Gympie Cricket Legend Number 4 - SHANE KROPP

Former Harlequins Skipper, Club President and Life Member Shane Kropp's Gympie grade career spanned from 1982 - 1995 and boy didn't he leave a lasting impression. Kroppy was a member of the undefeated 1988-89 Harlequins Premiership winning team and led the team to victory after scoring an epic 99 not out as he carried his bat through the entire innings of 130 overs against defending Premiers Valleys. The fact that Kroppy fell so agonisingly short of a much deserved hundred was very disappointing for all concerned as he deserved no less then 3 figures. As one of his teammates that day, I felt guilty that I let him down as I 'walked' despite being given not out after sharing an important 70 run partnership with him. Lets just say the blast I copped from Skipper Big John McClintock was savage and I deserved it. Costing a mate a century is bad enough but fortunately that decision didn't prevent Harlequins from winning their first premiership since 1975. Lesson learnt.

After debuting in A-Grade at the age of 15 in 1982 , Kroppy proved to be one of the most consistent run scorers in the competition plundering 7 A-Grade centuries for Harlequins between 1986 and 1993 with a personal best of 164 compiled against his former club Colts. Statistics don't lie and there is no doubt in my mind that the best two Harlequins batsman over the last 30 years have been Shane Kropp and John McClintock. Ironically they had very different styles, Big John was unorthodox, a risk taker, ultra aggressive and explosive whereas Kroppy was an accumulator of runs with an impregnable defence who was technically correct with steely determination and loads of patience. Modelling your game on either player would be difficult but as an opening batsman myself I wanted to mirror Kroppy as he was undoubtedly the best opening batsman in Gympie at that time and in my opinion there has been no better opener since. His talent with the bat culminated in representative honours with selection in the Gympie Goodchild shield, Sunshine Coast/Gympie Schaeffer Shield, Gympie XXXX Cup, QLD Open Schoolboys and South QLD Open teams. During his time opening the batting in Gympie Cricket, Shane was responsible for defusing a host of quality fast bowlers. Kroppy excelled in an era of great Gympie fast bowling depth with bowlers of the calibre of Ron Buchhulz (1st Grade University Brisbane & SQ), Graeme Hogan (QLD Cricket List A, SQ and NQ), Mike Schultz, Ross Plowman, Greg 'Whiskers Walker', Ken Mahoney, Slave Horne, Bennett King (Qld u19 and Brisbane Valley 1st Grade), Craig Shepperdson (QLD u19), Glyn Brook, Kev Goatham, Brett Manthey and Murray Lorenson to name a few. He conquered them all with his penchant for driving off a big front foot stride and pulling or cutting all and sundry off the front foot.

Given the difficult task to name the best Harlequins team from his era Kroppy decided on the following players - Alan Lund, Ross Chapman (Captain), Wayne Cooley, John McClintock, David Kropp, Warren Cooley (WK), Kevin Goatham, John Kropp, Matthew Kerr, Bernie Jones, Ross Plowman, Brett Manthey. However, there is no way the best Harlequins team over the last 40 years could not feature the name Shane Kropp, so his modesty is noted. Not surprising he has selected 7 members of the 1988-89 premiership winning team a team which lost one game in 2 years, the 1989-90 Grand Final after being caught on a wet wicket against nemesis Valleys.

In reply to the following criteria Shane gave equal recognition to former team-mates and opposition players:

Favourite team-mate - Jeb Goatham and Shane Weier.

Most annoying team mate - Ian Gosschalk (anyone who witnessed Gossy's nude runs can attest to that).

Most annoying opposition player - Garry Smith from West (tough competitor).

Best friend you made playing cricket - Too many to single out one but Shane Weier, Kevin Goatham and David Young from the Sunshine Coast.

Most respected opposition player - Johnny Geary Valleys Captain.

Best cricketer you played against in an opposition team - (Colts) Warren Thompson and Ken Johnson, (Valleys) Peter Worth, (Wests) Robert Cork and Ron Buchholz.

Best batsman - Consistently John McClintock could turn a game and down right upset any fast bowler. Best bat that went to Brisbane and did really well Dominic Ovenden (QLD 2nd X1 and Peter Burge medal winner).

Best fast bowler - Ron Buchholz (Explosive speed) and Greg 'Whiskers' Walker (consistent and maintained pace).

Best Spinners - Les Mitchell leg spin and Darren Page off spin.

