JON HOLLAND-DINGOES NO.1 TICKET HOLDERBy Ziggy Arness
Choosing a sports star (especially a home-grown one) as your No 1 member is a pretty safe bet for a football club, as it gives them instant credibility with the fans, far more so than the usual plethora of politicians, millionaires and company CEOs.
Jon Holland, Carlton and Victorian cricketer, was presented to the club faithful on a recent training night, when Shane Franklin gave his little spin on Jon's background and achievements. Where he gleaned this information from I don't know, but I may not be off the mark in suggesting it came from a Hollandaise source.
"Dutchy", as he is known (now is there conceivably a single male in Australia sharing his surname who hasn't been saddled with that moniker?) actually began as a junior footballer at Dingley, sharing in an U9s Lightning Premiership with current seniors Frosty and Turcs. He continued through with that age group until, when playing for Haileybury in 2003,he suffered an injury that required a knee reconstruction and cruelly halted his football career.
By then, cricket had become a passion, starting at Dingley U12s and including a Grand Final win at U14s. He was a regular fixture in CMCA representative teams at all junior age levels, played with a victorious state side at U15s, and moved on to Prahran seconds at 16.
It was at this point that the unfortunate football mishap occurred, causing him to miss a whole season of cricket. But by now the slow left-arm orthodox finger-spinner had caught the eye of Carlton scouts. After one game in the twos he's played at firsts level ever since.
In the last few years, young Dutchy has been much travelled. Good performances for the Vic U18s led to Australian representation in the U19 World Cup in Sri Lanka, which he rates as his greatest sporting achievement to date. He has also been to England with a development squad, which had as a regrettable by-product a shoulder injury needing a reconstruction and causing another missed season.
Jon, who is now enjoying regular inclusion for the Bushrangers in all 3 forms of the game, loves that involvement and gets on well with his team-mates, despite Shane Harwood constantly bagging him about his batting. He is obviously a player that the Australian cricket hierarchy are keeping a keen eye on, as evidenced by his recall for another stint at the Cricket Academy in Brisbane.
Now much as I'm sure Jon cherishes the honour the club has bestowed on him, I know there is another "ticket" he'd gladly swap it for. That's the one for the plane to the Old Dart with the Ashes squad! It may be a pipedream, but given the dearth of quality spinners in the post-Warne era, such an out-of-left-field selection is not entirely implausible!
Shane Franklin introducing Jon Holland as the clubs No 1 Ticket Holder
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