This week we celebrate 3 match milestones (Ross Freiberg 100th game, Charlie Wilkinson 50th) but a major one when Marc Fidler (or Fideler as ABC radio love to call him) becomes just the 5th player in club history to join the 300 game club.
Having seen this bloke start as a batsman, with hair, possibly a toupee, progress to a cover fielder when the batting failed and age into this veteran, bald, scheming, slow bowler who still takes wickets for fun is just staggering. While the Tourette outbursts have diminished quite a bit over the years, his competitiveness, respect from both teammates and opposition players has not (or maybe people just think it’s Gavin Lett??).
Marc’s amazing list of on field achievements for this club is a resume that surely would be hard to beat not only in this Association but most cricket clubs in Australia:-
- 728 wickets (1st for Club) - 29 x 5-wicket innings hauls (1st for Club) - 4 x 10-wicket match hauls (2nd for Club) - 1791 runs (1 fifty) (22nd for Club) - 129 catches (8th for Club) - Paul Stafford Medallist 2019 - 180 Paul Stafford Votes (1st for Club) - 15 All Blue Selections (3rd for Club) - 7 Premierships (3 as captain) - Life Member - Club record 10th wicket partnership with Nathan Dadds (127)
One thing those will always remember from his list of "achievements" will be the day he broke Nathan Dadds' wicket taking record by bowling a 10 year old girl with a beam ball (ok it was only 45 km/h)!
His off field achievements are just as impressive having served as secretary and now as our President for a number of years and more recently through the hardest period in the club’s history. Just a month ago he also re-joined the Association as a Committee Member.
Personally, it has been an absolute pleasure spending a lot of my Coorparoo career at mid-on giving bowling advice (with some capsicum spray in my pocket in case of another tourettes outburst usually after being hit for 5 successive boundaries) as he begins his 10 step run up. While we are both in the twilight of our careers hopefully a few more to come as fathers with sons.
Be sure to get around this champion bloke on Saturday and raise your glass to a club legend.
Welcome to the 300 club!!!
Plucka
