Long time reader first time poster.

Not great news coming out of Rechabites, looks like they are losing several players including Cameron Behrendt and his brother Nick.
Safe to say without Cameron last season they are playing A3 this year.

Apparently several ex players not happy with what's happening down there
Welcome! Where are Cameron and Nick going to play?

Both going to give grade cricket a crack, Cameron Port Adelaide, Nick Woodville

Junior cricket has been on a decline for probably the last 8-10 years. Cricket in this state will be in a terrible way if things aren't addressed now. Grade clubs need to look at their junior coaching structures and maybe put more money and resources into that. After all, they are the future of the club!

i agree about the decline in junior cricket, however most premier clubs simply view it as hassle and try not to invest too much time, effort or dollars into it.
the reality is you probably get 1 kid out of 70-80 who will play 50-75 1st grade games and the stars will progress anyway. much easier to go and buy what you need rather than waiting 7-10 years for a return on investment. i don't agree with it however that is what the saca have promoted with their dysfunctional system and poor decision making.
why would a club invest dollars now into something with no return for many years when the pressure will be on to perform now or be talked about for mergers or a second division.
most clubs are now run by mums and dads who are middle management at best, and they have no ability to set a long term vision or direction.
broken system.
only 11 players in a team, a genuine 1st grader will be around for 12-15 years, so who needs to waste resources on developing hundreds of kids that will never play 1st grade.
again, don't agree with the broken system


SACA could go to the Victorian Premier League model of no u14 or u16 just u17, leave the junior development to the community clubs, the kids who are serious about their cricket and have a future at a premier club will end up there at u17. Will develop better relationships with premier and community clubs. Could have a zoning system where community clubs are aligned with premier clubs.

FWIW I am currently involved in junior coaching at a premier club and the coaching guidelines from CA for u14 is all about involvement and the very basics, keeping it very simple.
What I see from the kids I coach is that when they start out it is all about survival, they might face 50 balls for 5 runs. This would involve blocking full tosses, leaving balls going down leg side etc. I do not condone that type of batting and encourage positive batting, that doesn't just mean hitting 4's and 6's but positive running between wickets, cricket is the most runs wins not most balls faced. We work on a lot of the smaller parts of the game, I go as far as teaching them how to pass the ball from the keeper back to the bowler because watching them do that can be one of the most frustrating things you will watch. My belief is that at u14 level any one of these kids could turn out to be a senior cricketer at the club no matter their ability at this age.

Thoughts on the proposed Premier Cricket Junior structure?

What's the new structure look like? My son would've been moving to 16's this year, hence the interest.

cricket watcher

To stay the same this season with the addition of a Sunday 50 over u17 comp to allow kids eligible to play u17 who are playing seniors or school cricket on a Saturday to play.

4th grade to convert to u21 with two over agers ad mentors/captain etc.

Season 24/25, u13, u14 and u15 all on Saturday with the u17 Sunday. One team per age group (no whites) U13 Saturday comp to replace Ray Sutton

Think that's the main stuff

Thoughts on the proposed Premier Cricket Junior structure?

What's the new structure look like? My son would've been moving to 16's this year, hence the interest.

cricket watcher

To stay the same this season with the addition of a Sunday 50 over u17 comp to allow kids eligible to play u17 who are playing seniors or school cricket on a Saturday to play.

4th grade to convert to u21 with two over agers ad mentors/captain etc.

Season 24/25, u13, u14 and u15 all on Saturday with the u17 Sunday. One team per age group (no whites) U13 Saturday comp to replace Ray Sutton

Think that's the main stuff

Thanks.

So they'll go from 2 U14 and 2 U16 sides, to 1 13, 14, 15 side. At least that will take away from having bottom agers in each comp, except for 17's. Did they say anything about 2 day games vs 1 day games or a hybrid (noting that the 17's you say are likely to be 50 overs). I liked that my lad could have an opportunity to build an innings in a 2 day game and hope that continues.

Not that it affects me at all but the idea of an U21 side as a 4th grade is interesting. I wonder what will happen if all the eligible players are playing in other divs what will happen to that comp.

Further to this, it's not about bottom agers playing up, that is a good thing, it's about top agers playing in whites. They are more than likely not going to be playing high level cricket and will better suited at a community club. This is where community clubs will win as there will be smaller squads in PC juniors. I think it's a win win long term but more importantly and win for Premier Cricket. There's always transitional teething issues.

Pretty sure the SACA objective is to get the best u17 kids playing against the best, Surely that's better than them playing community cricket on a Sunday for easy runs and wickets. I would imagine will be more enjoyable for that genuine community cricketer who doesn't fancy facing up against a kid who has played senior PC on Saturday.
Who knows, more kids might come out and play community cricket if they know they wont have some gun who played PC A/B grade the day before.

Also to add the u21 comp would be opt in.

No u16 will result in more kids for the u21 and no u16 whites will most like lead to more for community cricket.

Just my thoughts