Damien Mackenzie - bowl fast, hit long
Brad Murphy | May 02, 2023
Damien Mackenzie was a fast bowler originally from Easts - Redlands who played for Australia in Under 19s alongside his great mate Nathan Hauritz. He played 5 First Class and 10 one day games for the Queensland Bulls. A very sharp right arm quick and powerful striker of the ball with a First Grade century to his name, his career was dogged by injury – significantly major knee and elbow surgeries curtailing his playing career, hence we never saw the best of him at the next level however across his 5 matches for Queensland he had the very creditable average of 23 with the ball.
He debuted for the Tigers whilst still in year 12 at Iona College and was also a decent rugby union footballer. In my first season as captain-coach of Redlands in 1998/99 we had the great fortune to have Macca along with a host of other fantastic young cricketers in Shane Watson, Matt Petrie, Danny Payne, Ryan Poole and Wes Aspeling so it augured well for the club into the future. Add to those young blokes Jimmy Maher, Matt Hayward, Paul Hutchison, Paul Stenhouse, Craig Stone and Steve Hood it is little wonder we grabbed the “One Day” title that season.
Macca was a highly talented cricketer who loved to bowl fast and hit the ball long and he certainly struck a few onto and over the rooves of both the clubhouse and grandstand at Burge Oval on more than a few occasions.
He had a brief stint in Adelaide and upon returning to Brisbane played a couple of seasons with Northern Suburbs but he battled at that point mainly with his elbow injury which made it tough going for the big quick.
These days he loves his golf and gives it a large whack indeed!
Before we start I’d like to give a little shout out to the team at Gabba Sports for all their support
What year you were born?
1980
Can you remember you first game of cricket?
I started playing around 7 playing for Wellington Point Cricket Club and moved over to Alexandra Hills not long after that. No real memory of the early years but I remember waking up, opening the curtains to check it wasn’t raining, grabbed my juicy fruit, cricket bag and it was game time if the sun was out.
Tell us briefly about your cricketing journey?
From the age of 15 I was at Easts playing 6th Grade at Bottomley Park, the year after Easts merged with Redlands so I naturally moved there playing Taverners and some lower grades on a Saturday when it didn’t interfere with school sport at Iona. I played my first game of 1st Grade at 16 while still in year 12 at Iona. I also had 2 years at Norths. I spent 2 years at the Commonwealth Bank Cricket Academy in Adelaide 1999 and 2000, such a good time of my life and went to England with the Australian under 19 team. On return from England I was on top of the world but a few weeks later snapped my ACL and had a full knee reconstruction. 9 months of rehab and I was stronger than ever. I made my debut for QLD the following year. Retired in 2008 after my second elbow operation, I was 28.
What other sports do you play?
I’ve been a member at Keperra Country Club for 20 years and play most Saturdays. My current AGU is 6, for the last 5 years I’ve been doing CrossFit at Chaalk Box at Wellington Point (CrossFit Boss) can highly recommend this sport to anyone thinking of trying it.
What is your favourite sports movie or documentary?
Not a massive watcher of TV unless the Canberra Raiders are playing or the races are on, but recently watched “The Last Dance” on Netflix, it was brilliant.
What’s the one thing about you most people don’t know about?
I’m a mad camper, I’ll qualify that but I do have a 24-foot caravan with air conditioning, toilet and shower. But I do love being in a caravan park with a can or 2 anywhere south of the tweed, mainly Ballina and Yamba.
What’s your highest score in senior cricket?
Spud you would probably know the score, but 117 I think for Redlands against Gold Coast at Kerrydale. We were 4 or 5 for not many and I managed to get a few away.
What has been your best bowling figures in senior cricket?
I’ve got the worst cricket memory. I think I’ve got 7 wicket in an innings twice but not sure on actual figures. Can I call a friend? Kiwi would know ha ha... I took 2 hat tricks in a week, one for QLD 19s during the week, then 1st Grade on the Saturday vs Souths at Souths. Pretty sure they both resulted in 7 wicket hauls
Can you tell us which players at Redlands we should be looking out for in terms of higher representative honours?
I don’t know much of the young crop at Redlands apart from Haz, Pierson and Marnus who are clearly doing great things and were only young pups when I was playing. I remember batting with Marnus at Souths in his early days and he started sledging the fielders before he faced a ball. I of course joined in. Jackson Todman would be one to watch, he’s only young but Toddy will have him fine-tuned.
