Cricket Victoria has unveiled its men’s contracted players list for the upcoming 2024-2025 season.
Victoria will enter the new campaign with a 28-player squad that boasts an exciting blend of homegrown youth and world-class international experience.
Led by Cricket Australia-contracted quartet Glenn Maxwell, Matthew Short, Todd Murphy and Scott Boland, the majority of last season’s squad has been retained.
Batter Will Pucovski has been offered a playing contract for the 2024-25 season.
“Understandably there will be a lot of interest in Will Pucovski and what the future holds. The most important part of this process is Will and his health and wellbeing. Cricket Victoria is working closely with Cricket Australia and the expert medical panel that is due to meet soon to review Will’s history. We’ll take the advice from that panel on the appropriate way forward this season,” General Manager – Cricket Performance Graham Manou said.
Among other headlines in this year’s squad is reigning Bill Lawry and Dean Jones medallist, Fergus O’Neill, who has celebrated an outstanding 2023/2024 campaign by re-committing to Cricket Victoria for the next three years.
O’Neil enjoyed a breakout summer for his home state, with the twenty-three-year-old seamer capturing a combined 52 wickets in last year’s Sheffield Shield and Marsh Cup campaigns.
Cricket Victoria has also confirmed the re-signing of bowlers Mitch Perry and Cameron McClure and all-rounder Will Sutherland, who will captain Victoria in the Marsh Sheffield Shield for the second consecutive season.
Meanwhile, reigning BBL champion and renowned power-hitter Josh Brown will move to Melbourne, bolstering Victoria’s batting stocks.
Brown signed a two-year contract with the Melbourne Renegades earlier this month.
Australian U19 World Cup winning squad member Harry Dixon (St Kilda), Richmond pair Reily Mark and Austin Anlezark, Jai Lemire (Carlton) and Tyler Pearson (Kingston Hawthorn), represent the latest wave of talented Victorians progressing through the state’s elite pathways systems, earning rookie contract honours following impressive seasons in Victorian Premier Cricket and the Under 19 National Championships.
This year’s rookie class will be looking to follow in the footsteps of Liam Blackford (Geelong), Dylan Brasher (Footscray), Douglas Warren (Melbourne University) who have all been elevated to full contracts this season as the Victorian pathway system continues to go from strength to strength.
Five players from last year’s contracted list won’t be returning in 2024/2025.
Veteran Nic Maddinson returns home to Sydney for family reasons. After moving to Melbourne in 2018, the thirty-two-year-old went on to play 37 first class matches across six seasons for Victoria, scoring 2785 runs, including 10 centuries.
The other four departing players include Tom O’Donnell, Will Parker, Travis Dean and Matt Fotia.
Victoria will be looking to consolidate on an impressive past three seasons which has included consecutive Sheffield Shield Final appearances in 2021 and 2022, and a nail-biting end to last year’s first-class campaign.
Cricket Victoria Head of Male Cricket David Hussey said he was looking forward to building on the growth over the last three seasons.
“We’re pleased with how our squad is looking for next season,” Hussey said.
“While we didn’t clinch titles last season, there were some real positives for us – the emergence of Fergus O’Neill as a key player in our side and the selections of Will Sutherland and Matt Short for Australia shows that we are doing a lot of things right.
“I’d like to thank and congratulate Travis Dean on his contribution to Victoria at the elite level. Travis signed with Victoria ahead of the 2015-16 season and scored centuries in both innings of his Shield debut in October 2015. He has played 88 times for Victoria across Shield and One-Day Cricket and should be proud of his achievements and titles.”
“We’re also looking forward to welcoming some new talent into the squad from Premier Cricket and Australia Under 19 representation – a testament to the work that has been achieved in our talent pathways,” Hussey added.
Victorian Men’s Contract List 2024/ 2025
Liam Blackford (Geelong)
Scott Boland* (Frankston Peninsula)
Dylan Brasher (Footscray)
Josh Brown (TBC)
Ashley Chandrasinghe (Casey-South Melbourne)
Xavier Crone (Carlton)
Sam Elliott (Fitzroy Doncaster)
Peter Handscomb (St Kilda)
Sam Harper (Melbourne)
Marcus Harris (St Kilda)
Campbell Kellaway (Melbourne)
Glenn Maxwell* (Fitzroy Doncaster)
Cameron McClure (Essendon)
Jono Merlo (St Kilda)
Todd Murphy* (St Kilda)
Fergus O’Neill (Melbourne)
Mitch Perry (Richmond)
Will Pucovski** (Melbourne)
Tom Rogers (Ringwood)
Matt Short (Northcote)
Peter Siddle (Dandenong)
Will Sutherland (Prahran)
Douglas Warren (Melbourne University)
Rookies: Austin Anlezark (Richmond), Harry Dixon (St Kilda), Jai Lemire (Carlton), Reiley Mark (Richmond), Tyler Pearson (Kingston Hawthorn)
*Denotes Cricket Australia contracted player
** Pending medical advice
In: Josh Brown (QLD)
Rookies upgraded to full contracts: Liam Blackford (Geelong), Dylan Brasher (Footscray), Douglas Warren (Melbourne University)
Out: Travis Dean, Matt Fotia, Nic Maddinson, Tom O’Donnell, Wil Parker