It is with great pleasure that the TravelSIM Manly Warringah Waratahs announce a coaching staff that is undoubtedly one of the best going around at any level of cricket, let alone the Sydney Premier Cricket Competition. It is overflowing with some of the most determined, passionate and experienced coaches that we could ask for. On top of this exceptionally talented coaching staff we are blessed with a number of amazingly generous individuals, many of whom have already dedicated years, if not decades to the amazing culture that they all continue to be a part of.
A Match Made in Heaven – Shawn Bradstreet & Phil Marks:
The intimidatingly effective power couple of Shawn “Winga” Bradstreet and Phil “Skid” Marks return for their 4th season in partnership together. Manly Men through and through, the benefits of the incredible passion and knowledge these two bring as head coaches simply can’t be overstated. It would be fair to say that these two have ushered in a new era at Manly in terms of processes and attitudes which has reaped obvious rewards in the exceptional seasons the club has enjoyed under their guidance.
Tim Cruickshank:
Former NSW cricketer and long-term 1st Grade skipper Tim Cruickshank has signed on for another season of involvement with Manly. His valuable expertise will be a great asset to our batting group and we look forward to his continuing role in the development of the youngsters at the club. Tim will double as PGs coach once again, and has also committed to playing 4-6 games during the season to help out our lower grades and help nurture our skippers.
Bob Rollins:
Veteran batting coach Bobby Rollins has once again signed up for the 2016-17 season. The amount of time this man puts into the club is truly staggering. It would be fair to say that Bobby has played a role in the development of virtually every batsman at Manly in recent years, which is a testament to the commitment of the man. Just ask Ahillen Beadle of the quality of his coaching skills and knowledge. His common-sense attitude combined with the incredible cricketing expertise he has makes him a truly invaluable member of the coaching staff.
David Gardiner:
The last couple of seasons in the Sydney Thunder setup has added to an already impressive skill-set that David Gardner brings to the club for the 2016-17 season. His tireless work at trainings enables trainings to run with great efficiency throughout the season. “Lozza” will again focus on the fielding of the club but also brings a high level of cricket knowledge.
Steve Whitfield & Gavin Fletcher:
We are fortunate once again to have two bowling coaches, each specialising in the area they honed near to an art form in their own playing careers. The wily Steve Whitfield brings both his vast experience and the great sense of humour vital for any good spinner. ‘Witt’ will focus more on one-on-one sessions with our spinners, with Sam Alexander already using it to his great advantage during the off-season. Gavin Fletcher is a Life Member of the club and his expertise will continue to be a fantastic influence on the fast bowling unit at the club. Fletch could do anything with the ball and has been nurturing all of our young quicks in recent years. Great to ahve him on-board once again.
Roy Vumbucca:
Roy has a fantastic record as one of the most successful coaches that our Junior Reps system has ever seen. Roy will be assisting with fielding throughout the year where possible, but will be increasing his workload either side of Christmas when Shawn Bradstreet is away with the Sydney Thunder. It’s great to have Roy’s commitment and organisation skills on-board.
Roy has a fantastic record as one of the most successful coaches that our Junior Reps system has ever seen. Roy will be assisting with fielding throughout the year where possible, but will be increasing his workload either side of Christmas when Shawn Bradstreet is away with the Sydney Thunder. It’s great to have Roy’s commitment and organisation skills on-board.
Toddy Darvall:
Todd Darvall from the mighty Coasters baseball has again signed on as specialist fielding coach. In recent years Todd has been instrumental in helping us become one of the best fielding clubs in the comp. His wealth of baseball experience will continue to be of enormous benefit to the playing group, especially in those continually underrated aspects of the game like throwing technique.
Alan Mantle:
Last but definitely not least, we’re delighted to announce that esteemed sports psychologist Alan Mantle will be back at the club again this year. We’re very lucky to have Alan around to continue his excellent work on the more intangible, mental aspects of what can sometimes be a frustrating game!!
Of course our training would not be the same without the part-management, part-entertainment skills of people like Alan Wright, Michael Shepheard, Don Sellin, Todd Harper and of course everyone’s favourite, Will Harding.
We are truly blessed here at Manly to have people as thoughtful and generous enough to give their time to the club the way they do. With amazing people like these around it really allows the playing group to focus on their cricket and get the best out of themselves, so it’s no exaggeration to say that as a club, we owe a lot of our success to these people.
For a full list of our committee of management and volunteers, please visit http://www.manlycricket.com/about/mwdcc-committee-and-management
Here’s to a successful 2016/17 season.
#bleedblue
