Craigieburn Cricket Club president Gerard Laffan has had an injury-free run most sports people could only dream about.
The batsman, who played his 400th game last month for the Victorian Turf Cricket Association and North West Metropolitan Cricket Association club, only missed half a dozen-odd games through injury during his career.
Laffan, who is captain of the Keith Stringer Shield side in the NWMCA this season, has had a massive impact at Craigieburn, on and off the field, since playing his first match in 1977.
He has played in six winning grand finals and been in the runner-up side a further nine times.
Laffan has also been vice-president, treasurer, junior coach and representative coach at Craigieburn and was president of the NWMCA juniors.
His four sons, Chris, Matt, Simon and Samuel have all played senior cricket at the club.
Laffan isn’t the only Craigieburn player to reach a milestone at the club this season.
Premiership players Bill Imlach, Luke Aquilina and Steve Trimbos all made it to the crease for their 200th games.
Imlach, the club’s all-time leading wicket taker, started at Craigieburn in 1994 and returned after a couple of years off. He played his 200th game in the same match as Laffan’s 400th.
He has taken 440 wickets and played in three premierships during his career. The former club champion has won the club bowling average four times, and taken eight wickets in a game three times.
Aquilina, who started at the club in the under-16s, played his 200th game alongside brother Nick in the NWMCA Athol Attwater Shield in December. The bowler has captained the club for three years and taken 230 wickets.
Like Imlach, Trimbos returned to the club after a five-year break. The two-time premiership player made his debut in 1981 and was club champion in the 1999-2000 season.
He coached the club’s first ever women’s side to an under-17 premiership and is in the Keith Stringer Shield. playing his 200th game in round seven.
