By Parker McKenzie
Three long-term members of the Ferntree Gully and District Cricket Association (FTGDCA) were inducted into the Victorian Country Cricket League Hall of Fame on Sunday 12 February.
Norm Reeves and Steve Brown were on hand in the Mornington Peninsula to be inducted alongside other local legends of the game, while Bryan Mitchell was posthumously inducted.
Mr Brown said it was a great evening and an honour to be a part of the hall of fame.
“I’d like to thank the VCCL for hosting what was a terrific day and recognising volunteers in the cricket community that have worked for a long time and still continue to do so,” he said.
“It was good to catch up with some old foes that I used to play against in regional cricket.”
Mr Brown first started with FTGDCA as a player but has been involved in the administration of the local game since 1987.
He said in that time, he held every role except the president of the association.
“I’ve been secretary for 22 years, I’ve been vice president and now I’m just a general committee member,” he said.
“Norm Reeves was president for a lot of that time and he and I got on very well.”
Mr Reeves was a notable player in the district throughout the 60s and 70s but is best known for his decades as president. The top tier of the district’s senior men’s competition, the NR Reeves Shield, is named after him.
Mr Brown said Bryan Mitchell was a formidable player and volunteer before he passed away.
“Brian passed away probably six to seven years ago. It’s good to see a lot of those guys, even if they are deceased now, be honoured in some way,” he said.
“I spoke to his wife, who is still alive, and she was rapt.”
He said cricket has given him some wonderful opportunities over the years, with the highlights including managing the Victorian Country X1 vs Zimbabwe in Yea in 1994 and against Sri Lanka in Hastings in 2002 and being a Vic Country selector from 2000 to 2017.
