a strapping young fellow, and showed himself to be a one-handed Bonnor, putting remarkable force into his strokes. In the second innings of the one-legged team, which only realised 18 runs, the bowling of McDonald and Lowe proved to be quite unplayable, the former taking seven wickets for 7 runs, and the latter five for 6. When the captain of the one-armed team went to bat, the fieldsmen clapped hands heartily by way of welcome, and one could not help sympathising with his team in their inability to pay a similar compliment to the one-legged skipper for obvious reasons. The players will doubtless long remember the match with pleasure, as it was played throughout in a true spirit of fraternity. The Melbourne Cricket Club, with characteristic generosity, gave the teams the use of their ground, and in other ways assisted the undertaking, which, however, it would hardly be desirable to repeat. CHOP, CHOP, CHAPS, I CAN’T SEE THE BALL The Australasian’s Tom Horan (writing as “Felix” on Christmas Eve 1892), rues the loss of an MCG tree The intercolonial men have been practising vigorously at the net on the MCC ground during the week. I saw H. Trott, R. McLeod, H. Trumble, W. Bruce, J. Barrett, H. Graham, C. Ross, J. Phillips, and most of them shaped very well indeed. Judging by the work they are doing our men ought to be in real good trim when play opens today. I do not know who the cricketer is who suggested that the pines by the members’ entrance gate on the MCC ground should be cut down. Why do you think the cricketer suggested that the trees should be cut down? Because, forsooth, his sight was affected; the ball got up in the tree and he couldn’t see the ball. Good gracious! I have played on the Melbourne ground occasionally during the past 20 years, and if I got out it wasn’t the tree that got me out, it was the bowling. The worst of it is that the MCC executive has approved of the suggestion, and on Wednesday the axe was ruthlessly applied, and the fine old tree laid low. I should like to hear (MCC treasurer) Mr Travis on destruction of trees in the MCC enclosure. 6 MCC NEWS august 2007
AFL WORLD COMES TO THE MCG The National Sports Museum’s Aussie Rules exhibition will be considerably enhanced when AFL World is introduced during 2008 There was an almost immediate dividend from the Federal Government’s $25 million funding for the MCG’s National Sports Museum (NSM) when an in-principle agreement was reached with league officials in June to relocate AFL World from the city to the MCG. While planning for the Aussie Rules exhibition opening in March next year is virtually set in stone, there is generous provision of “future space” to accommodate additional exhibitions and/or interactive devices. It is hoped that at least part of AFL World will be installed for the March opening. A definite target date for a revamped AFL Hall of Fame exhibition is June 2008 to coincide with the next induction of the game’s champions. Overall, AFL World covers about 1000 square metres and its relocation to the home of football will greatly enhance our museums precinct. It’s a package that includes footy interactives and a number of multimedia features. The NSM covers a huge space and interior work has reached the “shop fit build” stage. By October our exhibitions team will start placing the 2500 items that are currently being conserved, framed or mounted for display. Most of the accompanying text panels have been drafted and work has started on the labels identifying the various pieces on display. For many of those working on this project, March 2008 could never have seemed so close! MUSEUMS MANAGER MOVES ON The club lost one of its most popular staff members when Gill Brewster resigned earlier this year. Gill, who joined the club in 1988 as an education officer with the Australian Gallery of Sport, rose steadily through the ranks and was appointed director of the Gallery in November 1993. In that year, our heritage operations were consolidated under the MCC Museums Sub-committee chaired by Doug Heywood, who took a keen interest in Gill’s work and they became firm friends. “Doug was so supportive, always happy to give advice and he genuinely loved being involved with what we did,” recalls Gill. “I was very lucky to have so many good people around me during my time as Museums manager. “I was always close to the volunteers and they’ve played a very important role in the evolution of our entire sports history operations, whether they’re researching material in the Library, writing text panels and labels for the various displays or guiding tourists around the ground.” There were many milestones ticked up as manager of the museums, but we suspect nothing compares with her appreciation of the people she had the privilege to work with and meet — elite athletes, senior administrators, MCC committee people and managers, architects, designers, builders, you name it. An MCC person through and through, Gill decided to take the role of executive director with the Victorian Olympic Council, serving a movement with which she had such close ties during her 19 years at the MCG. Keep in touch, Gill, and thanks for a wonderful contribution to our heritage operations in particular and the club generally. Footnote: Gerardine Kerlin commenced in the role of general manager museums on July 16. Cussen family members Catherine Gowers (left) and Marylou Phillips present Gill Brewster (right) with some of former president Sir Leo’s superb collection of memorabilia. VENUE MANAGEMENT AWARD TO THE ’G The club received some pleasing news in late-May when its communications manager, Shane Brown, was presented with the Ogden IFC Scholarship as the best-performed student at the Public Venue Management School (PVMS) over 2005–06. Shane will receive $10,000 to be put towards an overseas trip to further his development and education in the venue industry. Shane is the second MCC recipient of this prestigious scholarship, with event planning manager Lisa Price successful after her two-year stint at the school in 1999–2000. The MCG is the only venue to provide two winners of this scholarship. The successful student is selected on a range of criteria including outstanding academic achievement and application at the PVMS, continuing commitment to the venue management industry, communication, teamwork and leadership skills. august 2007 MCC NEWS 7
Page 1 and 2: NO. 136 • august 2007 • ISSN 13
Page 3 and 4: from the president As we move into
Page 5: SOCCER BLOCKBUSTER SET FOR SEPTEMBE
Page 9 and 10: TAPES ARE JUST FOR THE RECORD MCC i
Page 11 and 12: STOP PRESS! THE POLICE TO ROCK THE
Page 13 and 14: TO THE SAME OLD TUNE fallen at Gall
Page 15 and 16: CRICKETERS TIE UP FOURTH XI FLAG Th
Page 17 and 18: FUNCTIONS CALENDAR DAY DATE FUNCTIO
Page 19 and 20: WE’RE RACING INTO THE SPRING CARN
Page 21 and 22: august 2007 MCC NEWS 21
Page 23 and 24: WE’RE HERE TO SERVE YOU The club

August - Melbourne Cricket Club

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