History of the Essendon Veterans Cricket Club
June 2007 - John Hammer and Ron Luckman accepted and invitation to attend the North West Cricket Association delegates' meeting to promote Over 60's cricket.
July 2007 - Eight players responded, but time was running out in order to have an Essendon team in the 2007-08 VOSCA season draw.
August 1, 2007 - VOSCA requested that prospective Essendon players play with Whitehorse or Ringwood for the 2007-08 season. Jim Inglis went to Ringwood. Graeme Bloom, Ron Luckman and Dr Uma Pathy played at Whitehorse, with home games being at Poplar Reserve, Royal Park.
April 15, 2008 - Former Essendon Mayor, Eugene Hammer chaired a meeting at the Moonee Ponds Civic Centre which formally began the process of forming the Esendon team for the 2008-09 season. An interim committee of LLoyd Haley (President) and Ron Luckman (Secretary) was appointed.
July 16 2008 -With 14 players keen to play and a few others considering their participation, a meeting to get the Essendon Over 60's team operating was held. The meeting elected Lloyd Haley as President and Ron Luckman as Secretary/Treasurer.
Sunday morning practice was held at the Overland Reserve nets in East Keilor. Essendon competed in the VOSCA 2008-09 season with Poplar Reserve as our home ground. Substantial sponsorship was received from the Electrical Trades Union, the Lincolnshire Arms Hotel and VANDA which ensured the club was financially healthy.
2009-10 Season - Essendon commenced playing home games at Poplar Reserve but lost use of the ground due to Melbourne City Council works. Home games were subsequently transferred to St Bernards College. The Lincolnshire Arms remained a sponsor and the North Suburban Club (now the Moonee Ponds Club) became a new sponsor. EO60CC became an incorporated body on 5 August, 2010.
2010-11 Season - Home games were played at Boeing Reserve, hosted by Strathmore Heights CC, with one game played on turf at Raeburn Reserve, Pascoe Vale.
The Lincolnshire Arms Hotel and North Suburban Club continued as sponsors.
Arthur Pritchard became the club's first Australian representative being selected to tour England in 2011. This was the first official Australian team to play England.
2012-13 Season - Home games were played at Walter St Reserve (turf) hosted by Flemington-Kensington CC and Boeing Reserve (Strathmore Hts CC - synthetic). The fixture against Sunbury was played at Shepherds Flat and a promotional game against Ballarat Rotary was played in Ballarat.
The Moonee Ponds Club became the club's Major Sponsor.
2013-18 Seasons - During this period, home games continued at Walter St Oval (turf) and (synthetic) at Boeing Reserve with the support of Flemington CC and Strathmore Heights CC respectively. In 2015-16 the club also had access to Moonee Valley CC nets at Ormond Park and the use of the synthetic wicket for mid-week matches. Throughout this period Moonee Ponds Club continued to provide valuable and much appreciated sponsorship which provided financial stability for Essendon O60CC.
Wayne Stokes and Les Quarrell are selected to play for Australia in ODI's in the 2017 home series against England.
Alby Morris became the club's first Life Member in 2015.
Ron Luckman and Lloyd Haley were awarded Life Membership in 2017.
Arthur Pritchard captains the victorious Victorian team in the first Over 70 national carnival held in Adelaide in 2017.
Paul McDonald is selected in the Australian team to tour NZ in 2018 and receives his baggy green,
2018-19 Season - Following off season meetings with Airport West CC, home games commenced at Hansen Reserve, Airport West. Two grounds provided for a turf and synthetic wicket, which helped ensure a game for our Sunday fixtures, as well as excellent clubroom and change facilities. Pre-season practice was held at Ormond Park, Moonee Valley. The Moonee Ponds Club continued as our major sponsor.
Arthur Pritchard was awarded Life Membership in 2018. Arthur also captained Australia in the historical 3-0 home series victory against England in 2018.
Paul McDonald tours England with the Australian Over 60 team.
2019 -20 Season - On 14 October 2019 the Essendon Over 60's CC changed its name to Essendon Veterans Cricket Club thus correlating with the VOSCA name change to Veterans Cricket Victoria.
EVCC participated in the Echuca carnival as a stand alone team for the first time. Unfortunately after two convincing wins the carnival was abandoned due to the corona virus.
Neil King is awarded Life Membership.
2020 - 21 Another COVID hit season. However despite playing under Covid restrictions 13 rounds were played, with the club winning 10 games.
2021 - 22 Following formal discussions at committee level an arrangement is made with St Bernards CC following that club's entry into veterans cricket at the Over 50 level. Essendon now becomes Essendon-St Bernards Veterans CC at the over 60 and Over 70 level. Deemed to be in both clubs' interest in providing continuity in veterans cricket through the various age groups it also enables access to the excellent grounds and facilities at St Bernards.
Essendon-St Bernards also combines with Barkly St-Maribyrnong to enter a team in the newly formed mid week Over 70's competition.
Essendon participating as a stand alone club win the Div 2 premiership at the Echuca Carnival. Team members comprise I.Fletcher, C.Hodgson, K.Osborne, R.Biggs, N.King, W.Stokes, M.Goldsmith, A.Pritchard, L.Quarrell(capt),
L. Haley, M. Boyse, P. McDonald.
2022 - 23 Long standing secretary and life member Ron Luckman stands down from official duties. Ian Fletcher assumes Secretary role. Agreement with St Bernards continues for Over 60's, as does the arrangement with Barkly St-Maribyrnong to field a combined team in the Over 70 competition.
Essendon are crowned premiers of the Division 1 Echuca Carnival. Carnival participants were I.Fletcher, C.Hodgson, K.Osborne, R.Biggs, N.King, W.Stokes, M.Goldsmith, L. Haley, M. Boyse, P. McDonald (capt), W. Wigmore, P. Higgins, D. Jaggard, N. Pitt, R. Bennett, W. Blair, G. Pavey.
Michael Goldsmith represents Australia at the Over 60 World Cup in Queensland and tours England with the Australian side. Craig Hodgson captains Zimbabwe in the Over 60 World Cup.
Michael Perrett is made a Life Member. Ron Luckman is made Honorary Life Patron.