By JARROD POTTER
A PREMIER recruit has gone to a premiership side in Dandenong District Cricket Association – with Parkfield premiership captain Steve Spoljaric heading to Casey Fields in 2014/15.
A week on from playing the all-round match of his life, batting the Bears out of trouble in the DDCA Turf 1 grand final with 106 before snaring 4/49 with the ball, Spoljaric has left Dunblane Reserve and will head down the South Gippsland Freeway to join Cranbourne.
Spoljaric said the time was right to head off with Parkfield strong on the field and Cranbourne on the rise into the top division.
“They had a chat to me the previous season and they showed their interest, but they didn’t make it (to Turf 1),” Spoljaric said.
“This year they made it and… what happened to us was a bit of a surprise… I had a think about things and thought I’d done this and that and I think I’ve left them (Parkfield) in a healthy state on field.
“They’ve got enough talent to see them through, provided they stay together over the next few years… it was time to move on.”
The 2013/14 Wookey Medalist – his third in four seasons – will be part of a bumper squad for the newly promoted Turf 1 team Cranbourne, which features former Buckley Ridges all-rounder Te Ahu Davis.
“When you do your research they shouldn’t have been in Turf 2, but hopefully a little bit of my direction and we can turn them into a powerhouse like they should be,” Spoljaric said.
“Just happy for the fresh start… it’s going to be good fun… I’m there for two years and I hope I can get them on a very dominant path.”
Looking back on his time at Parkfield, Spoljaric was rapt with the medals he’d won individually but loved getting the side a premiership and was still thinking about his run-out of Springvale South’s Aaron Morison in the grand final.
“That little cheeky run out was the highlight for me,” Spoljaric said about the grand final win.
“Doing something that only I knew what was going on at the time – everyone else was probably wiping their eyes, wondering what happened then.”
Cranbourne Cricket Club president Shaun Petrie said the allure of Spoljaric isn’t just his on-field contributions, but his ability to help develop the group as a player with Premier Cricket experience.
“It’s a bit of a coup isn’t it,” Petrie said.
“I’ve been working on it for quite a long time, so it’s a recruiting coup and he’s a ripping bloke too.
“It’s not just about his cricket, but it’s about having someone who has succeeded at a really high level and knows it will rub off on the rest of the boys.”
Spoljaric, also a former Ryder Medal winner in Victorian Premier Cricket, finished up his time at Parkfield with 3055 runs and 117 wickets including nine centuries and three six-wicket hauls.
