Hard, fair and transparent cricket coach, that’s me
Peter Clifford | December 19, 2023
After 30 years at Toombul District Cricket Club, multiple premierships, first grade captain, lots of hundreds , and an average 53 it was a place I enjoyed for many years.
It was well run in the early years with Errol La Franz, Jim Holding Jnr and Cec Anstey the backbone of the club as they were real cricket people and knew how the club and players should be treated.
2 years ago, we lost Chic Leeder who was our manager, general help and a wonderful person. He kept the room intact and players happy. Chic lost a battle with cancer and personally I lost a good mate on Saturdays talking about ‘the Bee Gees and food”.
The club wanted to have a co -coaching arrangement which in my mind never works and I wanted no part of it. The club is now run by well-meaning people but who aren’t necessarily cricket people.
I left the club after 3 decades and spent a year looking for a property in the heated property market which was bloody hard. Once we found something and I could get my weekends back I thought I could watch some Premier cricket again.
An opportunity presented itself to coach again but I only wanted to do red ball cricket which I understand.
The normal interviews were carried out and after a period of time I was offered the first-grade red ball plus 50 over comp as coach.
At the start of the 2023-24 season, I also coached the Gold Coast Waveriders to a 3rd Brisbane Premier League flag which was a good way to start the season. Valley made the 50 over final in the first year and now in contention to do well in the longer form of the game.
Tuesday and especially Thursdays are the nights Valley train between 6 -8 pm and the coaches are brilliant and I have never seen a better well-disciplined club in terms of facilities and training and that’s from every grade.
Peter Drinnen, Grant Mitchell, and Matt Dy Payne work relentlessly to make sure players get what they need to be better.
My role is to help players with their game. By the time they get to me they can already play and I need to make sure they understand and can choose the best options to help them play better.
I will “tweak “ something I see and pass it onto the player to see if it works for them.
I have always liked to “build something” in a club and leave it in a better place.
Valleys have so much talent we just need to create a culture where players and staff are all working together.
It’s been an amazing few months and so enjoyable. I have had to make some hard calls for the betterment of the team otherwise nothing would change.
The players are keen, fit, motivated and well led by Cameron Boyce.
Yes the game has changed a lot however “top of off “hasn’t moved and “catches win matches” still work.
I was told yesterday by a player I’m “hard, fair and transparent” …. that’s me.
