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03-07-2007
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Australia Transplant Cricket Club - ATCC
Jim Maxwell, the voice of cricket on ABC, presenting Jeff Sewell with their award at the SCG.
We'd better hold it too Muz, don't want to drop it mate!
Pictured: Jeff Sewell, Murray Rose and Dave Elysee
More photo's / Oz Tour Photos can be found here.
Second Innings Win for Grandstand Cricket Club of the Year
A team of organ donor recipients has been named Cricket Club of the Year, after winning ABC Local Radio Grandstand’s annual competition, now in its second year.
The members of the Australian Transplant Cricket Club (ATCC) win a commemorative trophy from ABC Radio and the opportunity for an ABC commentary team member to appear at a club function. In addition, Cricket Australia has provided a cricket bat signed by the current Australian test team and a junior coaching clinic for the winning club.
They say "catches win matches", but for this team a good catch means an organ well suited to their blood and tissue type and in turn a long second innings in life. The ATCC squad includes liver, heart, bone, marrow, lung and no fewer than eleven kidney transplant recipients from all over Australia.
At least half of the team has used the high performance drug Erythropoietin – legally – for treatment of kidney disease. The team kit bag is a mobile pharmacy of medicinal cocktails taken at regular intervals to prevent organ rejection.
Pace bowler George Mylonas received a kidney transplant from a living donor - not just any donor but his ex-girlfriend after they had parted company. Club stalwart Murray Rose, wicket keeper and gold medallist in golf and rowing at the Transplant Games, celebrated ten years with his new kidney last year.
Nick Farley, a kidney recipient who entered the ATCC in the Grandstand competition, said that the club members share a love of cricket, a unique bond with their donors and above all, are eternally grateful for being given the ultimate gift of life.
ABC Radio Sport Editor, Peter Longman, said the club was a deserving recipient of the award.
"We were looking for a cricket club with an inspiring and unique story to tell, and what could be more fitting than a club made up of players who’ve been given a second chance at life?" he said.
Chairman of the ATCC, Jeff Sewell, said the award would greatly assist in raising awareness of the team’s upcoming tour of England in July, when they compete against the Great Britain Transplant Cricket Club to defend the David Hookes Memorial Shield.
"Not only has the award already motivated our players, it appears (from the GBTCC website) that the English players themselves have been inspired to succeed against the ABC Grandstand "Australian Cricket Club of the Year," Mr Sewell said.
Mr Sewell also said that the provision of a coaching clinic as part of the Award would enhance and significantly fast-track their junior development plans, and that the provision of an ABC commentator at a club event would assist in fund-raising efforts.
"I believe that the ABC’s Award has raised an appreciation and awareness within the general public of both the need for and the benefits associated with organ and tissue donations. On behalf of all members of the ATCC and indeed all transplant recipients in Australia, I again take this opportunity to thank the ABC for promoting this wonderful competition and your panel of (most learned) commentators for selecting our club as the Australian Cricket Club of the Year," Mr Sewell said. Cricket Australia Chief Executive Officer, James Sutherland, issued the following message: "Congratulations to the Australian Transplant Cricket Club for being named the Grandstand Cricket Club of the Year. They are truly unique and worthy winners who share a love of cricket and a zest for life," Mr Sutherland said. "Cricket clubs in our community are the heart and soul of our game. Having strong and vibrant clubs is important to ensure there are opportunities for people to be involved in cricket at the community level as a player, spectator, coach, umpire or volunteer. This competition is a great initiative and we thank ABC Radio for their coverage and invaluable support to help recognise and reward club cricket," Mr Sutherland said. The other finalists in the competition were: • North Sportsman’s Cricket Club (Mt Gambier, SA) • United Cricket Club (Central Victoria) • Richmond Cricket Club (Tasmania) • Bakers Creek Cricket Club (Castlemaine, Vic) For more information about ABC Grandstand go to Habc.net.au/grandstandH ___________________________________________________________________________ For enquiries please contact: Belinda Lee, ABC Radio Marketing on 03 9626 1744 or 0419 262 730 / email lee.belinda@abc.net.au
Latest news from down under
courtesy of Jeff Sewell Chairman of Australian Transplant Cricket Club
1. We will be conducting a coaching clinic through Cricket
Australia, with hopefully 1 or 2 Test players later this year for our
"development squad" of 22 juniors aged between 8 and 18
2. On 2.2.06 I was invited to be a guest of Cricket Victoria and speak
(briefly) at the Hassett Club lunch at Melbourne - the "real" VIPs being Richie
Benaud, Tony Greg & Bill Lawry.
3. Publicity for the Tour is increasing daily. In this regard I enclose a copy
of an e-mail that I received from Anita Wills (see below), who will be
accompanying her husband Chris on the Tour. Chris is a heart and lung
transplant recipient ans, as can be seen from the enclosed e-mail his efforts
are arousing considerable public interest (& awareness!)
4. We are hoping to arrange and stage the first ever International One Day
Transplant Cricket Series/World Cup - involving not just our 2 (great) nations
but also SA, NZ, India etc - in Australia during the week/fortnight preceding
the 2009 World Transplant Games.
The Tour was discussed in the Australian Parliament on 8th February 2006
Below is a copy of Hansard from yesterday.
Kind regards
Krystyna
STATEMENTS BY MEMBERS
Australian Transplant Cricket Team - 8 February 2006
Speech
Mrs MAY <http://hyperlink&class=name&xrefid=83b/>;
(McPherson) (9.33
a.m.)-The Australian transplant cricket team is heading off to England
in July to compete in a three-week cricket tour. The tour comprises two
test matches and three one-day cricket internationals for the David
Hookes memorial shield. The squad includes liver, heart, bone marrow,
lung and no fewer than 11 kidney transplant recipients from all over
Australia. Who else could boast a team full of legitimate steroid users?
At least half of the team have used the high-performance drug known as
EPO-legally, of course-for treatment of chronic kidney disease.
The team's aim is to raise public awareness of the benefits of and need
for organ and tissue donation. With that in mind, arrangements are
currently being made for our team to attend certain public functions,
including a formal introduction to members of the UK parliament, who
will then escort the team members on a tour of the houses of parliament.
Following the death of David Hookes, there was a spike in organ donor
registrations when it emerged that David and his family had agreed to
donate his organs. Nevertheless, Australia has one of the lowest organ
donation rates per capita of any country in the Western world. Mr Deputy
Speaker, I repeat: the tour is to raise awareness of organ donation.
With Australian Organ Donor Awareness Week running from 17 to 25
February, I urge Australians to sign onto the register and to let their
families know of their wishes.
I will be watching the David Hookes memorial shield closely, as we on
the Gold Coast are immensely proud to be having one of our own playing
in the series. Chris Wills, from the Gold Coast's beautiful hinterland,
received his heart and lungs last year. Chris, an all-rounder, is right
up there in his grade for batting and bowling. After Australia losing
the Ashes in both men's and women's to the pesky English, he is keen to
get things back on track. I have no doubt that we will retain the David
Hookes memorial shield, and Chris is emphatic that he will not be
returning to Australia without it. I wish the team all the very best on
their upcoming tour.
Great
Britain Transplant Cricket Club - GBTCC
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