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House of Assembly - Fifty-Fourth Parliament, Second Session (54-2)
2021-05-11 Daily Xml
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Pooraka Cricket Club

Ms BEDFORD (Florey) (15:52): It was an honour on Friday 23 April to attend the 2021 presentation night for the Pooraka Cricket Club. A room full of passionate Pooraka cricket supporters assembled to review the year that was. Part of the Pooraka sports and community club now led by president Dave Garreffa, Pooraka Cricket Club has a great tradition of competitiveness and excellence. Former president Keith Wales has given much to the club over many years and resigned recently. We wish him well and thank him for his continued service and commitment throughout the years.

I would like to mention the sponsors of the club: Australian Opal Company, Premier Insulation, Tint a Car Salisbury and Clovelly Park, Little Fish Print, Heath Norris Constructions and Clockworks Digital. I have been amazed at each and every presentation night I have attended over the years and, while now in a rebuilding phase, this year has been no exception. Pooraka has a strong ethos and pays great attention to the junior players it nurtures, and I believe this is the start of the club's loyalty and the heart of the club's success.

The club has a strong off-field support system. There are many people I have observed in my brief association with the club who have done much to see the club retain the respect of the community and broader South Australian cricket fraternity. A new president was welcomed on the night—Trevor Holst—someone I have known for many years through his association with calisthenics and other local sporting clubs. I know Trevor, with the support of his wife, Vivienne, will make a great contribution to Pooraka in this new phase.

The end of last season saw many club greats retire. Being able to retain players of the calibre of Mark Hanson, captain Jye Bailey and 2021 club man of the year, Andy Lee, is the foundation set by senior coach Craig Pocock for a bright future. Jamie Jarrett dropped back to assist with the younger up-and-coming players in the next team, and his role as a mentor will be invaluable.

Beyond all this, there was a special tribute paid on the night to a special person at Pooraka, someone who has stamped his personality on several roles he has played over many years of dedicated service. Ken 'KG' Greenwood became the inaugural Hall of Fame inductee of the Adelaide Turf Cricket Umpires and Scorers Association on 14 April this year.

Ken played cricket in Berri before moving to Adelaide, where he had an illustrious four-year career with Norwood ANA Cricket Club after a short stint at Prospect. He began umpiring in 1964 with the Central United Cricket Association to keep himself occupied on Saturday afternoons. In 1968, he joined the Prospect District Cricket Association and remained umpiring there until about 1977. In that year, KG joined the ATCUA before finally retiring in 2010. In his time, the following are some of his personal highlights:

seven A1 grand final appearances;

four ATCA versus Victoria sub-district representative matches;

a first A1 match, in which he umpired with his now best mate Doug French (they have a lifelong friendship that started on that day);

he is an ATCUSA life member;

he was president/chairman of the ATCUSA for three years and a committee or board of management member for 38 years in various roles—and that commitment to cricket umpiring is still going;

he is a 30-year delegate to the ATCA for ATCUSA;

he has a 40-year certificate for services to sport;

he has a 60-year certificate and medallion for services to cricket from Cricket Australia;

A2 grand final medals presented to umpires; and

nine years of umpiring at the county cricket carnival, three times winning best umpire award (he once tied with his brother Neville for that award).

In 1972, KG became involved at Pooraka, originally on the football side of the club, helping out a mate as a trainer. Luckily for all of us he decided to stick around, as he liked the place and the people—and it was a good place for a cold beer. In that time as a trainer, KG was involved in seven SAFA A1 and two SAAFL A2 premiership wins.

KG remained actively involved with the football club, assisting the trainers with some strapping and rubdowns or getting in the way until 2016, when he became involved with the cricket club. KG had umpired a handful of games involving Pooraka over the years, including a controversial Brock Partners Cup final, but that is a story for another time.

In the 2010-11 season, KG took over scoring from David Palmer in somewhat of a role reversal, as David then began his career as a cricket umpire. KG has been a scorer for four premiership seasons, along with the T20 SAMCA Metro Cup in 2011-12 and the SAMCA State Cup in 2014-15.

It would be hard for anyone to dispute Ken's passion for the game and his love for the great Pooraka Cricket Club. He is an amazing example of the importance of volunteers like another, Jan Jarrett, and many others behind the scenes, hugely important to the club.

I am told Ken is quite simply a cricket legend in his own lifetime. From reciting the by-law rulebook to letting every umpire know their mistakes during tea breaks and after the game, and his famous quote 'Get out of the bloody way,' when someone is within two metres of walking in front of the scoring table, KG takes every loss just as hard, if not harder, as any player. It is safe to say that KG's heart beats true for the red and the blue, the Pooraka Cricket Club—and long may it be so.

The SPEAKER: Before I call the member for Narungga, as a proud former Pooraka Football Club player—more than 30 years ago now—I am delighted to hear that the cricket club is in such good shape.

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