By Jonty Ralphsmith
At present, 464 men’s players have worn the baggy green in 145 years of test cricket.
Not many have even played with someone who has represented Australia.
Multi-sports star Harry DeMattia has done that and played in a NAB League grand final before his 18th birthday.
DeMattia didn’t anticipate he’d play as many firsts games as he did last season in Vic Premier Cricket.
Nor did he expect there to be so much media attendance and hype when he made a half-century in a rain-shortened game against Kingston-Hawthorn.
But that was the Will Pucovski effect, with the one-test young gun at the other end: people are attracted to good cricket, which the top-end players provide.
Usually.
“It was wet and green and it didn’t look like we were going to get on at some points of the day (because of rain) but Harry looked like he was batting on the WACA on a day three pitch and ‘Puc’ looked like he was batting on day one at the Gabba on a green seamer,” said coach Ben Vague.
“Harry didn’t miss the middle of the bat and ‘Puc’ was pretty scratchy that day.”
DeMattia finished unbeaten on 48 off 61 balls, while Pucovski was dismissed for 40 off 68 in a rain-shortened match.
DeMattia had heard the whispers during the week that he might open the batting, though expected to slide down to three, but the experienced Blake Thomson was keen to give him the experience.
When he went out there, he said it was a case of rinsing and repeating the skills he knew he had in his arsenal after getting off the mark with a clip off his hip.
Seen long term as a middle-order red-ball player and opener in the shorter format, DeMattia plays a graceful drive through the covers and has an array of shots, which he played in that innings.
“It felt like any other game, I summed it up early, backed myself, played with intent as I like to, and I feel like it was probably one of my best hits last season,” DeMattia said.
“When you’re out there, (Puc’s) like any other bloke, you talk about the wicket, talk about the game, talk about other things to get your mind off it between overs and balls so it was a great experience.
“We were talking about Instagram a little bit, he said if I could get us through to the end of the game, I might just get a cheeky follow back, and I got there, so I got it which was good.”
That expectation-exceeding season was cut short by a stress-related foot injury which saw him miss the end of cricket season.
Since then, he has been improving his skills at the cricket net in the backyard of his Edithvale home with dad, Matthew.
As well, he has had the wisdom of Uncle Michael to tap into, who was a handy bowler in 99 first XI games for Dandenong.
The net is something that has been in the works for a while and was installed last year.
“It’s pretty hi-tech, we’ve got a bowling machine and full net,” he said.
“It’s good, you think we have the net and ovals close you can go there but it is so much easier to just pad up in the loungeroom.
“We use it for footy and do little touch drills as well.”
The likes of Cameron White and Thilan Samaraweera have signed autographs and taken selfies with kids DeMattia’s age, the extent of the advice generally being to “have fun with your mates.”
But DeMattia is cut from a different cloth: under their tutelage, his progression and maturity has been swift and eye-catching.
“They’ve helped me with the mental and tactical side of the game; helping me to assess conditions quickly and mature my game,” DeMattia said, something also heavily referenced by Vague.
“Technically everything’s pretty sound at the moment but they’re helping me along the way.”
“’Shippy’ (former IPL and BBL coach Greg Shipperd) tells me one in every four hits you’re going to succeed and be happy with – that helps ease the nerves and allows me to go out there and enjoy my cricket.
“I understand I am playing at a high-level, I’m not going to make runs every week, but I can just take it ball by ball, enjoying who I’m out there with, blokes who are state players, Big Bash players who I aspire to be like one day.
“Having those blokes around you, knowing that whether you make a duck or make a hundred, you’ll hit the track with them and they’ll back you in the next week helps ease the nerves even though it can be mentally challenging.
“Playing with them, though, I did want to show I was good enough to be at the level and was quite proud.”
DeMattia finished last season with 111 first XI runs from five games, after starting the season with a century followed by a half-century in the seconds.
He also scored a century and three half centuries in the under-16’s youth premier league.
The 17-year-old started this season in the seconds, but after a well-made 37 on a tricky wicket, he was promoted to the first XI for round four, making a busy 25 off 23 against an attack which contained state contracted Mitch Perry and Wil Parker.
DeMattia’s form has also seen him selected selected in both the under 19s and under 17s Vic Metro squads – the ’19s play in Adelaide from 14-22 December, and ’17s will compete in Hobart from 16-23 January.
And he’s doing all that while playing regular NAB League football at Dandenong Stingrays.
Alongside his ascension up the cricket ranks, which Vague says is “on-par” with Pucovski and Victorian state contracted Sam Harper and Cam Kellaway (rookie), the 17-year-old played 11 games for the Rays in 2022.
DeMattia started as a lockdown defender, before spending time inside 50 and on the wing for the Rays this season, averaging 10 disposals.
Representing Vic Country in an under-17s match earlier in the year indicated he is around the draftable range, with the Stingrays coaches seeing growth each game.
And just to fatten his sack of sporting accolades a little more, he captained Australia to a runners-up trophy at the indoor cricket world cup in under-13s, among a host of other representative teams.
Not bad for someone who just gave it a go after a friend’s dad recommended he play in his off-season down-time to sharpen his skills, improve his leadership and exact his skill execution.
DeMattia was forced to give that away before Covid-19 because there is no downtime that needs occupying anymore.
Less than a week after his NAB League grand final, he was on the plane to Brisbane for an under-19s training camp at the National Cricket Centre.
That was considered his ‘week or two off’ from footy, starting off-season training upon his return.
Even when he is just kicking back with mates, there is generally a footy in his hands if not a golf club being yielded.
As he shows no signs of slowing down in either cricket or footy, he faces the prospect of being the latest multi-sport star to have to make a decision.
Those around him can’t get an accurate read on which way he’ll go and he says he is currently content seeking improvement and having fun.
“I’m just playing both as long as I possibly can and enjoying each opportunity as they come,” DeMattia said.
“I’m not putting too much pressure on myself, I’m going out to each training and game and enjoying the moments and being grateful to have both opportunities and to be where I sit at the moment.
“I’m quite happy doing both at the moment and hopefully I progress in one or the other one day.”
