Photo Credit: Melbourne Stars
Cricket Victoria has launched a new Stars Academy to further strengthen a robust talent pipeline for the future.
The Academy brings together some of the best-performed Premier Cricketers to give them additional playing and training opportunities, access to coaching and support and develop their white ball skills over the course of the season.
The first player intake in the Stars Academy includes Essendon’s James Seymour, Prahran’s Damon Egan and Ringwood’s Tom Rogers among a host of the competition’s best players.
The Academy squad’s first assignment will be a trip to Darwin from 15-27 August to compete in the TIO T20 Strike League which forms part of NT Cricket’s Cricket 365 program.
In addition to the Academy players, current Melbourne Stars players including Nathan Coulter-Nile, Nick Larkin, Tom O’Connell and Clint Hinchliffe will also join up with the squad.
Clint McKay will assume head coaching duties.
Melbourne Stars Interim General Manager Blair Crouch said there were a range of benefits in the model.
“We’re really supportive of the Academy concept and what it will mean for the identification and nurturing of talent over the short, medium and long term,” Crouch said. “It serves a dual purpose from that perspective – giving players something to aspire to be part of and for us to help them realise the potential in their games.”
“Beyond the Academy plans, the work NT Cricket has done to bring the Strike League to life in recent years and give southern states the opportunity for quality competition during winter is a fantastic outcome. It’s a great chance for some of our guys to get white ball game time during winter and it also gives us a chance to have a look at other players who might be in the mix in the future,” Crouch said.
Cricket NT CEO Joel Morrison said “With Australia’s best young players taking part in Cricket 365 the quality of cricket was already elite, but the Renegades and Stars will take things to another level.”
HOW TO WATCH:
All 17 matches of the TIO Strike League T20 tournament will be available to watch around the country exclusively through News Corp.
News subscribers will be able to stream the T20 tournament action from 15-27 August through the app, website and mobile platforms. Don’t have an account? Introductory offers are available, subscribe here.
STARS ACADEMY SQUAD
Nathan Coulter-Nile (Melbourne Stars)
Damon Egan (Prahran CC)
Sam Elliott (Victoria)
Clint Hinchliffe (Melbourne Stars)
Nick Larkin (Melbourne Stars)
Jon Merlo (Victoria)
Todd Murphy (Victoria)
Bailey Moon (Prahran CC)
Tom O’Connell (Victoria, Melbourne Stars)
Tom O’Donnell (Essendon CC)
Tom Rogers (Ringwood CC)
Patrick Rowe (St Kilda CC)
James Seymour (Victoria)
Dylan Tibbals (Richmond CC)
Name of Author: Melbourne Stars
Melbourne Stars are a Twenty20 cricket franchise based in Melbourne, Victoria, competing in Australia’s Big Bash League. The team wears a green uniform and plays its home matches at the Melbourne Cricket Ground.
