Russell Wilcoxon - never back down, always move forward
Fairfield Liverpool Cricket Club | February 09, 2023
Russell Wilcoxon is the most capped Fairfield Liverpool Cricketer having played over 450 grade games for the club.
He made his first grade debut on 1 October 1998 against Campbelltown Camden to become Fairfield Liverpool player number 83.
Prior to the start of the 2020/21 season Russell as a wicket keeper batsman has taken 625 dismissals and scored 6,816 runs across all grades.
He is a two time first grade premiership winning player and has taken 360 dismissals in first grade, 304 catches and 56 stumping’s and scored 2,586 runs at an average of 20.05 and hit 9 half centuries with a top score of 77 not out.
Awarded Life Membership of Fairfield Liverpool Cricket Club in 2010, Russell is a very proud one club player and continues to play 2nd grade for the Lions.
Russell is equally proud of his mum Kay. Not only has Kay been a constant support for Russell’s career since the Under 10s but she has carved out her own career in the game as a scorer and has scored many state and international games culminating in a very proud moment in scoring the Australia and India Test match at the SCG in 2019.
Kay Wilcoxon (right) scoring the Australia v India Test Match at SCG in 2019
Let’s find out more about Russell’s journey in the game.
What year you were born?
1979
Can you remember you first game of cricket?
I believe I was 7 years of age playing for Cabra United in the Fairfield Liverpool District. Not sure how I went but I believe I batted 9 and didn’t bowl or keep, most likely stood in the outfield.
Tell us briefly about your cricketing journey?
Started at Cabra United, then moved over to Cabra-Vale Digger when in Under 12s, played Under 15s with Mounties then Under 16s for Milperra Vikings. When I was in the Under 16s I had started to play grade cricket for Fairfield-Liverpool and have been at Fairfield-Liverpool Lions ever since.
In which grade and at what age did you make your debut in grade cricket?
I was 15 and played my first game in 4th Grade as a bracket player for the second week.
If you can share with our audience, how would you describe yourself as a cricketer?
Well at the start of my junior cricket I was just trying to play as a batter but took up the keeping gloves early due to the keeper at the time breaking his arm. During my junior career I wanted to be a keeper batsman that opened and kept pushing those skills into my grade career. I moved my way up the grades as a wicket keeper during a time when the Lions had many great keepers throughout the grades starting with Shane Deitz, Ben Scheltz, Nathan McLoughlin, Jeff Thorpe and Ben Mortimer.
Then Sean Pope came over to the club from Bankstown to keep for the first grade team and I was in second grade. I then got the opportunity to play first grade and after many years it was my turn to hand over the gloves to a young Jake Doran.
So as I moved down to second grade and over the last 10 years I have taken up part time bowling as well batting in the top order. There have been times when I’ve been needed and I’ve pulled the gloves on again to keep in first grade again. It was actually funny playing a game last year in first grade when Arjun Nair turned to me in the field and called me a 4 dimensional player, “you can bat, bowl, keep and field”
Russell keeping in a one day game
At what age did you make your first grade debut in grade cricket and can you remember how you performed in debut?
19 years old, I actually can’t remember the game which to me is strange, I’ll have to look it up.
What was your highest score in senior cricket?
124 in Second Grade for Fairfield-Liverpool Lions against Hawks at Benson Lane
Russell batting against St George
Who were the best three fast bowlers you have played against?
Scott Thompson – in one of my first games in 1st Grade I had a long partnership with Sean Pope and Scott bowled a long spell and then when he took the second new ball I only lasted a few balls. Years later he went through us in a First grade Grand Final.
Glen McGrath - I had the opportunity to be opening the batting when he was making a comeback on his way back into the NSW and Australian teams. My memory was that Grant Lambert and I couldn’t score a run off him and he bowled something like 8 overs for 1 run from one end and where he front foot landed there was only one foot mark showing. He landed on the same spot every ball.
