Cricket
7 August, 2025
Five clubs to join HCA for 2025-26 season
Donald Jeffcoat, St Marys, Swifts-Great Western, Rhymney-Moyston and Halls Gap cricket clubs are set to join the Horsham Cricket Association, following the association’s Annual General Meeting on August 6.
Donald Jeffcoat and St Marys are transitioning from the Wimmera Mallee Cricket Association, while Swifts-Great Western, Rhymney-Moyston and Halls Gap join from the now-defunct Grampians Cricket Association.
Justtin Combe, president of the Horsham Cricket Association (HCA), says the move will help strengthen the association moving forward.
“It's obviously very exciting to have five new class clubs coming into the association,” Combe said.
“It strengthens our competition and helps safeguard us in the senior spectrum of things for years to come.
“It'll be a lot more competitive in all the grades, and we'll have a lot more sides in each division as well.
“B grade only had seven sides last year, and it’s potentially looking like it could have double figures this year; A grade’s going to be adding two more sides, and C Grade will increase as well.”
Asked if there were any concerns around the association, Combe outlined that clubs had been consulted in the process.
“I think every club can see that the future in cricket is to build it, and building it with extra clubs, making our association stronger,” Combe said.
“We did an external review through a private company that got some feedback from the clubs, and they relayed to us there were no concerns.”
For the newly joined clubs, joining the HCA presents an opportunity to enhance their quality of cricket while maintaining their club’s future.
Marc Brilliant, president of Swifts-Great Western, says the move appears to have rejuvenated the club, with numbers also increasing for the 2025-26 season.
“We're really excited, and we’re one of the last clubs left standing from the Grampians Association,” Brilliant said.
“The club's future was really important for us, and Horsham being the next really closest association was probably a really good fit for us, less so for location, but because we’ve got a reasonably young group of guys looking to progress their cricket.
“It’s sparked an interest back in the club, we’ve got some numbers rolling back in.
“We’ll be fielding two teams this year, where last year we only had one.”
Lachie Jones, president of Donald Jeffcoat, is looking forward to the challenge of entering a new competition.
“Obviously, our club's pretty excited about the opportunity of coming across,” Jones said.
“We've been a top side in the Wimmera Mallee for a fair while now, and we're keen for a new opportunity for our blokes who are probably looking for a bit of a challenge.”
The move comes amidst growing concerns in recent years about the survival of the game in the region, as evidenced by the disbandment of the Grampians association.
Brilliant, who was previously secretary of the Grampians Cricket Association, identified the lack of teams, as well as an inability to fill critical roles within the association, as influencing Swifts-Great Western’s decision to start discussions with the HCA.
“I was the secretary of the Grampians association, and it was looking dicey before we eventually got the season underway last year,” Brilliant said.
“We then asked clubs throughout the season to make sure they were having discussions about what they wanted to do moving forward.
“From a club point of view, we made the decision that we couldn't see the league continue if it went another year.
“The other thing was that we had no one stepping up into roles.
“There were four vacant roles in the association that weren't going to get filled, so we couldn't go forward as it was anyway.
“That helped our club decide to move forward because we were going to be at a standstill.”
Discussions of a merger between the HCA and the Wimmera Mallee Cricket Association have occurred earlier in the year, but are currently on hold until after the conclusion of the 2025-26 season.
Combe previously cited that it would be too great an administrative overhaul in one offseason, considering Grampian teams would be coming on board, but admitted a full integration would be likely to occur at some point.
The Donald Jeffcoat president believes joining the Horsham Cricket Association from Wimmera Mallee is a progressive move for the club.
“This has probably been working away in the background,” Jones said.
“All the Wimmera Mallee clubs have been looking where the future lies, and our club’s been no different with the forever-changing numbers and sides.
“So we looked at it as a progressive move, and probably down the track, all cricket will be merged or formed into a bigger competition.
“There’s no ideal situation.
“I've been heavily involved with the Wimmera Mallee association.
"I was vice president of the league, but also being president of the club, you wear two hats, and it's hard to keep everyone happy.
"It seems to be getting harder and harder to keep our sporting clubs, so that's why it was of vital importance to make sure that this decision was one based on what kids and people wanted to do as a part of that club."
With the treasurer and secretary positions for the HCA yet to be filled following the AGM, Combe encouraged anyone interested in assisting the association to reach out.
The president also identified a vacant general manager position that could incorporate both roles, with interested applicants encouraged to visit the association’s Facebook page.
With greater travel likely to be involved because of the influx of the new clubs, Combe advised that the association would liaise with clubs to minimise the impact as they organise the draw over the coming weeks.