By Alesha Capone
Three generations of the Murphy family have played with the Wyndham Vale Cricket Club seniors’ side, creating many fond memories across the years.
Husband and wife Alan and Jan Murphy moved to Wyndham Vale in 1983, and attended an annual general meeting of the cricket club at the suggestion of their neighbours.
The pair have not looked back since, and are both now life members at Wyndham Vale.
Alan started playing in 1984-85, going on to join both the B Matting and A Matting.
He captained the A Matting to a grand final and played B turf in five of six grand finals.
Alan has also served as treasurer and secretary of the club’s committee, and as a member of its social committee.
Now an official scorer for the Ones, he has an annual medal for best clubman named after him at Wyndham Vale.
As well, Alan coached the juniors while sons Ben, Dean and Chris played, and then returned to assist the team when grandson Xavier started playing.
Xavier, 16, still plays for the Under-17s and has joined the seniors’ team – which his father Dean also plays for.
In addition, Allan’s younger brother Peter Murphy played for the club during the eighties.
Not to be outdone, Jan has served as treasurer and spent years as a “lunch lady”.
Jan and Alan said they enjoyed the social side of the club and the life-long friends they have made through the years, including one of Alan’s original coaches, Tony East, who has gone on to coach at Footscray, Williamstown and South Melbourne.
Alan said that there were many second-generation players at Wyndham Vale, including the family of club president Tony Torcasio.
“He’s got kids down there now, who don’t believe I coached him,” Alan said.
He and Jan said that when they started at the club, it was located in a “small tin shed”.
The club’s next headquarters were built with an entrance on Honour Avenue and in 2014, the club moved to a new facility known as Wyndham Vale South Reserve.
Alan said one of his most memorable moments with the club was making his first 100 runs with the A Matting team.
The couple have some humorous memories associated with the club, including the time they went out with some players and their wives for dinner.
While giving a lift home to one of the wives’ sisters, who had been drinking, the woman said: ‘What’s that smell?’ and proceeded to throw Alan’s cricket shoes out the car window.
Luckily, Alan and Jan found the shoes while driving back to their house along Ballan Road .
Jan said she hoped that Wyndham Vale would continue to grow stronger as a club.
“We just think it’s a really good way to get involved with the community if you’re new to the area,” she said.
Details: www.wyndhamvalecc.com/
