Tara Murray
Rivergum is on the move, joining the Diamond Valley Cricket Association from next season.
The club, which has been one of the powerhouses for the North Metro Cricket Association, announced on Tuesday that its application to join the DVCA had been accepted by the clubs and executive.
The club has been part of the NMCA for the past 26 years.
Kookas president Daniel Young said the move to the DVCA was the right move for the long term future of the club.
“It’s very exciting,” he said. “It’s been a bit of a process to get it over the line.
“It’s been a bit of a struggle for our juniors and we want a better competition for them. That was our main driving factor.”
The Kookas had a Blasters program along with under-10, 12, 14 and 16 teams last season. Their under-16s had to play elsewhere as there wasn’t a competition in the NMCA.
“We want to be there for a long time,“ he said. “Without juniors, you’re never going to be able to stick around.”
Young said it was a new era for the club.
The Kookas made 11 straight grand finals in the Jika Shield, winning five premierships, before missing the grand final the past two seasons.
They had four players win the Bill McFarlane Medal in the past 13 seasons, including Matt Perri winning the medal three times.
“It’s a fresh start, a fresh chapter,” Young said. “Everyone is really excited about it and there’s been plenty of positive feedback.”
The Kookas will start in the Mash Shield, the third grade of the DVCA competition.
Young said they wanted to get into Money Shield and then Barclay Shield as quickly as possible.
“There will be new players, new grounds and we’ve going into something different,” he said.
“It’s something different for the boys and they are excited about it.”
The club will have a new coach for the foray into the DVCA, with Corey Altis taking on the role.