Best allrounder - toss up between Kev Goatham and John McClintock.

Best Wicket-Keeper - Troy Rowlands.

Best fielder - Neil Drescher (Great arm big mits).

Best Captain - Johnny Geary.

Best Sledger - Ron Buchholz.

In regard to funny stories there were numerous incidents Shane could of shared but one that sits high is opening the batting for Gympie against a Bundaberg team consisting of  Queensland country left arm fast bowler Brian Drinkwater. In the sheds Big John and Shane discussed who would take strike, it was agreed that Kroppy would take the first pill. Halfway out to the middle Big John said f#*k it I will face him. Well the first went for 4 over third man the next ball bounced once and went over the mid-wicket fence. With Drinky now cursing you cane cutting pineapple picking *#*#, he started the over inside the running tracks but by the end of the over he was pushing off from the grandstand. Kroppy remembers saying to Big John 'don't stir him up any more', but there was no stopping those two titans going at it. After a quick 40 run partnership Shane departed having not contributed to the partnership. But he recollects it was great watching it unfold from the non strikers end as Big John tore the attack to pieces.

Shane Kropp congratulations on your wonderful contributions to Gympie Cricket both on and off the field. It is great to see you are still involved with junior development in your role as President of Maroochydore Cricket Club following on from your previous efforts with Gympie Junior Cricket.

Gympie Cricket Legend Number 3 - ROD VENN

Rod 'Red V' Venn

Former Brisbane Valley fast bowler, the fiery Rod 'The Red V' Venn, stormed into Gympie Cricket 13 years ago and is still as competitive as always, a true warrior with a big heart who never gives the opposition an inch. The respect Venny has earned both on and off the field during his stint with Gympie Cricket has culminated in him being elected as President of Gympie Regional Cricket, an honour he respects dearly as it gives him an opportunity to give back to the game he truly loves.

It just goes to show you should never label people on first impressions and my first impression of Rod was thankfully way off the mark. In our first confrontation on Albert Park number 1 wicket Venny was putting everything into his work, determined to make an impression on the contest. After I produced some stubborn resistance he finally had the last say and didn't he give me a send-off, pointing me back to the pavilion in no uncertain terms, "There is the sheds now f#?k off". Well needless to say after arriving back in the sheds I was not amused and let fly with a few obscenities of my own muttering to my team-mates, " Who the f#?k does this hero think he is" , "What a tosser" etc, etc as my rant continued. Honestly, knowing what I now know about Rod, I am embarrassed to admit that I actually said or even thought of him in such a way. The real story is that he is a dogged competitor, fiercely loyal, enormously trustworthy, modest and one of the most respectful blokes you could meet. Thankfully, after not getting off to the best start socially, I can now proudly acknowledge that Venny is one of my favourite team-mates with Veterans Cricket and most importantly a good mate who I respect enormously for his contributions to Gympie Cricket.                           

Typical of Rod's modest nature, individual performances are not rated as highly as the game itself or the performances of his team. His major highlights include being a member of 2 Gympie Valley A-Grade Premiership winning teams and he cherishes every time he takes the field to play the game he loves. While Rod holds both premierships closely to his heart the Gympie Valley Premiership team from the 2008/09 season receives Rod's gong as the best team, he has played in. This particular side had legendary Valley players Troy 'TA' Ashton and Craig Whittaker pushing the players towards success after a couple of lean years where the club failed to lift the Alf Spring Trophy. The win was also a deserving end to the competitive cricket career of gun batsman and Valley stalwart 'Whit'.

Rod would personally like to acknowledge the below individuals who in his opinion top each of the following criteria during his time at Gympie Cricket:

Favourite Gympie club team-mate?   Craig Wilson - he is so passionate and gives his all.

Most annoying team-mate and opposition player?

Hands down the biggest deadset pest is Dane (Stiffy) Stievater, well off the field anyway he just can't help himself. The most annoying opposition player is a tough one, probably Chris Hughes because he is such a great competitor and part of the reason why Colts are our biggest nemesis.  


Best friend you made playing cricket in Gympie?   Craig Wilson.

Most respected opposition player?   Ash Sippel.

Best batsman?   Shane Walker.

Best fast bowler?   Josh Brady.

Best Spinner?   Jason Woods.

Best allrounder?   Josh Brady.

Best Wicket-Keeper?   Shane Walker.

