By Jessica Micallef
The Hanging Rock Cricket Club has been left about $5000 out-of-pocket after a break-in at the club on Australia Day.
Club president Todd Place said he received a call just after midnight on January 26 after reports of a break-in at the cricket club’s clubrooms.
A break-in was also reported at the nearby hanging Rock Café the same night.
Mr Place said there was about $5000 worth of damage and replacement costs that will have come out of the club’s pocket.
“They have left nothing unturned,” Mr Place said.
“We don’t have a clubroom now, no income, no money through functions or daily game day incomes.
“It’s even more costly than ever because with the COVID shutdown last year, we weren’t able to make a cent.
“It’s another kick in the guts.”
Mr Place said the incident hadn’t dampened the spirits of the club community. He said the club is organising events to help cover the costs of the repairs.
“The clubroom … was pretty ordinary, but we have grown from one team to eight teams in six years so the facility was valuable,” he said.
“We are all a bit shell-shocked. We have kids playing from nine years old and older people up to 65 and none of them have seen anything like this.”
Macedon Ranges Crime Investigation detectives have arrested and interviewed an 18-year-old Woodend man in relation to the two incidents.
He was released pending summons and will face the Kyneton Magistrates Court at a later date.
