Out On The Paddock

In our final episode to wrap up Women & Girls Week 2025, we get to hear the fabulous story and journey into Womens Cricket of Leschenault Cricket Club player, Emma Jamieson. Emma's story is one of growing up in an environment that encouraged girls to play sport, but was very much defined by those sports seen as only appropriate for females. Emma's discovery of Cricket later in life and how it has impacted her, is a great listen. Named WA Country Female Volunteer of the Year for 2024/25, Emma has taken her entry into Cricket to extreme heights and her devotion to see Women & Girls Cricket grow across regional WA and further afield, is both inspirational and exceptional. Emma is now seen as a leading thought leader when it comes to how Cricket can benefit Women and Girls in many diverse ways and her drive and passion to see the opportunities for Women and Girls to continue to grow, is something that shines brightly in this episode of the Podcast.

As we continue our 3 part special during Women & Girls Week here in regional WA, our focus turns in this episode - Part 2, to discussing "Fearless on the Field", another new initiative changing how Women & Girls see Cricket and can embrace it as their own. Fearless on the Field is an outstanding and unique initiative of Geraldton based, Sportsmans Cricket Club and we hear what it is all about from the creators of the program - Jess Wake and Tia Hatch. Jess and Tia discuss the why and the how of this exciting new venture and the impact that it has had at Sportsmans CC. But more than that, the ladies are more than willing in this episode to share why any regional Cricket Club could adopt this approach and potentially see impacts of their own. It is another - you need to listen moment on Out on the Paddock.

Welcome to the first of an exciting 3 part set of episodes of Out on the Paddock as we explore for the first time in regional WA Cricket, a new initiative called - Women and Girls Week. This is a fabulous opportunity to continue to hear how to help advance Women and Girls Cricket throughout country WA and a chance for all regional Cricket Clubs and Associations to be a part of this growing revolution. Women and Girls week is in essence a dedicated moment to celebrate, elevate and grow the presence of Women and Girls in cricket, as well as an opportunity to also celebrate, recognise and thank those who work across the communities and regions to develop enhanced opportunities for girls to participate, in any format. In this episode we hear from Alice Fox and Tayla Tenaglia - two inspirational thought leaders in WA Cricket as they roll out a program simply called "Her Way", designed to develop and champion opportunities for Women and Girls of all ages to play, coach, umpire, lead and volunteer, build confidence, connection and a lifelong love of cricket along the way. It is a great listen and one that all cricketers and officials across WA Country Cricket as well as parents and players should take time out to tune into. Welcome to Women and Girls Week.

In part 2 of - A History of Harvey Cricket, we enter the world of Cricket in Harvey in the early 21st Century with two very dominant Clubs in the town who faced the challenge of reluctantly acknowledging the need to connect together to form one club and put aside at times, quite bitter rivalries of the past. The Harvey Benger Cricket Club was formed in the winter of 2004, going into the 2004/05 Cricket season and entering the Bunbury & Districts Cricket Association. This episode explores what was to be a period of time for Harvey Cricket that ranks arguably as its greatest in the 100 plus years to that date. Taking on the might of the Bunbury Clubs and setting a new bar in WA Country Cricket in so many ways was to be the legacy and success that is the hallmark of this golden era for Harvey Cricket. How that happened and the difficult pathway to how that was achieved is the focus in a couple of interviews with those who were there to witness this, premiership winning captain from the 2025/06 season John Crognale as well as someone who has carried the new Club into the next phase of Harvey Cricket history, Haydn Jones. This episode highlights the ongoing challenges and struggles that so many Country Cricket Clubs in WA and in fact Australia face from time to time across their own history and why incredible volunteers and those with a passion for Cricket, somehow make things happen that previously seemed impossible.

The Harvey Cricket Club is typical of so many Cricket Clubs across regional WA and in fact arguably, regional Australia as a whole. However, also like so many other Country Cricket Clubs, the unique thing about this Club, is it has its own history. It is a history that can be traced across 3 different centuries, full of pioneers, firsts, golden periods, significant challenges and premierships. From splinters in the pitch to tyre tracks on the track to countless volunteer stories and legendary performances , the story of Cricket in Harvey is one that has at times divided a community, but mostly has been the thing that has united a town. In this episode 1 of 2 episodes, we hear of the early years of Harvey Cricket from the nineteenth century through to the dawning of a new millennia and along the way, hear many of the voices who witnessed how it all happened and why it shaped much of their lives. This could be your Club, this could be someone else's Club, but for me, Rob Marshall ... this has been my Club for most of my life and the telling of it's story and history has been 3 decades in the making and I can't wait to tell you all about it. I hope you will have a listen and more than that, I hope you will enjoy.

As we launch a new year of Out on the Paddock for 2025, we smash the first episode through the covers for four with an incredible look back across over 150 years of Cricket played in and around the Geraldton region. As part of our "A History of" series, we hear from two individuals who have played large parts in both creating and capturing the history of Geraldton and its incredible array of clubs and players that make up this highly successful association. Recorded just hours before one of the most successful weekends in Geraldton Cricket history, this episode allows for you to hear and understand why this association continues to often "play above its weight grade" and also continues to produce outstanding players and officials, often influencing greatly WA Country Cricket as a whole. Be engaged with hearing why a place so far removed and remote from the mainstream and bulk of Cricket played in Western Australia, can keep showing up and keep maintaining an incredible standard of play. A great first up listen for 2025.

This episode of Out on the Paddock is a must listen. Rodney "Rocket" Ford is one of the most influential and celebrated players in WA Country Cricket of the past 20 years. Rocket's performances and statistics are almost unsurpassed and he is currently the most capped player for WA Country in it's history to date. But what makes Rocket so loved and respected is that his commitment and desire to play Cricket in the farming locality and for his local Upper Great Southern Cricket Club, Williams where he grew up, is absolutely outstanding and shines through in this episode. Rod reveals what it took for him to go from Country Club player to playing at multiple Australian Country Cricket Championships, whilst still running a large farm and remaining committed to his family. It is a wonderful story, with so many examples of what it takes to be a Country Cricketer. You will love this episode, of this we are certain.

This special episode of Out on the Paddock is a chance for you to engage with Area Manager for WA Country Cricket - Andrew Hayes as well as WA Country Coach and Talent Specialist - Chris (Chippy) Secker as they examine all aspects of WA Country Cricket for season 2024/25. Discussed in this episode are some major changes for Mens and Womens Senior Country Weeks, an overhaul that has taken place of the Belt Up Country Cup, the introduction of coloured clothing for Senior Mens and Junior WA Country Cricket Board run competitions as well as the key dates for those carnivals, as well as the highly popular WA Country Masters Carnival. Some very important announcements regarding the Australian Country Cricket Championships for the coming season, adding to all that you need to be across regarding the WA Country XI Mens, Womens and Colts programs, which are all examined at length. All of this plus critical dates for the season ahead on a number of other carnivals and events. This episode is a great opportunity to grab all that is coming up for season 24/25 as well as some interesting insights into how the mechanics of how these events and programs come together. A must listen for any Country Cricketers and Administrators in regional WA.