Best fielder?   Stephen Brady.

Best Captain?   Stephen Brady.

Best Sledger?   Chris Hughes (All in good fun).


Funnily enough Dane (Stiffy) Stievater does not rate a mention as Rod's funniest story but I can't let this fly through to the keeper. I must admit I piss myself laughing when Venny tells me the story about the first time 'Sargent Schultz' arrived at training on his moped scooter - absolute Gold. 
However, Rod isn't really the type of guy who gets kicks out of taking the piss out of people, he is happy for them to have a joke at his expense.

With that in mind here is Rod's funniest story. Surprisingly Rod reckons he only played 2 games for the Gold and prior to his first game good mate Shaun Savage was into him saying imagine if you get a flyer and put it down, how will that go. Gees Sav talk about putting pressure on a mate. Anyway Josh Brady was bowling and Venny was perched at mid-on waiting nervously and yep you guessed it the batsman hit a flyer which the 'Red V' dropped like a Pommy fullback with Mal Meninga bearing down on top of him. Well you can imagine Josh's reaction and there was nowhere for the very embarrassed Venny to hide. Luckily, he reckons he can look back and laugh at it now.

Thanks Rod 'Red V' Venn for sharing your journey in Gympie cricket and let us hope we can get back to playing some over 50's cricket soon.

Brisbane Valley Statistics

Just for the record Rod did not supply these statistics, I sourced them to demonstrate what a great contributor he has been throughout his career. These are his Brisbane Valley Statistics.

   

Gympie Cricket Legend Number 2 - TRAVIS CHANDLER

Travis 'TC, Shervo, Boots, Tropical Cyclone' Chandler

Today we chat to former Colts, Gympie Gold, Hell-town Hillbillies, Goodchild Shield and Wide Bay representative fast bowler Travis Chandler, a bloke that took no prisoners on the field during his 14 year reign in Gympie Cricket circles but was always one of the best blokes to chill with after the battle was finished. At one stage clocked as the quickest bowler in Wide Bay during QLD Cricket's fast bowling roadshow, 'Boots' Chandler proved to be a key player in numerous Colts Premiership winning teams and considers the 2012/13 Colts team that achieved a clean sweep in all formats as the best of the best. Travis claims Captaining this team to glory was particularly sweet as Colts were able to overcome the 2011/12 Premiers Harlequins who had proved to be a thorn in their side under the Captaincy of his brother Dean.

On an individual note big Trav had many highlights during his playing days and can be especially proud of making enormous improvements to his batting as his career progressed. He was also surprisingly quite agile in the field for a big man which I personally found out to my detriment one day at Albert Park. After striking a ball firmly through the gap between mid off and cover, I took off for what I thought was an easy single, not so, the big unit moved swiftly like a gazelle, gathered the ball cleanly in one hand and with one stump to aim at threw the stumps down from side on resulting in an enormous celebration plus massive carry on. Gees that annoyed me, I had just survived a probing spell from the big fella but he still had the final say. Needless to say I was a bit more cautious trying to pinch a run against him from that moment on. Ultimately, his all-round skills were signified by his aggressive bowling with a plethora of 5 wicket hauls topped by his 8 for 24 off 17 overs against Harlequins on a typically flat Kosminski Oval pitch. Other notable contributions from 'Boots' include scoring 70 odd in the 2012/13 Grand final, 96 not out versus Wests in a t20 match, scoring a half century in a partnership of 120 with Cameron Quinn to lead Hell-town Hillbillies to a much deserved win in the Wide Bay t20 final, being recognised as the best performed number 11 in the Sunshine Coast 1st division comp and taking a hat-trick against Papua New Guinea while playing for the Wide Bay Flames.

As an  individual who has always been grateful to volunteers within our cricket community, Travis insisted that recognition must be given to Bob and Shirley Blackburn's selfless efforts which were above and beyond the call of duty. He also wanted to thank 'Pop" - Colts number 1 supporter for being there always for his beloved club whether they were winning or struggling.

Travis would personally like to acknowledge the below individuals who in his opinion top each of the following criteria:

Favourite Gympie club team mate?   Steven Brady.

Most annoying team-mate and opposition player within the Gympie comp?

Team-mates -   Justin Chandler/Luke Preston.
Opposition Players -   Peter Kross and Shane Brown.

