Western Suburbs District Cricket Club turned 100 in May 2021 and over 250 players and friends of the club commemorated the milestone with a lunch for the ages at Graceville Memorial Park. A marquee was erected in front of the iconic 85 year old grandstand and the crowd included a great contingent of players from the 1960s & '70s, many of whom hadn't seen each other for decades. Without doubt the star of the show was 91 year old former Queensland batsman Jack McLaughlin who has lived in Graceville for over 80 years and first played for the club in 1947. Not even a broken rib could prevent him from topping the bill in a panel of former club captains comprising John Loxton, Carl Rackemann & Jon Dooley. Wests is also one of the strongest women's clubs in world cricket and the ladies were well represented by its international players including Jodie Fields & Melissa Bulow.
Celebrations continued long into the night and the event showcased the importance of club cricket. 15 May 2021 will go down as yet another superb day in the 100 year history of a great cricket club.
