Aaron Violi (Casey, Liberal Party) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

As the summer draws to a close, I would like to congratulate all the local cricket clubs in my community of Casey—those that play in the RDCA and the Ferntree Gully and District Cricket Association—on a fantastic season. In so many of our communities in Casey, our clubs really are the heart of the town. They provide a secure environment for young people to engage with one another and build that camaraderie and shared experience. Undoubtedly that has a positive effect on the wellbeing of the players and the supporters, and that transcends into all aspects of their life—their education, their work. It's so important.

During the summertime in my early teenage years and early 20s I found solace and a sense of belonging at the Healesville Cricket Club and the Gruyere District Cricket Club, which are now part of the Seville Burras. Cricket has always been a special part of my life, and it was wonderful a few months ago to dust off the whites and play in the Jeff Long Memorial Match. I got to play for Powelltown against Yarra Junction. Jeff was a legend of Yarra Valley cricket, terrorising batsmen with the ball and with his witty sledges, so it was an honour to play in the game. It was a good-natured match played in Jeff's honour. He is sadly missed by many. The match highlighted the power of community and sport.

Premierships are very hard to win. I know personally that cricket premierships, in particular, can be challenging. So I want to congratulate the Montrose Cricket Club first XI for winning the Lindsay Trollope Shield. It's the first time since about the seventies that Montrose have won the highest grades in the RDCA. It's a huge honour. It's a tough competition. So congratulations to the Montrose first XI. Congratulations also to their sixth XI, who won the John MacMillan Shield and would have enjoyed a big night. Congratulations to the Lilydale Cricket Club, who won the inaugural RDCA Community T20 Big Bash, and to Coldstream Cricket Club, who won the DJ Strachan Shield. The third XI of Seville Cricket Club—one of my old clubs, through Gruyere—with Matthew Tilney, who is still going around strong, won back-to-back premierships. And what I like to call the Yarra Valley All-Stars, the Twenty20 Vets Team, also won their premiership, so congratulations to them. I'm informed that I qualify next year, so I might dust off the whites and play with some of my old mates.

Over at the Ferntree Gully and District Cricket Association, I want to congratulate the Monbulk Cricket Club on their fourth XI winning the community 3, but also the grand final teams, the first XI and the second XI. The Aura Vale Cricket Club's first XI won the Alan Bailey Shield. The third XI of the Belgrave Cricket Club, where I played a game last season, won the community 5 competition. At South Belgrave Cricket Club, congratulations to the first XI for winning the Bob De Coite Shield, and to Upwey-Tecoma Cricket Club's second XI for winning the Norma Reeves Shield Reserve. A lot of hard work went into that. Congratulations, all.