What might have been - Brad Murphy names his team

The question recently came up to name a team of grade players of whom I have played with over the years who would consider the best of a vast bunch. I am not keen to do that as it would perhaps offend too many as there have been so many great players over such a long stretch of time to single out just one team.

So rather than do that I have decided to simply name a team of players who in my opinion, given the opportunities today for First Class players, may well have made it at the next level. It is not necessarily the cut and dried best as it has been a lot of decades but a simple exercise in coming up with a team of bloody good grade cricketers as a balanced side.

The criteria is –

• I must have stepped onto a playing field with them at some stage from the late 70s until today.
• It must be during my playing and coaching time in grade cricket.
• No players who have played State First XI cricket in either form are eligible. 
• Only grade players in this team. ( no country players )
• In brackets are the club’s at which we were both associated with at the time.
• No Valleys players selected given I am their current coach so it would not be good to single out any players. Sorry boys!

Dan Wilson (Souths) - Left hand opening batsman and prolific grade run scorer for many years. Has scored many, many hundreds and still scores them! How he has never got a chance at next level is tough to understand. Scores at a good rate and tough as teak. Still playing these days for Ipswich Hornets after his early career at Souths and also coached them for a summer prior to going to Ipswich. Played for York in a strong English league and did not stop scoring there either.

Chris Torrisi (Wests) - Diminutive right hand opener had several large run scoring summers in his prime and was a great fieldsman as well. Tough to get out and was a real character who went on to coach at grade level for a while with University club. One of the funniest cricketers to have around and used to do a masterful whipper-snipper impersonation.

Brian May (Souths) – The “Bush Bradman” who early on had a season with Beenleigh/Logan before I could lure him later in his career to Souths. Maysie is the all-time leading run scorer in the National Country Championships and I doubt his record will ever be broken. It is a tragedy that he was never selected for Queensland. It must never happen again that this type of talent does not see First Class action. Lives in Toowoomba with his wife Jodie and two young lads and still scoring bucketloads of local runs.

Matt Hayward ( Redlands ) – Ridiculously talented left handed top order batsman who opened for Redlands in the late 90s after coming across from the Wynnum Manly club. Still holds the record for the highest score in the Syd Gregory Cup

(Qld v NSW annual colts fixture ) with a big double ton. After years of knocking on the door in Qld he went to Melbourne firstly for a season with North Melbourne and then destroying former Test opener Matt Elliott’s club record of runs in a season. He could take an attack apart in a session and was great to watch at his peak. Would be a sensation in today’s T20 era. Loved a beer and a punt. One of the great guys to play with and a super loyal team mate. 

Michael Ready (Sandgate/Redcliffe) – This young bloke in the mid-80s had an absolute standout debut summer at the age of only 18. He won Grade Cricketer of the Year but then pretty much disappeared within a couple of years. He could really bat but had a few technical issues that were found out the next season. I reckon he would have easily overcome them and kicked on but in the end he ended up playing in England for a while and then down the track turned out for Easts.

Dean Tuckwell (Wests) – Big Tucky in his prime could easily have been a top line cricketer. Nobody hit the ball further than him and if he could have converted more of his nineties into tons I think he may have been given a chance at Sheffield Shield level. Tall and very strong he stood the test of time also turning out for Norths, QCA Colts (when they were in the grade competition) and Sunshine Coast across a couple of decades. He had a great set of hands in the slips and could also bowl very handily. Superb cricketer and great fellow who has for a long time run his own Travel Agency “ The Adventure Traveller “in Paddington.

Alecz Day (Sunshine Coast) – One of the current day players constantly spoken of when discussions turn to who should get opportunities in the Big Bash. Rapid improvement over the years beginning at the Maroochydore club prior to gaining Sunshine Coast Scorchers selection saw his career, via a two year stint in Wellington, New Zealand highlighted with a Burge Medal a couple of years back. Daysie is also a high level hockey player which lends itself to a powerful bottom hand and in the current day he is one of the hardest hitters in the grade competition going around. His off spin bowling is another excellent string to his bow and he is a very thoughtful player who captained the Qld 2nd XI last summer in the T20 competition. Shocking news last month of him suffering a heart attack at training had the entire local cricket community praying for his recovery but thankfully it looks as though all will be well for him to continue his career next season.

