By RUSSELL BENNETT
DON Kerslake knows he’s probably played his last game in the West Gippsland Cricket Association.
After making his senior debut for Beaconsfield in 1988/89 and playing over 300 games for the club, Saturday’s loss at the hands of Upper Beaconsfield brought about the end of an era.
“In a way it’s a relief it’s over because of the year we’ve had, but leading up to the game this week – from my own perspective – there was a fair degree of sadness,” Kerslake said, standing outside the rooms at Holm Park Road well after the Tigers’ final Premier game in the Association had finished.
His side was smashed. There’s no getting around it, having been rolled for just 97 chasing the 298 set by Chris Savage’s Maroons.
There was a sense of inevitability about how the Round 14 game would pan out, like there had been for most of the Tigers’ Premier games this season.
It’s just the position Kerslake and a group largely consisting of Tiger cubs were thrust into following an exodus of first-grade players.
It would be hard to find anyone more respected around the WGCA than Kerslake, and his leadership of Beaconsfield’s Premier side this year would only have enhanced his reputation.
From Jason Williams at Pakenham, to Michael Giles and Chris O’Hara at Kooweerup – none of them have a bad word to say about him.
“We made the most of a tough situation,” Kerslake said candidly.
“We knew we couldn’t get relegated, so that monkey was off our backs.
“But should we have been playing Premier? Probably not.
“Would the Premier grade have been better without us in the mix? Perhaps.
“Did the association miss a trick there? Maybe they did.
“Your best eight sides should be playing in Premier and it was Premier in name only a bit this year, in my humble opinion.”
Kerslake isn’t sure if he’ll play on next year.
“I’m on the wrong side of 40 and my ones cricket is well and truly past me – it wasn’t that good 10 years ago, let alone now!” he laughed.
But he admits his future on the field may depend on what sort of leadership is around the club in the DDCA next year. One thing is for certain – if he’s called upon by the club to help out again, he’ll answer that call.
But Kerslake is optimistic about what the future holds for his Tigers, with their young core admirably standing tall throughout a tough 2014/15 campaign.
“Cooper Muir, a tall left-arm bowler is definitely one to look out for,” he said.
“He had a couple of terrific spells towards the end of the year.
“Mitchell Hayes is another one – he’s our under-17 captain.
“He bowled two or three excellent spells, one against Merinda Park and another against Upper Beaconsfield.”
Lachlan Laird, Sam McDavitt, Brett Monagle, Angus Bunnell – the list goes on.
While the sun has set, at least for now, on the Tigers’ time in the WGCA; it’s just beginning to rise on the careers of some of their youngsters.
