Luke Walker - lessons in every game
Frankston Peninsula Cricket Club | February 09, 2023
Luke Walker is a life member of Frankston Peninsula Cricket Club, former first grade captain and the proud owner of first grade cap number 54.
Making his debut in the 2000/01 Luke played 229 first grade games scoring 6,974 runs at an average of 36.13 and his highest score was 135. Luke hit 6 centuries and 45 half centuries
With the ball Luke took 38 wickets with best figures of 4 for 36 and held 63 catches up to his final season in 2016/17.
Apart from playing Premier Cricket in Victoria Luke can also lay claim to being an AFL Goal Umpire and had the distinction of being an AFL Grand Final Goal Umpire from 2010 to 2015.
Let’s find out more about Luke’s journey in the game
What year you were born?
1982
Can you remember you first game of cricket?
When I was young the league rule at the time was that you had to be 9 years old to play. Growing up with 3 much older brothers, I was well prepared by the age of 9 to play cricket. I first played for the Frankston Cricket Club under 12’s and opened the batting and peeled off 30 before I had to retire. I bowled some loopy “medium pace” with David Nankervis keeping and a backstop behind him.
Tell us briefly about your cricketing journey?
I played 2 years of juniors at Frankston Cricket Club. The club moved from Sub-District to Premier Cricket and as a result the juniors were disbanded. I then moved to Delacombe Park Cricket Club where I played until the end of under 16’s, which also included 2 years of Dowling Shield at Frankston Peninsula. My last year of junior cricket (1997/98) I also played seniors at Frankston Peninsula, mostly in the 4ths. I played there until the 2016/17 season. Since then I have played at Malvern in the Sub-District comp.
In which grade and at what age did you make your debut in grade cricket?
I played a couple of games for Frankston Peninsula at the end of a season when I was 14 years old in the 3’s and 4’s.
At what age did you make your first grade debut in grade cricket and can you remember how you performed in debut?
I made my 1st XI debut at 18 in 2000. My first game was certainly an “experience” on many fronts. I was fortunate enough to get a lucky 63. We came up against some very experienced players from Geelong which included Clinton Peake, Jason Bakker and Ben Oliver. It was a Saturday/Sunday fixture at Geelong, which involved an overnight stay. Certainly some lessons learnt on and off field. Enough said!
If you can share with our audience, how would you describe yourself as a cricketer?
Left hand batsman who dabbled in some right arm straight breaks from time to time.
Luke Walker
What were your strengths as a player?
I had the ability to concentrate for long periods of time and put a high price on my wicket…..most of the time. As a youngster they were the traits that were taught in those times. Once again, growing up with 3 older brothers might have meant that getting a hit at home was difficult to come by, so I had to make the most of it.
What was your highest score in senior cricket?
137* in a 1 day game for Frankston Peninsula 3rds. Best was 135* in 1st XI.
What were your best bowling figures in senior cricket?
4 for 36 for Frankston Peninsula in the 1st XI vs Essendon at Windy Hill. Landed a couple of lucky ones plus the usual casualty or 2 trying to hit me into the next suburb, justifiably so!
Who were the best three fast bowlers you have played against?
Dirk Nannes – Hard to read exactly what he was trying to do and what his plan was. At his pace it was scary.
Shane Harwood – Fast and angry. What likely gets lost are the outstanding bowling skills he possessed. Funny story….one day we copped him at the Albert when he had been dropped from the Victoria team. He was most displeased. Week 1 of the game Melbourne batted and I was lingering in the rooms (as you do) for too long post game and my missus gave a tap on the window to hurry me up as we had a function to attend. Fair to say Shane reminded me of that Week 2. Lucky I didn’t hang around long enough to hear too much about all of that!
Sean Pietersz – A left handers nightmare. Ball angling across from a great height and couldn’t do anything but dangle the bat at them. Never got a sniff of a run playing on a great wicket at Camberwell against him.
Dirk Nannes
Who were the best three spinners you have played against?
Bryce McGain – A fantastic ability to bowl according to the situation, whether that be to defend and dry up runs or to take wickets. Also had a wide range of deliveries so it he was always hard to settle in against.
Jeremy Hart – Another leggie who had tremendous dip on his deliveries. Often my eyes would light up thinking a freebie was coming, but to then just have it drop out of the air on a spot. Another with a wide range of deliveries. Unlucky to not play for the state.
Michael Beer – Got me a few times in different circumstances…ones that spun and others where I played for the spin and there was none. Current teammate so the less said the better.
Jeremy Hart
Who were the best 3 batsman you’ve played against?