Best friend you made playing cricket in Gympie?   Steven Brady but I enjoyed everyone's company.

Most respected opposition player within the Gympie comp?   Neil McKean.

Best cricketer you played against in a Gympie opposition team?   The Brady Bunch.

Best batsman?   Steve Brady and Nathan Nolan.

Best fast bowler and spinner?   Fast bowler - Craig Sorrell and Spinner - Josh Seanigar or KJ.

Best allrounder?   Josh Brady.

Best Wicket-Keeper?   Mitch O Hara.

Best fielder?   The Brady Boys.

Best Captain?   Troy Ashton.

Best Sledger?   Ian O Brien.

Finally, Danny Shepperson is the player that 'Boots' can't help but be amused with. He reckons Sheppo needs a chest guard especially when trying to evade his short balls and watching Sheppo under a high ball also adds to the humour especially the misjudged catches that club him in the chest. According to Trav, Sheppo's antics are just as hilarious outside the field of play in particular during sculling competitions. Apparently Sheppo can't scull a 7once beer quicker then what Kurt McArthur's partner Kelly can scull a pot. Special mention also to Justin Chandler for managing to spew up after every single game.

Jokes aside, Travis acknowledges he loved his time playing cricket in Gympie and wishes to thank everyone for the opportunity to participate. You all are a great bunch of blokes and with your contributions Gympie Cricket remained strong.Thanks 'Boots' for being Gympie cricket Legend number 2.P.s Trav, thanks also for being my first and only karaoke partner at the old Northumberland Hotel, I reckon the paint was peeling off the walls of the police station across the road that night.

Gympie Cricket Legend Number 1 - SCOTT McINTOSH

Welcome to Gympie Cricket Legends, a Blog to acknowledge the history of Gympie Cricket and to recognise all the talented cricketers that have participated in Gympie's competition over the last 50 years.

Today we feature Scott McIntosh, Life Member of both Gympie Regional Cricket Association and Western Gympie Cricket Club.


Scott McIntosh is affectionately known to his team-mates and opponents alike as either 'Two Wheeler' or 'Butcher'. Anyone who knows Scott can attest that he has many honourable traits. Without a doubt his loyalty is something that can never be questioned, especially if one considers his longevity as a member of Gympie Wests Cricket Club which has spanned the last 46 years after initially donning the clubs green and gold colours way back in 1974 as a sprightly 14 year old.

There is no denying the man they call 'Butcher' has had many fine days in the sun, winning 7 Gympie A-Grade Premierships, smashing a career high score of  211 not out and taking his best bowling figures of 7-35. However, these are not the only great memories Scott has of his journey with Gympie Cricket. He acknowledges his journey was heavily influenced by the many talented players he played with or against and by the many characters he has enjoyed the company of along the way.

With no disrespect to his hundreds of team-mates over the years, Scott insists his favourite team-mate was Rex Lohse, his best friend made while playing cricket was Ross Gibbs and the two guys who knew how to annoy him the most were team mate Bill Fryer and opposition player Danny Mahoney.

Former Valleys Captain John Geary earns Scott's praise as his most respected opponent and Valleys allrounder Josh Brady is considered as the best cricketer he ever played against in the Gympie competition. In regards to the best team 'Butcher' has played in, he ranks the Wests A Grade Premiership team from 1975/76 top of his list, but makes special mention of the 1997 Wests Premiership winning team that won the A-Grade final against his biggest nemesis Valleys following a 13 year Premiership drought.

When asked to select the best players he played with or against in several categories this was Scott's response:

Best batsman- Peter Worth
Best fast bowler- Greg 'Whiskers' Walker
Best spinner- Greg Breitkreutz
Best allrounder- Josh Brady
Best Wicket-Keeper- Ian Gosschalk
Best fielder- Darren Page
Best Captain- Ross Chapman
Best Sledger- Shane Polzin

Finally, Scott wished to share his Funniest Cricket story during his time at Gympie Cricket.
In the team photo after winning the 96/97 Grand Final, Meggsy (Andrew Burnett) was kneeling in the front row wearing shorts with his nuts hanging out! This photo was published in the Gympie Times on the Tuesday after somehow being missed by the editor. The old Ginger Meggs moment gets brought up at all Westies get togethers.

Scott McIntosh, thank you for sharing your fond memories of Gympie Cricket and congratulations on being the first Gympie Cricket Legend to feature on this blog.