Welcome to the 1st Howzat Building Waratahs in History for 2025. The Q & A is with Michael “Stix/Ozzy” Osbourne.
Michael was a local junior who played 7 seasons across 10 years for the Tahs from 1990/1991 to 2000/2001. Michael started his career with the Tahs in 5th Grade and has a 49 not out and several 5-wicket hauls to his name. He took 102 wickets for the club. Michael is the Uncle of current player Julian Osbourne.
Michael returned to the club 3 years ago as a Sponsor and now is part of the Partnership team in his role as the “Blue Blood Club” Manager. I hope you enjoy reading about Michael’s history with the club.
How did your love of cricket come about as a child? Who were your cricket heroes growing up?
My older brother Jeff, my dad (Ray) and I were always playing cricket in the front yard of our place at North Curl Curl. The Osbourne Christmas always included a game with my dad Ray and his 4 brothers joining in. I don’t remember having heroes in cricket when I was growing up, but I remember we were always watching the game and trying to imitate the players.
Tell us a bit about your junior journey on your way to playing at Manly?
My Dad took me up to play for Collaroy, we turned up for their first training session and the coach came over and said sorry they had too many players already. The next closest club was Beacon Hill, so we went there. This is where I met a funny fellow named Mr Glassock! His son Brad was our coach, and his son Craig was in the team. Oh yeah and this funny little fellow named Chris. This was my intro to the Glassock family. Brad was in the same team as my older brother Jeff in Manly junior Rep cricket.
I always had an extra step in my run up when we played against Collaroy and loved bowling bouncers at their best batters!
What are your memories of the club in the early and mid-90’s as you were coming through the grades? Both on and off the field?
I have a lot of great memories playing at the club. The first year was great. I got my first 5fa and my highest score 49 not out batting at 11 in 5th grade. Morgan Youell was the player to get out at the other end to leave me stranded on 49. I always remind him of this when I see him. He always reminds me I was a bowler and got 5 wickets in that same game.
I met a lot of guys who I still know now. My first game was at Alan Border oval. (fielding for Gary “Stalky” Flowers) I ran into the sight screen headfirst trying to stop a boundary (back in the day when the poles were inside the fence). I knocked myself out and chip the bone in my knee. On the way back from the game in the Glasscock’s car Don “Donny Dollars” Sellin asked if I was available to play the next week in 5th grade. Yes, I said to Don not knowing I needed keyhole surgery on my knee at the time.
Another great memory was being part of the team when Brain Clemow scored his 287 not out as a 16-year-old against Bankstown in 3rd grade. We scored 4-440 of 85 overs and bowled 5 overs the next week and got washed out!
Off the field I remember the nights out we had. Karaoke one year at the Golden Singapore restaurant in Brookvale was a great night and many other trivia nights at the Diggers on the Park. Also, the Charlie bar at the Manly Pacific after training.
Who helped you the most throughout those initial years starting out in Grade cricket at Manly?
Richard “Dick” Fry was great to me. Being a local Curly guy and knowing him from his sister Trudy who was at my school. Dick would often take me to training and drop me back home. He gave me some County Gloves and pads – I wore them through my whole career at Manly and I still have them. Just shows I didn’t bat that much. My dad was great taking my brother and I around to all the games. He bought me my first proper bat a Gray Nicholls Powerspot at age 15 from Mike Pawley sports. I think it must have been on special as it was the heaviest bat. I still have the bat, and it still can smack a good six. I batted with it recently in a parent/teacher game at school. 36 years old and still going.
Who were some of the well-known cricketers who you came through the system with, and who was the best player coming through the Manly ranks during your juniors?
I played all my junior representative games for Manly with Craig Glassock, John Warn, Peter Procopis, Anthony Morton and probably some others I can’t remember. I only played in senior cricket with these guys in Poidevin Gray and played with Sean Bradstreet and Paul “Blocker “Wilson in PG’s as well. I played a couple of games with current club president Andrew Fraser and got to bowl to Michael Bevan in the nets at Grahams when he was at training. The best player was Craig Glassock in juniors.
You debuted for the Waratahs in 1990 at the age of 17. What do you remember about your grade debut?
I didn’t make Grade the first time I came down to try out, Frank Turner was the selector for the new guys, when he called out the names mine was not called. I remember Craig Glassock coming up to me and telling me to come and watch him and I might get to field one game. Well, it didn’t take that long until Craig asked me one week can you come next week and field as the captain Gary “Stalky” Flowers had a wedding the next week.
That was my 1st game for Manly, fielding at Alan Border oval in 3rd grade.
My 1st actual game was against Balmain in the “Fighting Fives” as Tony “Scanners” Scanlon called us. I got 30 runs, and I don’t remember if I bowled. I remember my dad videoing the game and I almost hit him with a straight drive over the bowler’s head. He probably has that recording somewhere on video.
Your top score was 49* and best bowling was 5 for 28. What do you remember about that innings/spell?
I will start with the 49 not out. Morgan Youell was at the other end, we had a last wicket partnership of about 60 I think. It was in my first season with the club, and we were playing at Hawkesbury. As I said earlier, I always remind Youelly every time we catch up. So thought it appropriate to mention again. He always tells me that I also got 5 for 46 in the same game. I also was out stumped the 1st balled I faced but the square leg was asleep and gave me not out.
The 5 for 28 was against Western Suburbs in 4’s. Its funny, I don’t remember the bowling but I remember throwing the stumps down from fine leg boundary to run a guy out and batting with Elliot Leahey for about 60 minutes and playing a beautiful cover drive to hit the winning runs. I am a typical fast bowler that boasts about his batting skills!
What do you consider the best spell of bowling from yourself?
