The extreme mental pressure of playing in a grand final; some puff their chest out and feel they own the stage while others cower in a corner at the mere thought.
It takes guts, determination, concentration; and a healthy dose of belief in one’s own ability to thrive on the biggest stage of all.
Due to those factors; this is not just another game of cricket.
Only five players have worn the prestigious Lex Duff Medal on more than one occasion over the last 25 grand finals played in the WGCA/CCCA Premier Division.
And the list reads like a who’s who of champions.
Jess Mathers claimed three consecutive medals for Kooweerup from March 2016 to 18, while Russell Lehman (Catani and Tooradin), Chris O’Hara (Kooweerup), Amal Dalugoda (Pakenham) and Dwayne Doig (Cardinia) have also twice guided their teams to premierships with match-winning performances.
Mathers – in 2016 – is one of only three players in the last 25 years to have won the Lex Duff Medal but not been part of the winning team.
Mick Glasscock won the medal despite Kooweerup going down to Beaconsfield in 1998, while Cardinia captain Neil Barfuss was adjudged man of the match despite the Bulls losing by 53 runs to Kooweerup in 2015.
Of the last 25 medals; 22 have gone to winners.
Mathers – unofficially – should probably have four Lex Duffs to his name.
In 2020, when Covid caused the cancellation of a fifth-consecutive grand final between Kooweerup and Pakenham, Mathers was man of the match in a semi-final win that would eventually seal the premiership.
He took 6/33 as the Demons rolled Clyde for a modest 88 to advance to the ‘not played’ season decider.
Only one player, Tooradin’s Tom Hussey (146) in 2013, has won the Lex Duff by making a grand final century since 1998; but batters have still won their fair share – claiming 10.
Mark Cooper made 101 for Kooweerup in 2017/18; but was usurped by Mathers who took the incredible figures of 9/49.
Ben Maroney (2000 Pakenham: 96), Lester Betreen (2002 Merinda Park: 94), Mick Moon (2003 Tooradin: 74*), Kris Fletcher (2005 Beaconsfield: 89*), Steve Paterson (2007 Cardinia: 77), Chris O’Hara (2010 Kooweerup 98), Brad Miles (2011 Beaconsfield: 77), Matt Davey (2012 Kooweerup: 37*) and Chris Bright (2023 Kooweerup: 66) join Hussey on the honour roll of batters to have made a huge impact on grand final day.
But, between Hussey (2013) and Bright (2023), the Lex Duff had become the domain of all-rounders and bowlers.
A total of eight all-round performances have won the medal; with Dalugoda claiming two.
Glasscock (1998 Kooweerup: 3/65 & 57), Dalugoda (1999 Pakenham: 6/61 and 53*) and (2001: 3/60 & 61), Doig (2004 Cardinia: 7/78 and 45), O’Hara (2014 Kooweerup: 29 and 4/38), Mathers (2016 Kooweerup: 49 & 3/80), Dale Tormey (2019 Pakenham: 4/30 & 61) and Lehman (2022 Tooradin: 51 and 4/24) have all delivered handsomely with both bat and ball.
And bowlers have snared six awards.
Doig (2009: 6/67), Michael Meehan (2006 Beaconsfield: 6/32), Barfuss (2015 Cardinia: 6/46), Mathers (2017 Kooweerup: 5/50) and (2018: 9/49) and Travis Wheller (2021 Cardinia: 3/24) have put their bowling skills to good use when it matters most.
And only once could the umpires ‘Lex Duff Medal decision making process’ be severely questioned.
In 2008, a 16-year-old Lehman claimed the medal for his 29 not out – along with two catches and a run out – while his Catani teammate Paul Govaars took 5/15 off 20 overs, including 12 maidens, to have a fair say in the Blues nine-wicket win over Beaconsfield.
The Lex Duff Medal is not the prize the 22 players will be chasing this weekend.
It will merely be a lovely addition to a ‘reunion-making and treasured’ premiership medal, but whoever wins it will have shown guts, determination, concentration; and a healthy dose of belief in his own ability to thrive on the biggest stage of all.
PREMIERS AND LEX DUFF MEDAL WINERS – LAST 25 GRAND FINALS
SEASON GRAND FINAL RESULT LEX DUFF MEDALIST CLUB
1997/98 BEACONSFIELD 222 def Kooweerup 192 Mick Glasscock (3/65 and 57) Kooweerup
1998/99 PAKENHAM 4/191 def Clyde 190 Amal Dalugoda (6/61 and 53*) Pakenham
1999/00 PAKENHAM 231 def Kooweerup 98 Ben Maroney (96) Pakenham
2000/01 PAKENHAM 8/204 def Beaconsfield 203 Amal Dalugoda (3/60 and 61) Pakenham
2001/02 MERINDA PARK 6/250 def PUT 248 Lester Betreen (94) Merinda Park
2002/03 TOORADIN 8/154 def Cardinia 151 Mick Moon (74*) Tooradin
2003/04 CARDINIA 9/247 def PUT 245 Dwayne Doig (7/78 and 45) Cardinia
2004/05 BEACONSFIELD 184 def Tooradin 152 Kris Fletcher (89*) Beaconsfield
2005/06 BEACONSFIELD 9/112 def Officer 110 Michael Meehan (6/32) Beaconsfield
2006/07 CARDINIA 3/177 def Kooweerup 175 Steve Paterson (77) Cardinia
2007/08 CATANI 1/108 def Beaconsfield 107 Russell Lehman (29*) Catani
2008/09 CARDINIA 9/239 def Kooweerup 170 Dwayne Doig (6/67) Cardinia
2009/10 KOOWEERUP 8/278 def Cardinia 224 Chris O’Hara (98) Kooweerup
2010/11 BEACONSFIELD 238 def Cardinia 229 Brad Miles (77) Beaconsfield
2011/12 KOOWEERUP 7/114 def Tooradin 113 Matt Davey (37*) Kooweerup
2012/13 TOORADIN 266 def Merinda Park 156 Tom Hussey (146) Tooradin
2013/14 KOOWEERUP 158 def Cardinia 126 Chris O’Hara (29 & 4/38) Kooweerup
2014/15 KOOWEERUP 179 def Cardinia 126 Neil Barfuss (6/46) Cardinia
2015/16 PAKENHAM 7/218 def Kooweerup 217 Jess Mathers (49 & 3/80) Kooweerup
2016/17 KOOWEERUP 113 def Pakenham 108 Jess Mathers (5/50) Kooweerup
2017/18 KOOWEERUP 7/257 def Pakenham 126 Jess Mathers (21 & 9/49) Kooweerup
2018/19 PAKENHAM 6/164 def Kooweerup 161 Dale Tormey (4/30 & 61) Pakenham
2019/20 KOOWEERUP (Premiers) v Pakenham
2020/21 CARDINIA 9/111 def Kooweerup 83 Travis Wheller (3/24) Cardinia
2021/22 TOORADIN 7/161 def Cardinia 125 Russell Lehman (51 & 4/24) Tooradin
2022/23 KOOWEERUP 212 def Cardinia 129 Chris Bright (66) Kooweerup
Footnote: There was no grand final played in 2019/20 due to Covid. Kooweerup (v Clyde) and Pakenham (v Tooradin) won their semi-finals, with Jess Mathers (Kooweerup) the best performed player across both games with 6/33 in a 75-run win over Clyde.
