Steve Green - dedicated and skillful
Paul Ryan | June 29, 2023
Why would you go to St George, you’ll never play higher than 5th grade there?”
That was the question and statement from a Petersham Cricket Club official to Steve Green back in 1996.
Greeny was 19 years of age and had played 2 seasons of 5th grade Petersham although he did play the last game of the 1995/96 season in 3rd grade.
At the end of 1995/96 season Greeny’s desire to improve led him to sign up for 8 coaching lessons at Kingsgrove Sports Centre where he was to meet NSW all-rounder Brad McNamara and St George Club Coach Wayne Turnbull.
It was during the coaching sessions where Coach Turnbull thought there was a bit more to Greeny’s bowling than playing 5th grade and invited him to attend the fitness and training sessions, several of the St George players were having with Kevin Chevell out at Penrith.
As the pre-season training schedules were being planned for the 1996/97, Petersham like all Premier Clubs did and do, contacted their players to check if they were ready for the pre-season.
It was during the call to Greeny when he informed the caller, he was transferring to St George when he was told “you’ll never play higher than 5th grade there. “
Fast forward for 17 seasons and Steve Green decided to retire after the 2012/13 first grade grand final between St George and Sutherland.
He retired with a tremendous sense of pride and satisfaction. He played 202 first grade games for St George and took 383 wickets at an average of 19.3 including 17 x 5 wicket hauls. He is also a 4-time premiership-winning player, a Life Member and achieved one of the most celebrated careers at the St George District Cricket Club.
St George First Grade Premiers 2007-08
St George First Grade Premiers 2008-09
St George First Grade Premiers 2009-10
St George First Grade Premiers 2012-13
This is a story and a wonderful example of persistence, dedication, and skill.
Greeny was never fortunate to be in a pathway team or squad. He worked hard and conquered all doubters.
In the two seasons before playing 5th grade for Petersham and at the age of 16 Greeny was playing park cricket on synthetic wickets with his dad, Ken. Greeny’s dad had only started playing cricket when Steve started in the Under 10’s.
Ken Green had been a rugby league player for Bondi United and Bondi Sharks in Sydney’s Eastern Suburbs competition. It was a tough local competition and when he turned his hand to cricket was a solid opening batsman.
Despite his first-grade achievements one of Greeny’s fondest moments in cricket was winning the 2nd-grade competition in park cricket with his dad.
“It was awesome, “he says proudly.
After playing first grade in the park the following season, father and son played their last game of cricket together and Ken and along with Steve’s Mum Val, turned their focus to travelling around Sydney watching Steve play grade cricket.
When Steve joined St George, he was selected to make his debut for St George in 4th grade however when one of the bowlers selected in 3rd grade came down with glandular fever Steve bowled his first ball for his new club in 3rd grade against Western Suburbs.
He fondly remembers his first wicket was Troy Stanley caught by Hamish Solomons at 2nd slip.
For the remainder of the season, he moved between 3rds, 4ths and had the occasional game in 2nds. His last game of the season was the 3rd grade grand final against Eastern Suburbs which they unfortunately lost.
Proudly he looks back, “In my time at St Goerge I didn’t play 5th grade expect for one game when I played as a batsman coming back from injury. I scored 56.”
Steve Green started the 1997/98 season in 2nd grade and when former NSW fast bowler Neil Jones left to work overseas in the first week of December 1997, Steve made his first-grade debut against Parramatta at Hurstville Oval.
His first wicket, “Tim McMahon caught and bowled Green”. With a smile, he mentions the previous ball had sailed over the scoreboard for 6.
Dennis Lillee was one of Greeny’s heroes growing up. He says he was too young to understand Lillee’s greatness as a player but through watching highlights of his bowling he’d come to admire his competitiveness and how he “busted his arse” for his team.
For the next couple of seasons, Greeny was in and out of First Grade. He was unable to nail down a regular spot as fast bowlers would join the club, be picked in First grade and he’d be the fall guy and then rebound when they’d be out of form, injured or left the club.
As I was the captain in 4 of the 7 years he was in and out of first grade, I was hesitant to ask the obvious question.
“You probably didn’t think I was quick enough,” he says.
He finally cemented his first-grade position 2005-06 at the age of 28 and for the next 8 seasons, he was one of the highest wicket-takers and dominant bowlers in Sydney grade cricket. His best season saw him capture 66 wickets and he surpassed 50 wickets in a season 4 times.
For those that know Hurstville Oval, bowling from the northern end is what you’d call “uphill”. Incredibly Greeny says, “I reckon I only bowled 40 overs coming from the top end. In the early days, I had to run up the slope to get a bowl, so I guess I got used to it”.
I asked Greeny what pace he thought he bowled. “Probably about high 120’s, maybe 130.”
