The Pre-Cricket Days of Aberfeldie Park
About Us
Moonee Ponds Cricket Club (formerly Aberfeldie Park Cricket Club) was founded in October 1923 by a group of cricketers drawn from the St Therese’s and St Monica’s Parishes. The newly formed club was known as North Essendon CYMS.
It took the club 15 years to win its first premiership. In April 1938, captained by 18-year-old local sporting star Jack Lyons, North Essendon CYMS defeated West Footscray CYMS in a thrilling Grand Final. Jack later served in World War II before being recruited by the Essendon Football Club in 1945. He went on to play 56 VFL games for Essendon and North Melbourne.
In 1941, the club changed its name to Essendon CYMS. For the 1964/65 season, the club joined the Essendon & Broadmeadows District Cricket Association — the forerunner of today’s North West Metropolitan Cricket Association (NWMCA).
Upon joining the new competition, the club became Essendon YCW and later changed again to Essendon Youth Centre in the early 1970s. By the mid-1960s, the club was playing its home matches at Aberfeldie Park — sometimes on what is now the athletics track, but mostly on a ground close to the current oval location.
For the 1983/84 season, the club adopted the name Aberfeldie Park Cricket Club, a name proudly carried for nearly four decades.
Many outstanding cricketers have represented our club, but few achieved greater heights than Paul Hibbert. Paul played his junior cricket with us in the 1960s before going on to enjoy a distinguished career representing Victoria in the Sheffield Shield and playing one Test for Australia in 1977 under captain Bob Simpson. An autographed photo of Paul holds pride of place in our clubrooms.
Since the 1990/91 season, the club competed in the Victorian Turf Cricket Association (VTCA), while also fielding junior teams in the Western Region Junior Cricket Association and the NWMCA.
In the Autumn of 2021, recognising the importance of aligning with our broader community, Aberfeldie Park Cricket Club officially changed its name to Moonee Ponds Cricket Club. This change reflected our strong desire to identify with and represent the great suburb of Moonee Ponds, while continuing to honour the proud history and traditions built since 1923.
Today, Moonee Ponds Cricket Club enters its new era with a strong off-field leadership group, committed volunteers and a clear vision for sustainable growth. The club is proudly led on the field by young captain Sam Brincat, whose leadership represents the exciting future of our playing group.
For over 100 years, our club has been an important part of the Moonee Ponds and Essendon communities. We are proud to be one of the oldest cricket clubs in the area and look forward to building a strong future while honouring our remarkable past.