Graeme Rummans – A batsman for all occasions. Never looks daunted, never seems in trouble. On occasions you’d get a few plays and misses from him and you’d think you were a chance. Next minute you look up and he’s on 20 and well on his way.
David Hussey – Made batting look effortless. Don’t think I’ve seen a better timer of the ball and less effort put into some towering 6’s.
Nick Jewell – Always a big wicket but far too often got hold of us. As strong a player off the back foot as I’ve seen, with effortless power punching the ball either side of cover all day long.
David Hussey
Who played the best innings you’ve seen firsthand playing with or against?
Matthew Mott cracked a double century in a game against South Melbourne at Butler Oval and it was as masterful an innings as you’ll ever see. Shots to all parts of the ground and walked off looking like he could have continued batting for days on end.
Was there any batsman in particular that stirred the emotions and competitive spirit where you really wanted their wicket?
No one springs to mind. Deep down, we knew that inner city clubs and state players didn’t always enjoy the trip to lovely Frankston, so it was always great getting them on the back foot and seeing the back of them.
Who was the best wicket keeper you’ve seen firsthand playing with or against?
Played the majority of my career with David Nankervis at the first choice gloveman at Frankston and was able to witness the preparation he put into trying to perfect his craft. Playing in the same generation as Darren Berry and witnessing some of his work was remarkable, especially when advice was offered from over the fence by spectators!
David Nankervis
Who are the two players you admired most in terms of skills and competitive spirit in the competitions you played?
James Miller as a team mate was the guy that was just an absolute natural at any sport he would have attempted. Skill wise in a cricket sense he had it all. Swing bowler, a very natural off spinning action when he added that to the repertoire momentarily and all the shots with the bat. With the ball, was able to adapt to any situation but you always knew you were in with a chance of getting a wicket when needed.
Darren Groves was the best bowler I played with without doubt. Metronomic in terms of the line and length he was able to bowl. Not too many occasions that someone was able to get hold of him. What opponents weren’t able to see was that he’d spend all day on the tools in summer, then drive an hour for training, bowl for a couple of hours and then drive an hour home. Add in the same travel as a minimum on a Saturday, and that was his routine for years on end. I never saw him eat an ounce of fat or drink a sugary drink. His dedication to get the best out of himself and look after his body to be able to compete were second to none.
Who was the best captain you had the good fortune to play with?
Matthew Mott brought a relaxed attitude to the dressing room but also an ability to make everyone stand a foot taller when you played with him. You never felt anything but positiveness to play your own game and his ability to read the game and the situation was the best I ever experienced. No surprise to see his coaching and leadership skills on display and succeeding on the international stage.
Matthew Mott
Who has been your funniest team mate?
Darren Groves – Wasn’t always trying to be funny but always had a line or expression to make everyone laugh. The best line he ever came out with, not on purpose mind you, was describing some as “not the sharpest cookie in the shed”. Everyone loved to take the piss out of him, but he always had a comeback ready to fire back.
Can you recall some banter or an exchange on the cricket field that still makes you laugh today?
A country game against Northcote where we batted first and posted a well below par score. Darren Groves had Northcote in a small degree of trouble which brought Darren Berry to the crease. As Chuck strode to the crease, Shawn Flegler (ex Victorian spinner) commented out loud “We’ve all seen Chuck (expletive) these run chases up on TV before boys”. Within a millisecond of that line being delivered, Chuck responded with “Well you may as well keep watching the TV Flegs because you will never (expletive) be on it again”. As a 20 year old I was in awe of what had transpired and wished I had that sort of quick wit!
Darren Groves
What was your most embarrassing dismissal in senior cricket?
Oh no……as I batted out of my crease 99% of the time I was always aware of getting back into my crease when the ball went behind the wicket. One day at Footscray I “guided” a ball to gully which was fielded by Carl Sandri. Very sneakily Carl went with a look away throw…where he looked at point but threw the ball at the stumps. I wasn’t as swift as I needed to be to get back into my crease. I slid the bat in haste, and I would have been in except for the bat getting jammed in the pitch before the line which then forced it to slide out of my hand. My momentum took my down onto my hands and knees. In the time from me losing the bat and falling to the ground, the ball cannoned into the stumps. Out run out….on hands and knees looking at the square leg umpire with the bat next to me on the ground. A genuine mess of a situation!
Who was your childhood hero?
I loved watching Viv Richards growing up. The audacity of some of his stroke play in times where cricket was a little more dour was something to behold. His swagger was second to none in world sport and his confidence in knowing he could smack any ball he wanted and dominate the opposition was unmatched. Quite ironic that my batting is most un-Viv like!
