A great innings … Trevor Jury, a legend of the Grand United Cricket Club, shows off the club’s nine premiership caps. 57475 Picture: DAMJAN JANEVSKI
By Natalie Gallenti
The retired policeman was only 10 when he first played for the Gorillas in 1957 and since then his passion and dedication for the club has only grown.
The oldest sporting club in Sunshine, GUCC will this week celebrate its past glories at a reunion day on Saturday. The club, originally based in Albion, is inviting past players to celebrate its recent success, having won nine premierships since the early 1990s, after a 65 year drought.
And Mr Jury said he was looking forward to catching up with some former team-mates and reminiscing about “the good old days”.
Having captain-coached the team in his early twenties, Mr Jury was also the president for three years, and described the club as a huge part of his life.
“My wife once said to me, why don’t you take your bed down there,” he laughed.
“It’s a huge part of my life, the mums get involved and there is a real family atmosphere.”
Now the team manager, Mr Jury said the decision to retire from playing was a huge one.
“It was a very hard decision to retire. You’re a long time retired and I would still love to be playing now.
“Up until a couple of years ago I would go out on the field if a player was injured, but the body just can’t do what it used to.”
And the Gorillas are a tradition in the Jury household with son Darren playing for the club for the past two decades.
With a smile on her face, wife Judy said at times she felt like a “cricket widow”.
“Trevor has devoted his whole life to the club. I even spent years down there myself making the tea.
“There are medals everywhere. It’s his life.”
President of GUCC Daniel Gaylor said the club was desperately trying to track down past legends including Colin “Spider” Taranto and Alan “Digger” Pilgrim and asked all past players to contact Michael Brasher on 0428 107 272. The Past Players Reunion Day will be held at Parsons Reserve’s Keith Miller Oval, Sunshine this Saturday, 11 December at 2pm.