In 2007 when Greeny and a young Trent Copeland were taking wickets for fun at St George I was asked if I wanted to play in a St George past and present team against a similar Balmain team at the SCG.
After quite a few years in retirement I apprehensively took the gloves, but I was keen to see the two in action firsthand. Both had the built their reputations of continually hitting the top of off stump, a keeper’s dream.
Trent bowled the first over, line and length, top of off.
Greeny bowled the next over and it just happened to also be the northern end, albeit a different ground. I chose to mark my starting point about the same distance from the stumps to where’d I remember our keeper Nathan Pilon started during my playing days with Greeny. It was also about the same distance as I stood in the previous over for Trent.
Greeny’s first ball nipped off the deck and carried through chest height and was still rising when it hit the gloves. The 2nd ball did the same, “boys, we might need to take a step back or two” was my comment to the slips cordon.
For the 2 and half seasons Greeny had been a permanent and successful first-grade bowler his confidence shined through. His wrist action had improved dramatically, and I could see why he’d been taking so many wickets. Cheeky bugger winked at me after a couple of overs. I understood why.
Greeny was 30 at the time and had learned his trade, Trent was only 21 and starting his career.
He learned his trade not just from bowling in games or in the nets. Greeny kept a diary so he could track his progress and performance after each day’s play.
Steve would write about the conditions of the day, the wicket, how he dismissed batters and during flat spots, he’d trace back through the diary and ask, “why was I taking wickets back then and not now?”
All four of his first-grade premierships are memorable, especially the first one when St George defeated Gordon.
“I always wanted to win a competition and for my first to be in first grade was unbelievable.”
“The 2nd was against Sydney University, and we went back-to-back, and I won the John Benaud medal for player of the final.”
“The 3rd was against Sutherland, which made it 3 in a row, and I helped out in the 2nd dig taking 4 quick ones and we only needed 60 to win outright.”
“The 4th was a couple of seasons after and against Sutherland. The boys knew it was going to be my last game. I was batting with Kevy Pillay our captain and we were 9 down and about 50 odd runs behind them in the last session on the 2nd day. Unfortunately, there was a mix-up and Kev was run out and we were 47 runs behind them on the first innings and I was shattered.”
“We needed to bowl Sutherland out quickly so we could give ourselves enough time to score the runs to win on day 3. Late on the 2nd day we picked up two early wickets but then Nic Maddinson skied one towards me at fine leg and I just couldn’t get there. At the end of day 2, they were 85 in front with 2 wickets down and pretty cockahoop in the sheds.
“I was guttered, in my head, I thought I’d cost us, and I didn’t want it to end like that. I only slept for about 2 hours that night. Next morning Copes bowled Maddinson first ball of the day, we bowled them out for 88 and we needed 140 to win. We passed them one wicket down. It was a very emotional weekend. “
Steve Green and Kevin Pillay
Greeny is an Eastern Suburbs Roosters NRL tragic. He started following the Roosters from the moment he picked up a footy.
As a Hurlstone Park junior growing up it was a tough gig. The local Canterbury Bulldogs had won multiple competitions in the 1980s and the Roosters trophy cabinet during the time was very lonely, “It was tough going to school on a Monday morning in winter”.
As he always does, Greeny stuck solid. His loyalty shines through as he attends every game the Roosters play in Sydney. He’s such a devoted Roosters fan he played his entire first grade career wearing Roosters footy socks.
For his last game, the Grand Final against Sutherland in 2012/13 he played the game wearing the Roosters official blue, red and white game day socks. His wife and father-in-law had arranged 3 pairs through the footy club.
His favourite Roosters over the years include Hugh McGahan, Jeff Orford, Luke Ricketson, Brad Fittler, Craig Fitzgibbon and he was a massive fan of Mitch Aubusson.
Greeny liked Aubusson because “he gives his all every week and does his job while the big guns get the wraps”
Greeny never played 2nd XI cricket for NSW. He could’ve and should have. I guess he was too old for the pathways he didn’t need coming through the grades.
Steve is still involved in the game as a coach. He’s coached at Eastern Suburbs and is nw at Sutherland District Cricket Club.
“I really enjoy passing on the knowledge and sharing my experiences. I’ve been dropped from 5th Grade, won first-grade premierships and everything in between so I know the ups and downs. I want to be able to help others.”
I ask him who the Petersham official was. He just smiles, “he knows”.
“Oh, can you make sure you include my highest score of 51 in 1st Grade. I had 190 innings for Saints in all grades and was not out in 103 innings….. so many hundreds nipped in the bud, “he laughs.
Well played Greeny. Persistent, dedication and skillful.
Great yarn Paul on a a whole hearted performer (love the socks Stevie G!).