 Dan Frogan No. 8
Frogan smiled from high in the Sydney University grandstand late on Saturday afternoon. His words of wisdom to the combative Nicholson prior to the start of play were coming to fruition. "Sydney Uni are long in talent and will be thrown by a shortened game; and, by the way, why don't you give that kid O'Neill-Fuller a go with the ball. He looks like he could be your answer to Andrew Symonds". And so it was, with fantastic fight and high skill levels getting the team home.
(A great call to suggest JOF take to the crease)
The last time that Frogan saw a Gordon victory over the Varsity in first grade was at Killara in round six of season 1996/1997, when Gordon were completing their best ever start to a season since the Great War. Sydney Uni became victim six, but Gordon won only one more game for the season.
That day in 1996 was also a low scoring, closely fought game, largely thanks to a wicket that had been "laser-levelled", the buzz word in world cricket at that time. Amongst the Stags number were Moss, Toohey, Dixon, Morrison and a loud-mouthed wicket keeper called McGregor. Nicholson had recently moved west, Hayne had returned to Drummoyne, Stobo was enjoying everlasting retirement and the likes of Livermore and Sherman (then only 30) were still fighting their way up the grades, under the tutelage of Frogan at practice every second Thursday. Sydney Uni were certainly not the side that they have been over the last four seasons and Gordon had only just ended a run of five consecutive appearances in the four team semi finals, which resulted in two premierships and three consecutive years of finishing second in the club championship. It surely demonstrates how fleeting reputations are in this competition and that fortunes are able to be quickly turned with dedication and a willingness for "working hard"*.
Certainly the song that was belted from the away dressing rooms as the thoughtfully named "Number 1 Oval" at Sydney University was rendered with such feeling as to warm up the coldest of winter evenings.
 Frogan learned with surprise of the immediately effective retirement of Reynolds during the week. Only 180 runs short of his goal of scoring 5000 runs for the club, it was disappointing that he was not able to reach the milestone. However, if he had carried his form over the previous two seasons and an extended overseas trip had not cut into his season and a dog had not bitten him on the face, the club may well have seen Reynolds make the honour board. Perhaps it may have helped had he played more than 12 of the last 21 seasons.
(Marty with last season's 4th grade trophy)
A young Reynolds first came to Frogan's attention as a ginger-haired flashy and brash 15 year old playing Green Shield. Reynolds graduated to the senior club, before breaking into first grade as a 19 year old. Two short years after making his debut Reynolds, citing a now common theme of work commitments, confided in Frogan that he was scared of the ball. Frogan employed his world renowned skills of sports psychology, then in its infancy in Australia, but it was a lost cause and the young, thin Reynolds was temporarily lost to the club. He returned from "breaks" on a number of occasions and invariably found himself in teams that played in grand finals.
Perhaps this was no coincidence.
One of the worst sledgers that Frogan has ever encountered, having the misfortune of hearing Reynolds at close quarters when he managed the Australian Indoor Cricket Team in the late 80's and early 90's, it was a more subdued man who played his last game for the club last Saturday.
Reynolds is now more interested in "bringing through the youth of the club", like Stobo, and having a beer with the opposition but Frogan recalled an unfortunate incident during a second grade game at Hurstville Oval in 1992/1993, when he was nearly clubbed to death by an infuriated batsman who had dual misfortune to be in Reynolds path and an association with Mark Waugh. A long-standing injunction prevents publication of the incident in any more detail. Needless to say, it is an allegation that Reynolds now vehemently denies, although he makes clear that he has never meant any offence to Australia's fourth highest run-getter.
Reynolds has been a good club man and Frogan is adamant that his like should be encouraged at this club. Well at least his like without any defamatory comments about the choice of life partner of any test cricketers. However, let's not go overboard, despite his best efforts, he is not dead and any further space dedicated to his cricket could render him unbearable.
And so to one of this club's greatest on-field foes. The gum tress of Waitara, the team that curiously has adopted a tune as their club song that is sung by a soccer team from Woy Woy. Until recently, the song named the Central Coast hamlet in favour of any reference to the northern-most of Sydney's suburbs.
 Northern Districts have long since been a fierce competitor and the clubs have swapped a number of players over the years. The likes of Cant, Toohey, Day, Liggins and recently Hokin saw the light and found their way to Chatswood, whilst Rowan McGregor, Phil Gregson, Adam and Dean Gilchrist and the current Mayor of Hornsby (who will captain fourth grade this weekend) left to join the Hornsby club. However, quite possibly the biggest loss to Gordon was that of former Australian captain Mark Taylor from under its nose, when he was playing for Lindfield and was the school captain of Chatswood High School.
(Michael Cant came from ND's to Gordon)
This is a very big round for the club, facing its two biggest rivals in the next four weeks, it is a chance for Gordon to stamp its authority as the premier north shore club. After watching the other game at Sydney Uni on the weekend at the aptly named "Number 2 Oval", Frogan's hot tip is for the desperately unlucky 3rd grade side to commence an unlikely run at semi-final cricket with a greatly overdue win. This team has on four occasions had teams in the top four 9 wickets down and has not been able to sneak home in any of them. A strong performance from them will set the tone for the rest of the club to bring home the points.
In a further boost to 3rd grade's chances, Mark Wiese will be back the following match to lead the team after his weekend nuptials and recovery from his Thumb injury. Frogan, who was the reserve celebrant at the event, reports that the proud groom was resplendent is his brown suit with frilled blue shirt and the lovely Jessica looked stunning as can only have been expected. Congratulations Mark and Jessica.
*In the instance that anyone from another planet may be reading this article, the term "working hard" seeks to connote that a player or a group of players (commonly referred to as a team) engages in a sustained physical or mental effort to overcome obstacles and achieve an objective or result and engages in that sustained physical or mental effort with great energy, intensity or persistence. | 
