It has been remiss of the Club not to announce before now, but our Annual General Meeting saw the fitting acknowledgement of the most influential contributors in making our Club into what it is today, with Paul Connors, elevated to Life Membership of the Glen Iris Cricket Club.
A larger-than-life character, Paul started with our club as the Milo Have-A-Go co-ordinator back in 2010/11, which he continued the following year. He graduated to the Committee of the Junior Section in the 2012/13 season, and served as a committee member in our Junior Section for five seasons in total, including 2013/14, 2014/15, 2019/20 and 2020/21. In between those stints on the Committee, Paul served as Chairman of the Junior Section for four seasons, between 2015/16 and 2018/19.
Dusting off the whites, Paul made his debut for the GICC in 2015/16 and in 2019/20, took over the Captaincy of our Colts in 2019/20, leading the side into the CSB Grand Final in 2020/21. Eventually playing in 43 games, Paul made 424 runs with a highest score of 50x (due to mandatory retirement) and took 5 wickets with best bowling of 2/13. On field, he preferred to let the kids have the limelight, batting himself down the order and rarely bowling, but making sure that everyone, his team and opposition, enjoyed the game, win or lose. Ultimately, Paul ended up captaining the Colts for three seasons, until 2021/22. Notably, despite his reticence to bat in front of too many people, he managed to win the Colts Batting Award in the 2019/20 season.
It is off the field though, where we have felt Paul’s greatest contribution, with Paul each year, for the past 7 years, arranging for the club to host the MAD Foundation Annual Charity Cricket Match. Paul has also arranged, since 2016/17, our Sportsman’s Lunch, which has seen guest speakers, the likes of Damien Hardwick, Alastair Clarkson, Brett Ratten, Darren Berry, Rodney Hogg, Stephen Silvagni, Damian Fleming and Andrew Gowers (amongst others) grace the rooms at the Eric Raven Pavilion. These lunches, have raised immense funds for our club, which we have been able to funnel back into our junior programs, which Paul has supported so much since joining our club.
It is with our heartfelt thanks that we announce Paul’s Life Membership of the Glen Iris Cricket Club and encourage all members and supporters to pass on their gratitude and congratulations to Paul on his elevation to Life Membership.
