 Dan Frogan surfaces again
Shout it from the highest mountain. Accompany it with the fanfare of a hundred trumpets. That is possibly laying it on a bit thick; but for the members of our club, to see our premier side playing off in the final will be a very proud moment.
(Libby Trickett in her Frogan design swimsuit)
The captains, the team and the support staff who have developed a group that have reached this stage is a testament to the years of hard work that have been done since those individuals (and others) decided at the turn of the Millennium to drag Gordon back up to where it belonged in Sydney Grade Cricket. As has been reported here previously, none of this could have been achieved without Frogan's influence.
Frogan has not been around too often in the last 18 months. It has been a very busy couple of years for the man with the golden playbook. He has been in high demand across his many areas of influence.
This was not more evident than in the Cricket and Rugby World Cups. Until the Greg Chappell experience in India went sour, the man who invented 20/20 cricket whilst playing for Somerset in 1968 was preparing the team who prevailed as inaugural winners of that "World Cup".
 However, Frogan was not able to rest from the ignominious (and potentially fool hardy decision by the BCCI) as the Rugby World Cup loomed large on the radar.
The Wallabies' decision, under the new coaching staff of Knuckles Connolly, to opt against taking the Frogan as their spiritual guide was Greg Mumm and Fiji's gain as he helped the Pacific Island nation reach the quarter finals of the competition for the first time.
Since the Rugby World Cup Frogan has had precious little time to spend time with his beloved Gordon, as sporting garment manufacturer, Speedo utilised his special understanding of physics and swimming to design the new suits that make Libby Lenton or Trickett or whatever her name is flatter than Brendan McDonald. However, it is clear that she still has far bigger pecs than the Gordon twirler. Quite what revolutionary skin-tight under garments the team will wear this weekend is a secret; but it is sure to be very special.
 As has been previously revealed in this column, McDonald likes to take his shirt off as often as he can. Some would say that fellow whirly, Chris Archer, is fast attaining the same reputation. Frogan noted in the photo of the Club song belted out with gusto at Chatswood on Sunday afternoon, that 11 first grade players (including 12th man Jones) had their shirts on. There was only one who thought a shirt unnecessary ... McDonald.
Whatever he is doing, he should keep doing it for another week as he has already captured 42 wickets at 22 this season. Whatever Dylan Connell has been doing this season, that has returned 41 wickets at 22 thus far, is probably best left unsaid and may have something to do with his ridiculously large towel.
It has been a very solid back half of the year from a team that suffered some close losses earlier in the year, to seemingly slip out of contention.
 The performances of Simmons have been fantastic and he is agonisingly close to breaking the long-standing first grade season run scoring record, which some thought would never be broken. After all, it has been on the books and withstood the test of time for nearly 13 whole months when Craig himself finished the 2006/2007 season with 33 at Waitara.
(Craig Simmons in action last weekend)
As Simmo prepares to return home to Western Australia to further his first-class career, Frogan bursts with pride at yet another on his production line of identified talent. He will be missed as much for his run production and left arm rubbish (for which 17 blokes in Sydney should be very embarrassed about succumbing to this season - 17 blokes!) as he will be for the long hours he spent in the sheds after the game.
Frogan noted with interest the fact that two men who called Waitara home for a number of seasons, Hokin and Beverley, have been mainstays in this season's first grade side. When Frogan was chairman of the recruitment sub-committee in 1984, he identified 2 players from Northern Districts that he thought crucial to count amongst Gordon's number.
(Rod Hokin and Iain Beverley against Randwick Petersham)
In the seasons that followed, the Club welcomed Steve Mervyn Day, a determined batsman and fantastic cover fieldsman who could barely roll his arm over; but still managed to hit a 15 year old Kelly in the head in the Chatswood nets. Welcome to grade cricket son. Brutal! Frogan had also noticed a young left hander playing for the Rangers who many had ignored as a bloke who scored runs but didn't look too pretty doing it.
 Michael Cant arrived at the Club in 1987 and over the next decade he scored 5,240 runs in 1st grade at nearly 35 (approximately 4,200 of which were scored backward of point). However, it was Frogan's genius in attracting these two men to the Club whomeach captained a magnificent squad of players in 1989/90 and 1990/91 respectively that brought the Belvidere Cup to Gordon. It seems to Frogan that Gordon is again in good hands with the solid performances of the two men who started their careers 20 kilometres north up the F1.
(Michael Cant hitting behind point)
The Stags are not currently led by a former Gum Tree as they again strive to win the competition; but Matt Nicholson was raised and was educated in the heart land of our northern neighbour and in Frogan's words: "as far as superstition goes, that'll do for me". After a fine second half of his first-class career, upon returning from Western Australia, and with the number of times he has pulled his team out of the mire over the seasons, it seems only right that the team puts up its best performance of the season on the weekend.
 A team is often only as strong as the will of its team. After a lean run since Christmas, Frogan is convinced that James Packman is hungry for and destined to get big runs. He hasn't gone this long without a making a significant score in a significant period of time. Apparently he is running at 5-1 to be top scorer in Howitt Jnr's book. The one-time face of Sports Bet, Randwick-Petersham coach, Billy Anderson was heard to say on his 53rd lap of Chatswood Oval for the weekend: "Howitt is crazy.
