Thursday, 19 February 2026

 John PESUTTO (Hawthorn) (10:05): On Saturday I had the pleasure of popping down to St James Park in my electorate to catch up with the third X1 of the Hawthorn Boroondara Cricket Club as they took on East Malvern. It was a terrific afternoon – good cricket, good conversation – and a great reminder of the role local sporting clubs play in holding our community together. I was very pleased to meet with vice-president Pat Dower and to hear about the club’s aspirations and discuss their challenges, which they are working through, and I look forward to working with president Graeme Yole, treasurer Leigh Simpson, secretary Jason Povey and their dedicated coaching and captaincy team to support the club’s growth. Importantly, this is a club with real momentum. Formed in April 2024 through the amalgamation of the Hawthorn Cricket Club and the Boroondara Cricket Club, the Hawthorn Boroondara Cricket Club now stands as a strong example of how thoughtful mergers can strengthen local sport. The club’s community spirit was on full display through their recent fundraiser for Share the Dignity, raising $1500 to support the fight against period poverty. I am pleased to say that I have been working with Share the Dignity as well, and they are a great organisation which I strongly support and will continue to do so. This is grassroots sport at its best: competitive, inclusive and community minded. I congratulate the Hawthorn Boroondara Cricket Club on their success and thank all involved for the contribution they make to Hawthorn.