Who have been the best three fast bowlers you have played against so far?
Brendan Creevey - probably don’t need to add to many words. Used to play hard and with Morto bowling at the other end and Fatty behind the stumps and you knew you wouldn’t get too many in your half.
Joey Dawes - he used to always line me up in club cricket verbally and with a barrage of short balls.
Mark Harrity - he played for South Australia, had the angriest eyes you’d ever seen, he bowled like the wind but was the best bloke off the field.
Who has been the best three spinners you have played against so far?
Shane Warne, we played a warmup game against the Aussies at Allan Border Oval and my first one day number for QLD was 23. I walked out to bat and SKW was bowling and he said “who the fuck do you think you are? Michael Jordon or Shane Warne” I said “ what do you mean” he said “ fuck off you smug little prick” after the game I went into the QLD cricket offices and asked to change my number, that’s how I ended up with number 12 for the rest of my time with QLD..
Nathan Hauritz, still are best mates and he used to toy with me and I would end up whacking one down deep mid wickets throat or stumped. He had amazing control of speed and length when he bowled.
Gregg Chiesa, played at Norths and could not pick him, gave them a massive rip and loved a beer after the game.
Who has been the best 2 batsman you’ve played against?
Lance Kahler, tough competitor and batted time. You could sledge him, bounce him, abuse him and nothing bothered him. He should of have played more for QLD.
Clinton Perren, much like Lance except CP would bite back hard. He had all the shots in the book and we used to have good battles, such a good bloke and deserved every accolade he got in his career.
Who played the best innings you’ve seen firsthand playing with or against?
Anytime Matt Hayward walked to the crease for Redlands, such a good bloke and player. Only bloke that could score runs on no sleep, 2 packets of Benson and Hedges and would of blown .100 walking out to bat. Definitely would have loved to see him play first class cricket.
Who has been the best wicket keeper you’ve seen firsthand playing with or against?
God I’ve had some good ones. You would be up there Spud, used to love watching you over the stumps to Hutch, Hartley was a good one, he knew me so well and was probably one of the only keepers that could settle me down with some dumb arse comment or joke.
Who has been your funniest team mate?
Ryan Poole I reckon. We used to have some good times on the field, on the town and at the Albion Park Greyhounds on a Thursday night. He could easily fit in the above category but he lost points when he shit his pants at Windsor one Saturday playing Norths..
Who was your childhood hero?
Big Merv Hughes or Dennis Lillee, I loved their aggression and passion.
Who are the three sports people in the world you’d most like to meet?
John Daley (I reckon he and I would have some fun in Vegas) Tiger Woods, Rich Froning.
Who are the two players you admired most in terms of skills and competitive spirit in the competitions you played?
Easily Shane Watson. He spent 18 months in a back brace when we were 16 and was told he probably wouldn’t bowl again with the way his back was. He left QLD to go to Tassie at 18 and got absolutely hammered for it by the playing group at the time, but it didn’t bother him and there wasn’t anyone I played with that trained harder and chased their dream HARD..
Daniel Payne, never came through the QLD cricket system in the teenage years but trained his absolute arse out and churned out the runs in Grade cricket and then got his reward playing for QLD. Absolute champion bloke also.
What do you enjoy most about playing cricket?
Definitely the dressing room and being around the boys, having a beer and singing the team song - I used to hate leaving the dressing room.
What has been your most memorable moment in cricket?
Playing for QLD. I still remember my debut in Bellerive, I was playing 2nd XI in Canberra and Richard Done told me Kaspa was out with a hamstring tear. I flew to Tassie where Bennet King picked me up from the airport and said “Kaspa is out, you’re in, don’t fuck it up” thanks Kingy… Tough era with that group, but absolutely loved it.
What’s the best win you’ve been involved with?
Easy, Tigers one day comp in 1999. Uni had the star studded line up and we got bowled out for under 150 (or something like that) then the little battlers from the bayside knocked them over. I think I moved into City Rowers for a week.
What are your hobbies?
Camping, CrossFit and Golf
What’s the best advice you’ve received?
Don’t shit on the people you meet on the way up the ladder because you might need them on the way down.
