By David Nagel
Tooradin captain Mick Sweeney will take on a familiar adversary this weekend when the Seagulls battle with Cardinia for the 2024/25 CCCA Premier Division title at Gunton Oval.
Shaking hands with Sweeney and watching the coin go up will be Bulls’ mentor Mark Cooper; a legendary leader around these parts with eight premierships as a captain-coach since he first piloted Cranbourne to success in his first year in charge in 2001/02. Sweeney himself was looking to add his name to Cranbourne’s most exclusive honour roll of champions when he led the Eagles into the 2022/23 DDCA Turf 2 grand final against Beaconsfield.
Shaking hands with him almost two years ago to the day was none other than Cooper, who would lead Beaconsfield to a glorious success.
Sweeney has since reflected on that day in March 2023 and the impact that leadership can have on cricket’s biggest stage.
“I think you can certainly pull some strings at times and if you get the right strategy in place it can make a difference,” he expressed.
“Whether that’s restricting an opposition’s ability to score, or setting up for a certain dismissal, so strategically you can certainly have an influence on the game.
“Game strategy can be laid out by the leader and then it’s up to the players to carry that out.
“If we’re talking about that game against Beaconsfield, Coops’ game-plan with the bat was abundantly clear from the first over we bowled.
“He and Tyler Clark had a clear plan in place; and from there it was about two teams trying to execute.
“I could restrict the scoring but I couldn’t get them to make a mistake, or force a mistake, because their game plan was a specific way.
“He had players that carried out that game plan to an absolute tee.
“It was a credit to Beaconsfield that day and a credit to Mark (Cooper) for putting the plan in place and for having the confidence and faith in his players to carry it out.
“I look back and think if one of those ‘plays and misses’ catches the edge, then we’re through, and that game plan falls over.
“But that’s cricket.
“There’s strategy, pulling the strings and that type of thing, but in the end you need your players to be able to execute it.”
Both bowling attacks are loaded with talent; providing an anomaly during the home-and-away season.
Cardinia made its lowest score on this very deck against Tooradin, while the Seagulls were rolled for their cheapest score for the season by the Bulls at Tooradin.
With such danger around every corner; there’s going to be nowhere to hide in this one.
“It’s going to be good fun; absolutely good fun, and I’m sure if you ask Coops the same question he’ll say he’ll put absolute confidence and faith in his bowlers; as will I,” Sweeney said.
“Tyler (Evans) and Sutto (Dylan Sutton) I think, when it comes to medium pacers with red ball, are at the top of the tree in that department in this league.
“They’ve got the stats behind them, a season of good work behind them to suggest they’ll go well with the red ball.
“Bailey (Lownds) has been a revelation for us this season, he’s been great, and we saw what Josh (Lownds) did for us in the grand final.
“I bowled him almost 30 overs straight; so we’ve got the attack, and confidence in them, but Coops will say likewise.”
It’s now full-steam ahead to the biggest day of the season, with confidence and belief in a team dripping with depth the key building block to success.
“A lot of it (next few days) will be players dealing with anxiety, the mental side of things, the strategy side of things, and players will have their own routines during the week that will have them feeling good,” Sweeney explained.
“We highlighted that last year, where we tried to have as many players going into finals that could look back on some performance as evidence to suggest they can perform at an elite level in this competition.
“For the players to know that they’ve done it before; it builds belief that they can do it on this day as well.”
Mick Sweeney had never won a premiership this time last year; now he is just one step away from being a back-to-back premiership captain at the Tooradin Cricket Club.
It’s a giant leap; especially with an old adversary trying to tie his cricket-boot laces together.
