A packed Members' Dining Room of more than 260 guests celebrated the season that was, with a first Club Champion award for inaugural women's captain Anna O'Donnell and Blake Thomson becoming a three-time Paul Sheahan Trophy winner in a Premiership season headlining the evening.
Thomson claimed his third Club Champion award in the past four seasons, joining the likes of Richard Herman, Warren Ayres, Andrew Kent and Liam Buchanan as three-time winners of the award. At just 25 years of age and with a record that would have many thinking he was 35 given the amount of runs he's made, it was arguably his greatest season to-date. Not only was he strong with the bat – piling on 790 runs @ 49.38 - but as an outstanding captain who led the way for his charges on their way to Premiership glory – the MCC’s 22nd Men’s 1st XI title.
Among the other award winners, it was a big night for Kieran Elliott, who claimed the Brian Watson Memorial Award for his outstanding finals series where he claimed 17 wickets at an average of 16.17. Not surprisingly, he also took out the Player of the Final awards for the Qualifying and Preliminary Finals with back-to-back bags of 5/53 against Footscray and Ringwood, respectively. He also claimed the Men's Players' MVP with 20 votes on the back of his phenomenal year with the ball, which yielded 45 wickets at 18.33 at First XI level.
Women's Third XI Captain Yo Carvalho claimed the Women's MVP award on 24 votes ahead of Third XI team mate Kamal Kaur on 22 votes, which was the same order in which the pair finished in the Third XI Player of the Year standings at the Premier Cricket Awards.
It wasn't just his players being honoured that made coach Ben Vague proud on the evening; he successfully navigated unreliable airlines to be on hand to receive the Best Club Person award from last year's winner Will O'Brien.
Women's young gun Amelie O'Meara added the XXIX Club Youth Cricketer of the Year award to her list of accolades for the season, while young wicket-keeper-batter Xander Buxton was the male winner for his breakthrough season at First XI level.
Other award winners from throughout the grades, including the MCC Club XI Competition, were honoured, as were the legion of officials and volunteers who contributed so much throughout 2022/23.
For many in the room, the highlight of the night was the blazer presentation for the most recent crop of First XI Premiership players, which saw Charles Lill, Zane Keighran, Will Pucovski, Jack Prestwidge, Darcy Munro, Glenn Hannah and coach Ben Vague receive blazers for the first time. It was fantastic to have many of our 2009/10 and 2012/13 First XI Premiership players on hand to present the 2022/23 cohort with their own piece of the famous Long Room Blue blazer. These included Andrew Kent, Brenton ‘Les’ McDonald, Phil Halbish, Nick Quinn, Michael Hill, Ash Middlin, Peter Petricola, Chris Thompson, Sean Sturrock and Matthew Begbie.
Outgoing Demons Amy Vine and Darcy Daly were also honoured for their outstanding contribution to the Club across the past couple of decades, with both players presented with a framed piece celebrating their respective careers.
Earlier in proceedings, outgoing Chair of MCC Cricket, Peter King, signed off in fine style, drawing to a close an association with the Club which began in 1977, when the all-rounder joined the Demons from Moorabbin CC. Thankfully, ‘Kingy’ will continue to serve the Club in a couple of roles into the future. He welcomed incoming Chair Christian Johnston, a former Melbourne University CC swing bowler and member of the MCC (General) Committee.