Corey Collymore – had the great opportunity to face him when he was playing for Blacktown and surviving his long spells on a hot day at Rosedale Oval. Just was a great experience to play against an international player.
Corey Collymore
Who were the best three spinners you have played against?
Greg Matthews, Stuart McGill and can’t separate David Freedman and Beau Casson.
It was always a challenge and you always needed to be on your game. Also when you played against Greg or Stuart you needed to be ready for the moment where they would just make you laugh or get you under your skin.
Who were the two fastest bowlers you kept you?
Don Nash and Doug Bollinger but I do need to include Grant Lambert because at times I do believe he might have been quicker.
A game that always sticks in my mind was at Manly and I was on the 30 yard circle to Doug and Don, In Doug’s second spell I was even further back past the 30 yards circle.
Doug Bollinger
Who was the best spinner you had the good fortune to keep to?
Anthony Clark was the main spinner I was the gloveman for in first grade and his stats talk for themselves. I would like to mention Bill York who I kept to during my 3rd grade games. As a young keeper coming through it was fun to watch his magic
Who was the best bowlers you kept to?
I would say the entire bowling group I had the good fortune to keep to in first grade
Don Nash, Grant Lambert, Doug Bollinger, Anthony Clark and others like Ben Sawyer, John Boulous, Luke Doran who also played throughout the years we were successful. Many Saturday night looking after sore hand and fractured fingers.
Was there anyone bowler who you really enjoyed keeping to?
For all of the above I needed to make sure I was always alert. But if I needed to pick someone I did enjoy keeping to it would be Gurinder Sandhu as a young 19 year r old quick. Just watching him become a great bowler and seeing the things he could do, reminded me of Don Nash and how he could swing the ball at speed.
Gurinder Sandhu
Can you recall a catch or stumping that still fills you with pride and puts a smile on your face?
The catch would be off Doug Bollinger in the second innings of the Grand Final against Manly when I took a full length diving catch to my right just inches of the ground. The emotion around the game and just being able to add another moment to a great game.
Stumping wise, many stand out from the spinners but a leg side stumping off a medium pacer always brings a smile to a keeper.
You’ve played the most number of games for Fairfield Liverpool, over 450, what’s been the key to your longevity and what does it mean to you personally to be the most capped Lion?
Why have I played for so long? I just love playing the game and also the mateships I have developed over the years.
I have been fortunate not to have any major injuries and I’ve played through the fractured fingers, and I’ve only ever missed one game of grade cricket and that was for my sister’s wedding.
It is an honour to be the most capped Lion as I know the Lions club is and it has been full of great players and I just hope I have shown to the past players and future players some performances to remember and a good heart towards the club and friends of the Lions.
Russell's 450th game
Who were the best 3 batsman you’ve played against?
There’s been many great knocks by batsman who’ve gone on to play Shield cricket and for Australia but 3 players that stand out to me are batsman who I thought for some reason were always destined to score runs against us.
Greg Mail - always seemed to perform every time we played him and was such a hard competitor and was able to score some big runs even with the attack we had.
Brett van Deinsen - another player who always seemed to like the Fairfield attack and scored many hundreds or match winning innings
James Packman - another who I saw score a few runs from behind the stumps and a great competitor and put a lot of value on his wicket.
Who played the best innings you’ve seen firsthand playing with or against?
Grant Lambert scored 232 in the 1st grade grand final against Manly at Manly. It was such an entertaining innings over many hours and with his little buddy Ben Rohrer down the other end they just piled on the runs and recorded the biggest partnership for the Lions and from memory broke many other records.
Grant Lambert
Can you recall a moment where you thought ‘wow’ this is a step up from the norm in grade cricket and had to really knuckle down to get through the challenge, can you describe the experience?
I was called into play a semi-final against St George and we were going really well chasing down their total but then had a collapse and we still needed twenty to win with Doug Bollinger and were 8 down, facing Stuart McGill. Thankfully we won.
Who was the best wicket keeper you’ve seen firsthand playing against?
