By JARROD POTTER
PARKFIELD premiership captain Steve Spoljaric is on the move.
A week on from playing the all-round match of his life, batting the Bears out of trouble in the DDCA Turf 1 grand final with 106 before snaring 4/49 with the ball, Spoljaric has left Dunblane Reserve and will head down the South Gippsland Freeway to join Cranbourne.
Spoljaric said the time was right to head off with Parkfield strong on the field and Cranbourne on the rise into the top division.
“They had a chat to me the previous season and they showed their interest, but they didn’t make it (to Turf 1),” Spoljaric said.
“This year they have, and what happened to us was a bit of a surprise… I had a think about things and thought I’d done this and that and I think I’ve left them (Parkfield) in a healthy state on field.
“They’ve got enough talent to see them through, provided they stay together over the next few years… it was time to move on.”
The 2013/14 Wookey Medalist – his third in four seasons – will be part of a bumper squad for the newly promoted Turf 1 team Cranbourne, which features former Buckley Ridges all-rounder Te Ahu Davis.
“When you do your research they shouldn’t have been in Turf 2… hopefully a little bit of my direction and we can turn them into a powerhouse like they should be,” Spoljaric said.
“Just happy for the fresh start and it’s going to be good fun… I’m there for two years and I hope I can get them on a very dominant path.”
Looking back on his time at Parkfield, Spoljaric was rapt with the medals he’s won individually but loved getting the side a premiership and was still thinking about his run-out of Springvale South’s Aaron Morison in the grand final.
“That little cheeky run out was the highlight for me,” Spoljaric said about the grand final win.
“Doing something that only I knew what was going on at the time – everyone else was probably wiping their eyes, wondering what happened then.”
Spoljaric’s finishes up his time at Parkfield with 3055 runs and 117 wickets including nine centuries and three six-wicket hauls.
