By RUSSELL BENNETT
West Gippsland Cricket Association
THE Clyde Cougars have wasted no time in their preparation for what is sure to be a mouth-watering 2014-15 West Gippsland Cricket Association District season – pouncing on one of the best all-rounders in the competition, John Simpson.
The former Upper Beaconsfield Premier skipper has come off a stellar season in the local league’s top tier – scoring 509 runs at an average of 46 and taking 22 wickets at just 20.3.
The 33-year-old also finished runner-up to Tooradin’s Aaron Avery in the TJ Stephenson Medal, awarded to the best player in the Premier division.
He returns to Clyde after playing the 2002-03 and 2003-04 seasons at Cougarland, becoming Club Champion in his final season before his departure.
The Berwick local has since tried his hand at DDCA Turf 1 level with Narre Warren and spent the past five years with the Maroons – steering them to the District title in his first season there.
Newly re-appointed Clyde coach Kyle Brooke was playing under-16s for the Cougars last time Simpson wore the green and gold. He knows just how good Simpson has been over recent seasons in the WGCA’s top-flight, including leading the Maroons through a transition of having an experienced senior core to an exciting group of youngsters.
“We’re thrilled to have Simmo back on board,” Brooke said.
“He’s a previous club champion of this club and he’s not just a great player but a great person as well.
“We’re trying to breed a good culture within the club and to bring someone like John in and enhance what we’ve already got is just going to be a bonus for us.”
Simpson has joined the Cougars as both a playing assistant to Brooke, and in a development coach-type role.
“I was probably – even halfway through the year – enjoying playing with the guys at Upper Beac but I didn’t know if that’s what I wanted to do, future-wise,” Simpson told the Gazette.
“Due to the changes in the playing list the guys that I went there to play with weren’t around anymore – they’ve either retired or moved elsewhere so I had a chat with Kyle and went from there.”
Simpson looks back fondly on his time with the Maroons, which included scoring 88 not out in a winning District grand final.
“They’re building again,” he said.
“They do have some good young players coming through. It is a changing of the guard there and they have to see what they can do.”
Simpson and Brooke already share a common goal for the Cougars next season; to move heaven and earth to try and get Clyde into Premier, and to stay there for the long haul – not just make up the numbers.
And with the current Cougars list, Simpson sees no reason why he can’t be a part of sustained success – even at a ripe old 33.
“We think we were really close this year and there was probably a logjam between second and sixth,” Brooke added.
“We think suddenly now we’re probably – maybe not a full step ahead of the pack – but at least half a step and on the right path.”
Simpson predicts his on-field role to be more batting-centric but he looks forward to stepping up to the plate when he’s called on with the ball as well.
“The bowling stocks here have been pretty good but from outside looking in there’s a lot of wicket-taking bowlers and they may just need another bowler who can tie up an end at different times and just change the tempo. A lot of the guys probably bowl quite similar so I’ll hopefully bring something a bit different.”
Whether that’s with five, 10 or 20-over spells – he just wants to play his role.
But if it’s the latter, Brooke joked that it may have to be split over two days.