Brad Haddin
Who are the two players you admired most in terms of skills and competitive spirit in the competitions you played?
David Kelley – a very skilled batsman, very good cricket brain and always showed a never back down attitude.
Ben Rohrer - just a freak in the field and also became a great talent with the bat and was another player to always show a great fighting attitude.
Ben Rohrer
Who has been your funniest team mate?
Doug Bollinger
Can you recall some banter or an exchange on the cricket field that still makes you laugh today?
There was so many and most of the time it was coming from Brett Lack, Doug Bollinger or David Kelley so can’t remember just one as it was too regular. Most batsman we played against might have had issues with me being the annoying wicket keeper behind the stumps talking shit. I remember Scott Thompson and Corey Richards telling me to shut up, which David Kelley in first slip heard and he chose to go a little harder.
Who was your childhood hero?
David Boon, Alan Border, Michael Jordan
Who are the three sports people in the world you’d most like to meet?
Michael Jordan, Lewis Hamilton and Muhammad Ali
Michael Jordan
Who’s your favourite cricket commentator?
Bill Lawry
What was your favourite ground to play at?
Always loved playing a Rosedale Oval but away from home my next best was Manly Oval. I also did get a chance to play at Don Bradman Oval which was a great place to play.
What there a particular team you especially looked forward to playing against?
I always liked coming up against Bankstown as it’s a team just next door to Fairfield-Liverpool and we always had such a great battle with lots of passions and respect towards each. The history between the two clubs goes back a long time, even with some great players over the years changing between the clubs.
What do you enjoy most about playing cricket?
The competitiveness between bat, ball and the verbal chat between each team on the ground. But most of it’s the friends and mateships I have made over the years.
What’s been your most memorable moment in cricket?
I would say the hundreds I have scored and the 5 or more dismissals I have taken in a game. I even need to mention the 5 wickets haul I took in a game with the ball but most of all the Grand Final wins I have been involved in Under 10s, Under 16s, Poidevin Gray and the two 1st grade premierships.
Fairfield Liverpool celebrating their Premiership win over Manly in 2005/06
Russell celebrating with mum Kay
What’s the best win you’ve been involved with?
I have a few in mind the grand final win at Manly was hands down just a great game and experience. There was also a game against Gordon when we chasing down a 300 plus total and I needed to bat with the tail and me and Phil Hangyasi put on 30 to get the Lions home facing Beau Casson and Matt Nicholson. There’s been so many over the 450 plus games
Who are the three players from your playing days at the top of the list for a Saturday afternoon barbeque?
John DiBartolo, Rick Lucy, Kenny Greenway
What are your hobbies?
Information Technology, Cooking
What’s the best advice you’ve received?
Always question why, respect your elders… thank you parents. But on the cricket field get to know your game and use that to your advantage and as a team and a player of the Lions never back down and always move forward.
What is your current occupation?
IT Service Delivery Manager, for Genesiscare
Let’s give your employer a plug, who do you work for?
Genesiscare, our purpose is to design care experiences that get the best possible life outcomes. To give people high-quality care that’s available where and when they need it and is tailored to their needs. Care that helps people get on with your life and do the things that are important. We do this by approaching care like nobody else.
Everything we do is designed in partnership all the way through the entire care process. That means working with everyone from our clinicians to our technicians, from our internal teams to patients. Because, by working together, we stand a better chance of getting more complete health outcomes for people.
Are you still involved in cricket and if so, in what capacity?
Yes still playing with Fairfield-Liverpool, in second grade
Russell proving wicket keepers can bowl
If you were running Cricket NSW what would your 2 priorities be to ensure cricket in the state remained strong and successful on and off the field?
Stop chasing the young 19 year old as NSW cricket was stronger when the average age of a first grade side was 28 not 20 as most players now when they reach 25 years old they are stepping away from the game.
Enable clubs to access funding to support their volunteers as we know volunteers help run a successful club and lately moving from ground to ground I am now seeing less volunteers helping out, less scorers, less parents wanting to get involved.
