Saturday morning in summer was local cricket at Campbelltown until about midday and then a dash to the train station with mum- usually walking cause Mum didn’t drive until her 50’s.
The train always left from platform 2 and took about 45 minutes to get to Ashfield station. A quick pitstop into the Donut Shop for a chocolate milkshake and a few cinnamon donuts and then we were at Pratten Park.
You see I had the older brother who was the next big thing - playing 1 and 2’s at 17....at West’s ....Yep the same West’s that had Dyer, Wellham, Gilbert, Matthews.
Sheffield Shield was stronger than today’s Test Cricket.
I was 12 and this was my idea of heaven - they even let me into the dank paint peeling dressing room, or maybe I sneaked in whilst they were fielding .. Symonds Super Tuskers ...DF Magnums... Gray Nick Powerspots and the all-time great SS Jumbo.
Shadow backfoot cover drives.. flick off the hip for one and of course the on drive back past the bowler...I even wore Greg Matthews helmet- don’t tell him-he doesn’t know
The sweaty smell of thigh pads .. the stained Greg Chappell hats from languid afternoons in the field ... absolute Nirvana for the young fella.
Then there was the compulsory training 2 times a week at Blick Oval... now this is when things got real funky. Older brother had the coolest blue Cortina you’ve ever seen with mags obtained questionably from Interstate Truck Driver Uncle Tony ( years later found out to be a polygamous Interstate Truck Driver Uncle Tony- another story for another day).
The bell went at Liverpool Boys High School at 3.10 and the rush was on… get into the Cortina with other brother Griff...(keeper in 4’s at 15) and we were off to Blick Oval.
Matthews looping Offies only in Speedos and Spikes ..Gilbert off 18 yards in the net everyone was trying to avoid ... slips cradles at full tilt and 60 graded players training together.
I loved it and bragged about it to my mates all the time - I may have even upsized it.
Big big bro went onto play some Shield and other bro Captained NSW U/19- ... I went ok but chose another path.
Both went to The Academy and both will never know what it meant to me to be included in something that created memories I still fondly reflect on and probably always
