If it wasn’t for a mate being unable to play, Shane Woolley may never have joined Ashfield Cricket Club.
“One of my mates messaged me one Saturday,” Woolley recalls. “He owned a factory in Sunbury and asked if I could go down there and open it so his neighbour could have his forklift, which was in the factory.
“I did that and went to give the keys back and he was like, ‘I have to play cricket and I’m in no state to play. Can you fill in for me?’”
That was 11 or 12 years ago … the 47-year-old was still making runs last weekend.
He made 87 of them in the Ashfield E-grade team’s loss in the Gisborne and District Cricket Association’s final round.
“I’ve been trying to retire as a player for the past couple of years,” Woolley said. “I said I would retire when there are enough players that they don’t need me to fill a spot.”
While still contributing on the field, it’s off field that Woolley has had his biggest impact; he’s been club president for the past eight seasons.
Leadership roles are something that sit well with Woolley. He was president of Coolaroo Cricket Club and helped start the men’s teams there, after the men decided they wanted to play, not just watch their wives and partners.
He also spent a year as president at Sunbury Kangaroos Football Club, which at the time was known as the Rovers.
“I come from a corporate banking background and managing teams [there]. It’s not that different from running sports clubs,” Woolley said.
“There are 50 to 70 members and you’re trying to look after their best interests.
“As president you have to be the person who stands up and delivers.”
Achievements of the club during Woolley’s time in charge include expansion from two teams to three and a greater family involvement. And there have been two premierships and three T20 pennants during his presidency.
“We’ve always wanted to create a family environment and we’ve created a great culture off the ground,” Woolley says.
“Five to six years ago, we had three or four juniors at the club. I look out there now and I can count 16 or 17 kids who are under 18. And there’s six or seven father-son combinations.
“When I move on, that’s one thing I’ll be proud of … we’ve had three waves of kids come through while I’ve been here.
“I will sit back and watch the kids play cricket once I’ve done my time and feel satisfaction and comfortable that they’ll take us to the next level.”
Another cultural shift is the relationship between the club and the Kangaroos – both use Boardman Reserve as a home ground.
“The last five to six years, we’ve been using the Kangaroos’ social rooms and it’s contributed a lot to our culture,” Woolley says.
“Allan Walters and Richard Kelputis [football club president and former vice-president] were really fantastic about it.
“The last four years, we’ve had a pink stumps day between the two teams.
“I spoke to Allan at the game and said we’d be sitting in the corner with a few drinks in four to five years and it will be 10 times as big as it is now.”
Woolley says he couldn’t have managed his time as club president without his wife, Robina.
“She’s my driver and inspiration, and none of this would have happened without her,” he says.
“She has put in as much as me.
“Every Saturday she comes to the club and makes a home-cooked meal for the players and their families.”
He also pays tribute to the work of coach Jason King and secretary Kat Muir.
“You are only as good as the people you have around you,” he adds.
One of his proudest moments on the field was the day he played with his son Corey.
“I played with him in his first senior game – his first win, his first catch and first wicket. It’s absolutely rewarding, and a lot of times we’ve had ‘caught Woolley, bowled Woolley’.
“I want to play competitive cricket with my son,” he says.
“I still want to make more runs than him, but I’ve accepted he’s a far better cricketer than me. I hadn’t wanted to recognise it was true.”
Woolley’s leadership is set to continue for at least another season.
“I was talking about standing down at the end of this season,” he said.
“We’ve been looking at Corey playing turf cricket and someone will need to drive him there.
“He probably hasn’t made enough runs this year to make the move, so he’s likely going to stay another year at Ashfield.
“If the members vote in favour of me, I’ll stay on another year.”
