I was a local product of the Easts club, starting in the schoolboys (u13) grade in 1970. The club had relocated to Bottomley Park from Langlands Park and a brand new clubhouse (later to become the famous Crab Pot) was in the process of being erected.
I remember Tony Dell providing some bowling advice to us which was a big buzz for us all. In those days the grade structure was very different to today. Intermediate (U15) followed schoolboy, then U18, followed by the open grades which started at C Grade, followed by B Grade, Reserve Grade and A Grade.
My journey in First Grade commenced in January 1976 when I was selected to play against Norths at Windsor Oval (a fun place to bat) and finished in February 1989. In between, my time was broken from 1980-85, while I worked in Gladstone for the Commonwealth Bank. During this time I played extensively throughout Central Queensland.
Selecting my team therefore excludes the “Gladstone” years and any players who achieved First Class honours.
A not so “fun” fact (for me anyway) is that Easts won premierships the year after I went to
Gladstone, the year after I retired, and my Gladstone team the year after I left. Perhaps a message in there!
