With Third Grade about to embark on a finals assault for the second consecutive year, the season has concluded for our First, Second and Under 17 sides.
First Grade ended up finishing seventh, in what was an extremely tight ladder with only 18 points seperating first and seventh. Six wins this season compared to last year's two was a major improvement, but there was still a sense of disappointment that they couldn't finish in the top four after being well placed for much of the season.
Second Grade endured a disappointing year after believing at the start of the year they were a genuine premiership chance following the experience that returned to the club pre-season and the development of younger players in the off-season. Finishing seventh with only three wins was a fair way off the aim at the beginning of the year.
With a fairly young and inexperienced team going into season 09/10, many thought the Under 17's would struggle to win games but five wins was a good achievement and much of that must go down to 'Super Coach' Steve Absolom's ability to bring the best out in players whether they've played 100 games or no games at all.
As mentioned before Simon Stebbing's Third Grade trooper's are about to enter the semi-finals at time of writing and must fancy themselves to be a chance after finishing the roster season atop of the ladder only dropping three games for the season.
As a club we finished sixth in the club championship with 138 points, which was an improvement on last year's 106.
State Representation this season wasn't just limited to our three state contracted players Brett Geeves, Ed Cowan and Luke Butterworth.
Nathan Philip represented Tasmania in the Under 19's, 17's and capped the year off with selection in the Under 23 Future's Cup side (Second XI).
Trent LeRossignol accompanied Nathan in the Under 19's, Richie Dilger 17's and Dane Anderson the Future's Cup.
Sean McGuire was a part of the Tasmanian Impaja Cup team that travelled to Alice Spring's and Brad Absolom was a member of the victorious TCA Cox Plate team.
Statistically, this season their were some stand out player's in the competition from Glenorchy. Club captain Dane Anderson enjoyed another fine season, finishing the year as the competition's leading run scorer with 866 at an average of 61.86 with two centuries and five fiftys.
Robbie Dilger finished third in the TCA's leading run scorers with 526 runs at 37. 57 with three fifties and one ground breaking century. Perhap's the highlight of the first grade season was that maiden First Grade century scored by Dilgs. For those that don't know Rob had scored 23 half centuries- a club record and seven nineties- also a club record, before scoring the elusive hundred against University in round 14 so the cheer heard when he hit two over cover too bring up three figures was understandably big as was then night that followed.
Nathan Matthews enjoyed a successful comeback from stress fractures scoring 308 runs at 30.80 and was the sixth leading wicket taker in first grade with 27 wickets at 26.52. He was among the leading allrounders in the competition and must strongly be considered for the TCA team of the year along with Anderson and Dilger.
Sean McGuire, Nathan Butterworth and Ryan Delaney also enjoyed solid seasons's taking 25, 23 and 16 wickets respectively.
In Second Grade, Matt Dilger scored 277 runs at 39. 57 with a top score of 92. Luke Curran, Will Gainsford and Simon Palmer also cleared the 200 run mark. Damien West took 19 wickets at 21. 58 with Andrew McKellar the only other player to take 10 wickets or more with 10 at 24. 40.
Heading into Saturday's Semi- Final, Third Grade's leading performer's were skipper Simon Stebbings, 484 runs at 44 and with the ball, Tim Faltusz who had 27 wickets at 16.33.
Jamie Adams finished second in the TCA Under 17 leading run scorers with 385 runs at 35, which included a top score of 120 in the penultimate round versus University. Tim Spotswood and Tommy Coates were the only two others to score over 200 runs with 281 and 276 runs scored respectively. Spotswood also lead the way with the ball with 18 wickets, three ahead of Lucas Green.
