Benalla Bushrangers juniors Xavier De Fazio (front row, third from left) and Harrison Skelton (back row, arms crossed) have been included in the Under 16 Boys North East Knights academy squad.
While football and netball finals are dominating the sporting landscape currently, one eye is already beginning to look ahead to the cricket season, with junior representative sides across the regions naming academy squads in recent weeks.
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Among those to do so were the North East Knights, which encompasses the Wangaratta and District Cricket Association and Cricket Albury-Wodonga competitions, with the representative outfit releasing its Under 16 Boys and Under 15 Girls Winter Academy Squads, with a trio of talented Benalla Bushrangers Cricket Club juniors included.
Highlighting the strength of the junior programs at the Bushrangers, Xavier De Fazio and Harrison Skelton have been named to the Under 16 Boys squads, while Bella Hazell is included among the Under 15 Girls squad, with all three set to benefit from the high-level program in the coming months, as they aim to make the final team of 13 in their respective category selected for the Cricket Victoria Male and Female Country Cup in December.
Benalla Bushranger junior Bella Hazell (back row, centre) has been named in the North East Knights Under 15 Girls academy squad.
North East Knights talent manager Rohan Larkin said that those included in the initial squads will work on developing a number of areas of their game, both on field and off, throughout the months leading up to the Country Cup.
“The squad members will participate in a number of high intensity, skilled based training sessions at the Wodonga Cricket Hub through the pre-season, with a focus on developing each players technical, tactical, physical, mental and personal skills to assist in maximising their potential,” he said.
“Following on from these sessions, trial games will be played in early October from which the North East Knights squads of 13 will be selected to compete at the Cricket Victoria Male and Female Country Cup in December.
“After competing in the Victorian Cricket Pathway Carnivals since 2000, last season saw the Boys team win the North East Knights first ever Carnival Premiership whilst the Girls team claimed their highest finish at the Carnival in many years, finishing third, so the coaching panels are very much looking forward to working towards achieving those results again this season.”
Among the high-calibre coaches are Robbie Jackson, a former Melbourne Renegades and St. Kilda Cricket Club assistant coach, Charlie Jackson, a current Melbourne Cricket Club player in the powerhouse Victorian Premier Cricket competition, and Level 2 coaches Nick Impick and Ryan Addison, who are set to mentor the boys squad, while Grace Kerwin, current Carlton Cricket Club player, and Larkin will mentor the girls.
