I first got into cricket as a junior at Horsham, which was actually founded by Kevin at St Michael's, alongside my father Cec and my uncle Art Kerr. Like the kids of today, we were out there in our shorts playing. We played at school a lot more. At primary school, we used to play with our teachers. Then I played at secondary school as well. Those were my formative years.

Luckily, or unluckily, I was brought up in a sporting family with cricket on both sides. My Dad was a good cricketer, and uncle George was handy enough. On my Mum's side, there was Merv Kerr, who's one of the best swing bowlers the association has seen. A lot of the Kerrs and Hoppers have kept producing cricketers right through, so it's in our blood really.

Did you get the chance to play with your old man, and your family members?

I was lucky enough to play with Barry and Dad. We lost one A Grade final, but the next year we played Jung. My brother Barry was about six years younger, my Dad would have been in his 50s I guess, and I would have been about 22. We all played, and we won that final. Barry hit around 70, my Dad and I got probably 30 or 40. I was lucky enough to get seven wickets, so we won that final. Back then, Jung was an extremely good team.

I remember one day going out to watch Dad when he would have been 55. Back then, no one really played at that age. We knew he was alright; we had read about him and watched him in the backyard. He was always a good cricketer, but that day he went out and hit around 120 runs. Dad never talked about his cricket much, was just a quiet guy. I think in your lifetime you see maybe four or five blokes who just have more ability than anyone else, and he was one of them. So that was a thrill playing with him. He's passed away now, and as you get older, you do reflect on that. They were good times.

You're a member of the Horsham Cricket Association's team of the century, how did you join that club?

Well, I rolled the wicket at Horsham a lot. But, I guess I've always been a handy cricketer, never a superstar. It was a bit of a surprise being picked. When I was 48, I think I got about 130 not out in a grand final against Rupanyup, so I think it was more endurance that I got it (selection) from.

Are you still hopeful of sneaking a couple of games in for Homers this season, if you come right?

If I'm fit enough (I will). All I would do now would just be to fill the numbers in. The last part of my life here in Horsham I've been lucky enough to play a couple of games with one son Ashley and also with (my grandson) Jett, who I think is going to be a ripper cricketer.

He's one of those with natural flair. Whether he turns out to anything will be up to him. But if I had his ability, I'd be pretty happy.

Just out here (in the backyard) about four years ago I was playing with Jett one day, and I actually had a heart attack and poor old Jett though he'd killed me. I ended up having a triple bypass. Jett was always worried, but I told him he probably saved my life. I had my operation, and I've gone back to a normal life.

Jett and I have always been close because he loves cricket and I love cricket.

You say 'just out here' and literally, next to us you've got a cricket net in your backyard.

Dad bought this house, and it was an old, ransacked place. He had the builders build it in halves, and as he and Mum got older, we swapped houses, then I lived here. We ran a business here with 80 blokes for many years.

(My brother) Barry used to live next door. In our 30s and 40s, we'd work all day, have tea and get the kids to bed, and then we'd come out and play cricket until midnight. We'd probably do a quote from midnight to 1am and get up at six in the morning. We didn't have a lot of brains, but we did love our cricket.

Even during footy season. Barry was a very good footballer for Horsham, and I played in the Horsham District league. After footy training, we liked the idea of playing on a wet wicket at night.

That was our love of cricket, and fortunately, our wives could put up with us like that. Most of them would go out and shoot you.

Do you still like to go down and watch?

Yeah, I love watching cricket. I think watching your kids play is always nice and I love watching the juniors. I think it's terribly important to look after our juniors.

That's another funny thing. Barry and I and our children are all very similar in style and abilities. We had to leave the club years ago because we were opening batters and bowling spin, and the children were going to be opening bats and spinners. So we went to a new club, which was Homers and left them at Horsham City. They won a couple of premierships there, and we won a couple at Homers. Then all the kids came to Homers, and that's how it's worked. Giving them a go was the cause of it all.

Now that we've been talking about it for a bit, what's popped up as one of your favourite memories from your cricket career?

It's nothing important, but years ago Barry Richards, the South African (and ICC Cricket Hall of Fame inductee), came down to Horsham with Greg Chappell. They went down to City Oval, and they asked a couple of bowlers to go bowl to them.

I bowled a wrong 'un to him first ball, and it took an inside edge onto his pad, and he looked up and said 'good ball'. I thought I was pretty good. The next one I bowled to him, he batted left-handed and hit me for six. So I knew where he was.

Richards came in, borrowed a bat off a kid in the crowd because he didn't have his own gear, and he probably hit 24 (balls) over the fence and 10 over the grandstand. It was unbelievable. It was freakish how they batted, and I think if the truth was known, he'd be second to Bradman. He said to me 'I'm going to hit some through the goalposts' and I thought he was just going to hook them. He cover drove three balls out of four through the posts.

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