Leigh Drennan (Redlands) – Starting out as a junior at Redlands, where I first had anything to do with him. Drenno is a self-made cricketer and a lesson to all that you do not necessarily have to come through a formal pathway to become an elite player. As a wicketkeeper firstly and foremost he gave no early indications that he would even play First Grade. Coming across to Souths as a teenager he advanced into Second Grade as opportunities arose. His tenacity and absolute love of the game saw him keep at it and after a major knee injury and reconstruction he had stints back at Redlands while recuperating and then onto Valleys where he got an opportunity in the First Grade side. A stint in Darwin with Southern Districts put him in the shop window of some Adelaide clubs after he played for the Northern Territory Strike in the South Australian one day comp. So down he went to Adelaide where he just got better and better and his batting took off massively. His Adelaide stint culminated in a premiership with West Torrens and a “David Hookes Medal” for player of the final. Time to come home to Brisbane and take up his teaching career saw him back to Redlands where he is now captain and after 5 First Grade tons across the past two seasons he got a call up to play in the Bulls 2nds when regular keeper Lachy Pfeffer stayed in Brisbane for the birth of their first child. He scored a fifty and took eight dismissals in that game.

Drenno is a lesson to every good grade cricketer that if you persevere you can improve massively. He is now a very high quality wicketkeeper and top order batsman who could in my opinion compete at another level.

Mark Shackel – (University) - This bloke was rated highly by every grade player of his era of the 90s. Superb right arm medium pace bowler and very good lower order batsman. He took a stack of club wickets and was a fantastic competitor with a massive heart. Shack performed a wonderful job for his club week and week out. He was a master tradesman of the fast bowling art and no doubt could have cut it at another level of the game I reckon. Great bloke who had time for everybody.

Wes Aspeling – (Redlands) – Finely skilled swing bowler who used to get good players out in club cricket regularly. Didn’t have a long First Grade career because of his work as a mechanic running his own business but a hugely popular member of the Tigers club where he briefly captained the top grade side. I coached Wes as a youngster as a kid at Loganholme Cricket Club when he was a skinny little leg spinner but he soon grew out of spin and turned to swing becoming a skinny tall medium pacer! He started his grade career in the Tavs side at Beenleigh/Logan back when that club was based at Dauth Park but then went and played with University before I pinched him to play with us at Redlands where he was a member of our First Grade One Day premiership squad.

Wes is now back at Redlands serving as Club Captain also playing lower grades and helping the young players including his son Will come through the ranks.

Wes Aspeling present a cap to a player making their debut at Redland Tigers



Brett Boardman – (University) – Big strong right arm genuine quick who could hit the ball a mile down the order. In another era may well have got an opportunity higher up but it was a time when Qld had quite a few fast bowlers in the shed. He had a deadly off cutter and was not unlike Joe Dawes. I was the recipient of a broken rib from Boardo one day batting against him at Burge Oval. I enjoyed it more when he was on my side of a team sheet!

Nick Fitzpatrick – (Sunshine Coast) – Another highly skilled swing bowler and another Peter Burge Medallist, Fitzy used to knick them off regularly feeding the keeper and slips. I am really not sure why he did not get opportunities to play higher up and in the end his career was cut short at grade level by a severe bicep injury. Fitzy now lives in Melbourne and runs his own coaching academy “ACI” and is highly respected for the work he has and continues to do in the sport.

He left us at Sunshine Coast to pursue his coaching career and went to coach Toombul for a couple of seasons. He was a massive loss to the Scorchers at the time. He was a hearty competitor and one of my most favourite players to work with across my club coaching career because he had so much spirit. Recently married to Leah.

As I said there are plenty of other great players I have come across in grade cricket over the years and no doubt with more thought I could name an opposition for this mob, but these guys will do me for now!

In summary can I point out that I am not suggesting that every good grade player can make it at the next level but I do think that opportunity is a most vital component of any sport or indeed vocation. I believe any one of these blokes, given the resources to just train and play cricket for a couple of years, without having to worry about jobs or study could have gone further in cricket.