Part 1: The Gambler, Kenny Rogers, and the Melbourne Cricket Club, an unlikely trinity
A story behind the 2009-10 Premiership
Sometimes the universe has a funny way of connecting dots.
First, my music app decided to include Kenny Rogers’ “The Gambler” in my daily mix. I have some Kenny Rogers stuff hidden in random playlists, but never in my daily suggestions. Initially, it seemed random, but it did start the connector side of my brain working.
Then the second unexpected occurrence.
A series of messages started dropping in a WhatsApp group titled, “Reunion 09/10 Premiership.”
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Way back then, Melbourne CC defeated St Kilda CC at the University Oval to win the 2009-10 Victorian Cricket Association Premiership.
I was fortunate to be part of the coaching group, and Australian swing bowler Adam Dale was captain/coach. I’m pretty sure it was my second year at the Albert. The side was stacked, but the time between Premierships had been too long for the Demons.
Before the win, Melbourne's last premiership was in the 1997-98 season. In that time, rival St Kilda collected six flags: 2000-01, 2002-03, 2003-04, 2004-05, and 2005-06, including an impressive four on the bounce from 2002 through 2006. A tough situation for the red, white, and blue.
I’m often asked how I ended up at Melbourne. My two clubs as a player were Hawthorn Waverley and Dandenong. Hawthorn must hold the world record for sporting club name changes. As it stands, they’re Kingston Saints, or Hawks, or something else, who knows!
Anyway, I’d previously fallen off the county cricket merry-go-round and had been dragged to Melbourne kicking and screaming. Both children were settled in school, I had a job—of sorts—and was done with playing Sub-District cricket. Ironically, work was the connector; I was with Gray Nicolls, Australia, and Adam Dale was National Sales Manager at New Balance. The two businesses shared a car park in Cheltenham. It was here that our paths crossed. Previously, Doemer, as he is widely known, terrorised me while playing for Bundoora Old Paradians.
Channel, channel, fuller away swing, straight, straight, off speed, bumper, sledge, sledge, smile, hooping in swing, sledge, OUT. Those reading who have shared a field with Doem will testify to the above passage. However, I didn’t help my cause!
From memory, my team, Ormond CC, had 18 odd overs to bat before stumps. I was due to bat three and ended up at seven. There were stupid promotions, at least one nightwatchperson (is that a fucking word), all in the vein of avoiding Doemer until day two (the following Saturday). By then I would be well rested, the wicket would be rolled within an inch of its life, and I would have a fool-proof strategy to get through Mr Dale. I know, fucking stupid. To Doem’s credit he didn’t table the cowardly act until I had agreed to join the Demons. (For the record: I didn’t make too many, we lost, and Doem snatched a bag!)
A ‘match made in a car park’.
The 2009/10 season followed the familiar October-to-April rhythm. Pre-season started in July, competing with AFL finals for ground space in September. Two-day matches filled most weekends, with one-dayers sprinkled early season, before and after Christmas. March brought finals cricket and autumn's shorter days.
Coaching brought its own challenges. Pre-season planning and four-team selections consumed evenings, while 'fitness February'—our dreaded mid-season conditioning program—tested everyone's resolve. But March finals in Melbourne, with its win-or-go-home intensity, made it all worthwhile.
I’m unable to place the training night; it was finals time, more likely a Tuesday than Thursday. I had been tasked with creating a theme for our 1st XI squad to anchor back to during the premiership push. As is my want, procrastination and indecision bite intermittently. I knew the message part, I just needed a vehicle to deliver it, and then make sure it stayed with us. Doemer liked simple. A well-worn Dale line was, “don’t promise the world and deliver an atlas.”
So it was a case of better late than never. I had the local FM radio on while driving into training, not paying any attention. Traffic was crappy, as per Melbourne. Then, Kenny Rogers, the Gambler started playing. The words matched the message I had perfectly. I listened once, then pulled over to Google the lyrics. Perfect. We had it—the universe can give you what you need.
Paul Jubber, our development coach, was first to hear it. It was nothing more than a verbal dump. Jubbs listened and looked confused; I went back over it, dropping the unnecessary. “Do you have anything else?” he said. “Haha, nope, this is it!” “OK, it works then!”
That was it. I had a few slides pre-cooked, and after some copy and pasting, the deck was done. Doem was likely giving the QLD regional manager a drilling, but I knew he'd appreciate this—clear messages were his style.
Originally, I intended to write a single post here. Then, the more I recalled and having spoken to some of the players and coaches, it became clear it was worthy of a longer piece, potentially two or three posts. So, with that said, I’ll stop here and get back to you soon.
The intrigue is in place, the suspense is building