Club History

Patrons: Bishop Mark Edwards, Michael McCormack & Peter Friedlieb

OUR HISTORY

We are proud to be known as the Family Club, not because we have more than one member of various
families, but because we care about each other and are there to support each other.

It’s amazing to realise that the club started in 1963 to provide an avenue for a group of men from Our
Lady of Fatima Parish in South Wagga to play cricket competitively. The Marian Cricket Club
commenced as just one team playing competitively in local cricket is now one of the remaining teams in
the Wagga Wagga Association.

The idea came from annual matches between the older members of the parish and the youth club
instigated by a young Fr Michael Burgess, who was the assistant priest and chaplain for the CCYM.

Unlike today when everyone has their own equipment, there was a kit bag which contained three bats,
three pairs of batting gloves, three set of pads, two were for right handed batsmen (so it required
arranging the order lest there were two lefties at the wicket at the same time), one set of wicket keeping
gloves and inners. Other than that players had their own protectors. Match fees were set to cover the cost
of balls and to set some money aside to repay the cost of the equipment which had been bought using
money loaned by the Parish Priest.

The first season was played in a lower grade against district clubs, most of whom also had just one team.
The very first game was against Tarcutta in 3rd grade and the following season, we were moved to 5th
grade. In the first match beating Kapooka outright then qualified for the finals with a 2 runs win against
Oberne Valley. Unfortunately losing to Leagues Club ended the club’s hopes for that year.

By the 1967-68 season the Association in their wisdom had been split into 2 divisions. Division 1 which
was for clubs with sufficient player to fill all grades plus have juniors. We were placed in a second
division competition and we won our first premiership in the second grade beating Old Boys. With a
group of boys from St Michael’s High School joining us we were starting to grow, the young lads played
in the Second Grade while the seniors played in First Grade. In the 1970/71 season we won that
division’s First Grade premiership beating RSL. Encouraged by this success we applied to be admitted to
First Division but were knocked back, as even if we were able to fill the required grades we would have
caused a bye which was not acceptable. We encouraged the RSL Cricket Club to join us in applying and
eventually both clubs were added to First Division.

In 1985 we sought and received support from the then principal of Saint Michael’s School, Graeme
Kennedy, to change our name so as to reflected the fact that most of our juniors were students from
there. We at various stages used the nets that were situated on the “Brothers’ Oval” situated on the area
on the lower area closer to the river.

It’s interesting to note that when we started Wagga had a large number of teams playing in first division.
Among those no longer fielding teams are Country, Turvey Park, PCYC-Thomas Blamey, Wagga and
Leagues Club. The latter ended when the licenced club closed but now form the basis of the team called
Wagga City. Of the six current clubs only South Wagga and Lake Albert and possibly you could say
Leagues, now Wagga City, remain from that point in time when Marian was formed. This is a great
tribute to the tenacity and work ethic of Saint Michael’s.

CLUB PHILOSOPHY

To respect the spirit of the game, the decision of the umpire and cultivate the virtue of personal
responsibility.

To act as a club, not just as a team — supporting all sides equally, making a conscious effort to
help our juniors.

To foster a code of ethics, encouraging good sportsmanship both on and off the field.