The Mal Hall Memorial Trophy  

While all the attention this week so far has been on whether three of our teams can make the semi finals there is another important trophy being played for by our fourth grade team and that is the Mal Hall Memorial Trophy.

Every year since 2000 we remember a great Gordon club man Mal Hall who tragically died while in the field in a fourth grade match against Manly at Chatswood. The date was 9^th October 1999 and Mal was captaining the side near the start of the season.

Every year since then the Gordon vs Manly 4^th grade match plays for the trophy and amazingly Gordon has won each year. With their semi final position on the line tomorrow, 4ths will be hoping history repeats itself.

Mal Hall won't be known by most of our current players however time should not lessen the impact he had on our club both as an administrator and player.

As a player Mal only started with us as a 40 year old who thought of playing because his son Ben was in the juniors. Mal had come to Sydney from Canberra.

Mal played mainly 4^th and 5th grade over a period of nine years and captained the 4^th grade team for the last three seasons before his death.

Mal debuted in 1989 and took 150 wickets at a very good average of 19.35 with a best of 7 for 47 and took a five wicket haul on seven occasions. As a batsman Mal scored 1412 runs at 28.24 with a highest score of 145 not out and scored nine 50’s. Mal was the player of the year in 1992-93.

It was as an administrator however that Mal became a legend at the club and achieved the following milestones:

• Chairman GDJCA (Junior association) committee from 1995 to 1998 during which time the number of junior teams increased from 65 to 130.
• Was the first co-ordinator of the highly successful “Have a Go” junior program in Chatswood now managed by Michael Berman
• GDCC committee member 1991 to 1999
• GDJCA (Junior association) committee 1988 to 1999
• Assistant Secretary GDCC 1992 to 1999
• GDCC Junior development officer 1995 to 1999

So as the 4^th graders go around at Killara this Saturday against Manly we all should remember a great club man who enjoyed his cricket immensely and put in motion the development of our junior system that is so well regarded today.

We send our best to Mal’s family and want them to know, he will always be remembered.

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