Actually my best spell of bowling was for Manly but it was in a star studded Moore Shield team (Under 15’s I think). Playing against Nepean (Penrith) we had several other top notch future Manly Grade players. Craig Glassock, John Warn & Peter Procopis to mention a few. Nepean had a fellow named Jason Arneberger (future First Class player who played for NSW & VIC and scored over 6000 runs).
Anyway, they were favourites to smash us. We batted first and got about 175 or 200 from memory. Arnberger comes in and we are all a bit anxious about what he will do. 2nd ball he snicks off my bowling straight to keeper Glassock and we were in shock. My figures on the day were 7 for 28. That sticks with me because of Jason. I’m sure he doesn’t remember it….
I also got a 5fa in one PG’s game at Waitara when our opening attack was Shawn Bradstreet and Paul “Blocker” Wilson.
What do you think your strength was as a cricketer?
My main strength was my passion and I was a great team man. I was an economical bowler and could bowl quick on a good day. I think I loved fielding the most though and I had an arm that could throw the stumps down flat from the boundary. I actual dropped my 1st catch for Manly playing in that 3rd grade game I talked about earlier, but I was reliable in the catching department as well. I could hit the ball hard and far when I batted but I had a fear of batting in the nets after being hit in the nose as a 14-year-old. So never was a great batter.
Who was the best player at Manly that you played with?
I would have to say 2 players. I played a year with Tim Cruickshank in 1997/98 in 4’s. He averaged low 40’s and scored over 400 runs in 11 innings. I was 25 so I think Tim would have been about 15 or 16. He went on to be a great 1st Grade player and captain. Now a Life Member of the club.
The other player is Brian Clemow. I played a handful of games in 4’s with him when he was coming up through the grades and a couple in 3’s before he moved up quickly into higher grades. I didn’t play much with Craig Glassock but he also was great.
All great guys as well.
What is the best innings/bowling spell you saw at Manly from a fellow player?
My 1st game in 3rd grade was the game that Brian Clemow achieved his record-breaking total of 287 not out. So that is the best innings I saw.
Bowling was the day that Steve Barlett got 5 for 0 to win a game at Manly oval when the opposing team only needed 3 runs to win. I think that is close to right.
Who was the funniest player you played with at Manly and why? Do you have any clean stories you could share with us?
I think Anthony Morton was the funniest, but he didn’t know it. I remember playing a game with Mort’s against Eastern Suburbs at Waverly Oval. Mort’s walked a couple of steps down the wicket and let the ball go through to the keeper. Mort’s did a “Jonny Bairstow” and walked down the wicket without going back to his crease to clean off some debris off the pitch. The keeper tried to throw the stumps down and missed luckily for Mort’s. Mort’s pleaded with the keeper on being fair and that it wasn’t in the spirit of the game. When we asked what he was doing after he got out, he was surprised we didn’t agree with him.
Who drove the standards at the club during your playing time?
Craig Glassock was a big leader at the club in most of my years when I was there. I learned a lot about loyalty and loving the club though from the captains I had over my early playing days. Tony Scanlon, David Patterson, Dr Jim Stewart and the late Tom Spencer.
Who was the people who really drove the on-field and off-field culture at Manly during your time?
The culture was good when I first started playing but towards the end of my playing days the culture wasn’t great in some areas. I think players like John Warn, Andrew Fraser, Shawn Bradstreet and Craig Glassock were working on some changes though.
The culture now is the best I have ever seen it. This is why the club is so successful now.
Who was the best Captain you played with and why?
I played under a lot of captains, I think Tony “Scanners” Scanlon really gave me a lot of confidence and believed in me. He was always asking me to bat higher up the order and saying to me I really should take my batting more seriously. All my captains were great.
Who was someone that you loved to play with that you loved seeing succeed?
I loved playing with Morgan “Youelly” Youell. It was great to see him work hard and stick with it and eventually play in 1st Grade. I look back on that and think I could have done that, but I had other interests that saw me travelling around a bit following my at the time girlfriend Clair up to the Hunter Valley. I made the right choice as we just celebrated our 25th wedding anniversary and we have a 7-year-old daughter.
Best Nick Name?
Gaeten “Pickets” Juul was the best, I think. Took me a while to figure that one out when I was younger though. Manly cricket is the only place that my nickname “Stix” gets used though now. If you are wondering, I got that from my older brother Jeff as he was the original Sticks.
What are some of your predictions for Manly in 2024/2025?
I think it will always be hard living up to the year you just had. In saying that after 2022/23 I thought the same thing. I am hoping for a triple in the club championship from the Men as I believe that has never happened before and a double from the Women. If the clubs doing well as a whole, I think that will always mean we will have 4 to 5 teams playing in the finals. I think the culture will continue to get stronger from what I have witnessed being close to the club again.
What does your life involve now, and do you keep abreast of how the Waratahs are faring?
I live on a 65-acre property with my wife Clair and our 7-year-old daughter Ivy. We are 1 hour up the M1 in West Lake Macquarie in a suburb called Cooranbong. You would drive past the back of my property when you head up to Newcastle. We have horses, dogs and a cat. I am a Financial Adviser with Invest Blue (MWDCC club sponsor for the past 3 years). I am part of the MWDCC partnership team, I look after the Blue Blood club for past players and non-playing supporters. We have raised money each year for Mike & Suzanne Pawley’s charity “Happy Days” in Cambodia which is great.
I also look after the “Waratahs in History” and try to encourage Waratahs of the past to tell their story. We haven’t got many guys completing lately, so this is why you are hearing my story today.
I have a dream that one day I will get a call up as an emergency player and will be able to get my 50 for the club. I’m sure Youelly will be happy to not hear me remind him that he left me stranded for eve