(The money is on Packers)
Packman is great value at $5 and more chance of earning a return than any of Tony Wilson's nags. If you've got a spare hundred buck get it on James Packman". If enough people get on board, Frogan can see Howitt living with Margaret and Senior and working for Pic for the considerable part of a long time to pay off his debts. However, the likes of Reece Bombas and Brad Rasool could be worth a few bucks on Howitt's odds. Each has the talent to get big runs and there could be no better time than to do it this weekend. Please see Howitt or CentreBet for current odds.
Last Sunday, after a recovery session, Frogan drove Waratah captain Phil Waugh to Chatswood to see Waugh's old school mate Packman bat. The runs that were hoped for by Waugh did not eventuate. However, Frogan is sure that a trip to the ground the day after the Waratahs' crunch match against Auckland SFS will be rewarded.
 Frogan was pleased to see hart-hearted Stag Ed Zelma back in action against Randwick Petersham on the weekend. It was unlikely that anyone could have kept him away for too much longer. Frogan's mind power, two roles of sticky tape and a ball of string seem to have done the trick. Zelma will play a big role in facing the club that he played for for a couple of seasons and won a second grade premiership against Mosman at this weekend's venue in 2002/03.
(Ed Zelma against Randwick Petersham last weekend)
It was during that game that St George were dead in the water, when Zelma knocked over 3 Whales batsmen with straight half volleys. The tactical acumen in trying 3 straight half volleys almost embarrassed Frogan that he had not thought of the same thing. However, Frogan relaxed in the knowledge that if he had been involved, Saints would never have been in trouble in the first place.
Richard Stobo recounts that when he and Phil Emery witnessed the epic semi-final between Wests and Northern Districts at Waitara in 1985, they determined from that moment to play in finals cricket as it is the toughest, most intense and best cricket to be played in the season.
 Anyone who has been at Sydney Uni No.1 and Chatswood Oval over the last fortnight and seen fantastic contests played against quality opposition will testify to that sentiment. The reward for the players is obvious. Beau Casson is the prime example. He has had a great season in first class cricket, scoring runs, taking wickets, being part of a winning NSW team and has now been selected for the upcoming Australian tour of the West Indies later in the year.
(Graham King joins in the singing on Sunday evening)
Frogan noticed thatdespite his great success this season, during thesinging of the Club songon Sunday, which wasfirst penned by Frogan in 1973 (the year that Cattlin won "Best Body in the Club"), Casson was clearly as thrilled as team mascot Marcus in his enthusiasm. Stags stalwart Graham King also made an appearance in the rooms on Sunday and climbed into the song that he sung many times as a player during his 33 year stint in which he amassed a club record 1,121 wickets at 14.It demonstrates just what victory through to a final means to the players in the team and to everyone in the Club.
 The story, however, that Frogan likes most about motivation to win a first grade premiership is one that Mark O'Neill has told. O'Neill recounted (in his matter of fact, some may say expletive-punctuated style) that in the late 80's he and other players were so sick and tired about the old blokes talking about the Club Championship flag that they had won in 1974/75 that they were determined to get one of the bloody things for themselves. Two flags (in red and blue) were duly brought back to the Club and then stolen by the miscreant youths of Chatswood.
(Mark O'Neill in the 80's)
Frogan has always suspected that Livermore knows the whereabouts of these items as he was amongst the greatest miscreants in the area at the time. Some say that he still is; but that is both unfounded and unfair. In any event, it seems to Frogan from his discussions with the first grade team members that they too are sick and tired about hearing ofthe feats of the early 90's teams and wish to get their own bloody flag. Hear, hear!
 Gordon has been in 5 Finals in 1st grade since the Second World War. Ginty Lush's sides of 1945/46 and 1947/48, the Day and Cant led sides of the early 90's and the Dick Guy led side in 1971/72. The only side to go down in those contests was the 1971/72 side who were decimated by Gary Gilmour who led the Western Suburbs attack taking 6/4 at Pratten Park.
(Good try Frogan, you didn't think the webmaster could find Ginty did you...here is the great man)
Frogan was disappointed to miss the game with a recurrence of a left shoulder injury suffered prior to the start of that season in the triple jump at the national Athletics Championships, which served as a selection event for the Munich Olympics that were held later in 1972. There is no doubt that his presence in the top order on a seaming Pratten wicket would have made a huge difference.
St George are a very good team and a very strong and proud club. As minor premiers they have played good cricket during the year. But with the Stags running into form at the right time of the season and believing in themselves and each other, they have given themselves the right to play for the ultimate reward in the strongest club competition in the world. Boys, we are all behind you.
 Congratulations on a fine season so far and we hope that you perform at your best for one more week. Frogan will be lurking at Bankstown to have the opportunity (win or lose) to see the Club in its finest hour in 17 years.
(Dan Frogan before the Munich Olympics)
Win for yourselves, win for your team mates, win for your Club or win for a new bloody flag to fly at Chatswood Oval; but give it everything that you have and enjoy the experience.
Anonymous
Up Gordon. Get far ya bar. | 
