 Dan Frogan No. 3
Frogan contacted this columnist after the weekend's round, in which the men from Chatswood took on yet another team that he had never heard of and yet instantly summed up. He was taken by a report from day one of the round, with respect to the twin pillars of Simmons and Zelma. You may recall that the report read:
"Spectators couldn't recall the last time two first grade players scored a century in the same innings, until politely reminded by a Phil Emery who recalled his record breaking partnership with Mark O'Neill when they both scored centuries in 1991."
(Mark O'Neill in action)
Frogan recalled the hype that surrounded that innings well. When O'Neill came into the sheds for yet another bunger at tea, absolutely exhausted, it was Frogan who pepped him up for what was to be a very special afternoon for the Stags. O'Neill was the previous record holder at the club for the most cigarettes smoked in a first grade innings for Gordon. The record was eclipsed in 2001-2002 when Tony Piccolo played an innings of 27. A young Kevin Roberts sat bemused in the corner of that Killara dressing room in 1991, as Frogan went to work on one of this club's finest players.
Roberts commented years later that it was rare to see O'Neill, by then a very experienced Sheffield Shield player (the prize that the states competed for prior to Blacktown playing grade cricket), seemingly hang on every word that Frogan uttered. Roberts, who recently scored the marketing coup of the season in signing Cricket Australia to use his company's apparel, but who at that time had only just graduated to wearing long white trousers, was taking it all in but also secretly hoped that the man who once held the record for the most centuries in consecutive Sheffield Shield matches would make a mistake so he could join the party that was W A Oldfield Oval, Killara that afternoon. Of course O'Neill was up to the task and nursed Emery through to his hundred.
 However, the 1991 dressing room scene is not what prompted Frogan to draw the club's collective attention to the quote above. It was the fact that Frogan recalled being at Sutherland Oval in round two of season 1994/95 and saw Emery throw away the chance to join a young up an coming opening batsman who had scored his first (and last) first grade hundred. After the early loss of Hayne to some rooster called Stuart Clark, the current corpulent stand-in third grade captain had battled away with Emery, chasing down the Shark's score of 300 plus, when just after tea Emery took a wild swipe at Clark and was out for 88. Frogan has never seen a greater waste of an innings and it is hardly surprising that Emery has forgotten the day.
(A number of well know Gordon cricketers with Kevin Robert and Phil Emery in the front row and Warwick Adlam in the back. Is that Dan Frogan next to him?)
On enquiring of Frogan about his thoughts for the weekend's one-day fixtures against Parramatta, he was again at a loss. As with round's one and two he recalls only playing against Parramatta in the City and Suburban competition. The "two blues" that he played against, who counted John Benaud amongst their number, played under the banner of Central Cumberland.
However, saying this he was mightily impressed by the weekend's results and is of the unwavering view that the Highlanders can make it back-to-back clean sweeps if the application is there.
One thing that troubled Frogan was the fact that the celebration of two fine hundreds in first grade were not even met with the traditional skolling of a schooner. Has this club forgotten the second line of the its song? Let me remind you, "We're fond of Bacardi and a schooner or three". A schooner or three! Hell, we would even settle for a bloody Bacardi at this point! By the way, whoever is responsible for that line has some real explaining to do.
 Perhaps it is just as well that McDonald now sits amongst first grade's number as it appears that he could probably do the drinking to celebrate three hundreds in a day. Gentlemen, it isn't a lifestyle choice as much as it is an obligation, like burping after a fine meal, or running nude around the pool table if you don't sink a ball or carrying on like an idiot on the field because you happen to be Jordan Holmes. Every man is expected to do his duty and this report can confirm that there were skolls in second, third and fifth grade. Congratulations to those involved, and I am told that Rasool was looking for more as he polished off his challenge with even better composure than his magnificent 156*.
(Brendan McDonald in action)
In any event, if that is the biggest controversy at the club at the moment then it is a controversy that should be welcomed. Until then, onward and upward.
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