What was your favourite ground to play at?
I loved the traditional Premier venues such as the Albert and Junction Oval, but also the ex-VFL grounds such as Windy Hill and Princes Park. I’ve always loved the nostalgia of the old venues. As a batsman though, Geelong was always a game to look forward to with a great batting track and value for shots that was too good to be true.
What there a particular team you especially looked forward to playing against?
Playing for a relatively young club in terms of its Premier cricket existence, I always enjoyed playing against the older traditional clubs like St Kilda, Melbourne, Richmond. Their grounds and rooms were full of tradition and history and I loved taking on that challenge. I also enjoyed playing against state players when they were playing for their club. To test yourself to see where you were at against the best players in the state was a cricketing lesson.
What did you enjoy most about playing cricket?
After close to 30 years plus of playing the game, I’m still trying to work this out! Whoever the opposition is, the ground you are playing on or who your teammates are, there is always a lesson to be learnt every game. I love taking that lesson on board to make myself a better player for my team the next time I play. On a personal level, there is no better feeling or satisfaction of feeling a ball in the middle of the bat….nothing in life compares to that.
What’s been your most memorable moment in cricket?
For the right or wrong reasons, the 2010/11 Grand Final vs Dandenong sticks in the mind. Dandenong won a close fought affair that see sawed over 3 days. We lost by 2 runs on 1st innings and Dandenong were able to hold out 9 wickets down in the second innings. Still seems surreal to lose a game of cricket where you have scored more runs than the opposition and captured more wickets. To be involved in a game with 5 international players (Siddle, J Pattinson, D Pattinson, Boland, Holland) is a story to be told, however we fell short at and weren’t able to walk with the flag.
What’s the best win you’ve been involved with?
We entered the 2002/03 season having finished in last place the year before. We lost a lot of games by close margins and lacked a little belief and experience. With the addition of some senior experience (Flegler) and a further years’ experience under our young belts, we rocketed up the ladder to finish in 5th position and be drawn against Melbourne in a final at the Albert. We came up against a strong Melbourne line-up that included the names Hodge, McDonald, Harwood, Buchanan and Cook. We were huge underdogs but we had the belief and will to win from any position. Day 1 we posted a competitive score of around 300 before declaring and reducing Melbourne to 3/1 at one stage on the Saturday night. Day 2 everything fell into place and we walked away with the victory. That was a huge turning point for the club as a whole as it showed we had what it took to match it with the big dogs of the competition. A very close second to this victory was the reverse outright win the following week vs Camberwell Magpies to make the grand final, which we ultimately lost to St. Kilda.
Luke Walker
Who are the three players from your playing days at the top of the list for a Saturday afternoon barbeque?
Steve Stubbings – very funny man, lots of stories and loved a good impersonation.
Darren Groves – entertaining for a wide variety of reasons. Also a bloody good tradie so more than handy if anything went wrong or you need a quick job done while the BBQ was cooking.
Bryce McGain and Gavin Hurley – I’m cheating here by naming 2, but they missed their calling as a comedy duo. One day on the way to Footscray they cut off myself and another younger team mate forcing us to miss a turn off and making us late and therefore costing us a 6 can fine. Given that was over 20 years ago, inflation suggests that a slab would be the equivalent these days so they can bring that along and we are all square!
Who are the three sports people in the world you’d most like to meet?
Michael Jordan, Tiger Woods, Don Bradman
What are your hobbies?
Love playing golf when I can find the time. Lucky enough to be a member at Peninsula Kingswood.
What’s the best advice you’ve received?
Hard to separate “The small things are the big things” and that ‘You are never going as well as you think and conversely you are never going as bad as you think”
What is your current occupation?
Accountant in Local Government organisation
Luke Walker AFL Goal Umpire
Are you still involved in cricket and if so, in what capacity?
Still plugging away for Malvern Cricket Club in the Sub-District competition.
If you were running Cricket Vic what would your 2 priorities to ensure cricket in the state remained strong and successful on and off the field?
Would love to see more reward for performances in Premier cricket. I’m a believer in the theory of needing to dominate the grade you are in to be promoted. Seems like the focus is a little more AFL centric in talent identification currently, and I’d like to see the pendulum swing more towards performances at Premier level.
I’m going to contradict myself here because the state has a very good record at bringing in interstate talent and contributing towards the success of the state teams, but at times I’d like to see Victorian born and bred players being given that opportunity. I think that it would have positive off field ramifications as the grass roots cricket community would have a better connection seeing players from local Melbourne clubs performing for the Melbourne based BBL teams as opposed to fringe players from other states.
