For more than 30 years Trevor McKinnis has stepped out onto the cricket field for what he calls “a rewarding hobby”.
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Cricketers around the region might not know Mr McKinnis’ history of cricket, but they sure would all recall looking down the pitch and seeing him raise his finger.
A back injury at the age of 35 delivered a blow to Mr McKinnis’ playing career, subsequently retiring.
It wasn’t until about five years later he took up umpiring.
Mr McKinnis remembers when he first started playing cricket with St Andrews “many years ago”.
“I was about 12 at the time and I went down to watch cricket every Saturday,” he said. “Cricket wasn’t a sport older generations in my family played, I just enjoyed watching and it gave me something to do.
“I played with some great personalities and they really set me up on the cricket merry-go-round.”
Although Mr McKinnis didn’t play for St Andrews for his whole career, family and his love of football dictated where he would spend his summers.
“I played football at Ararat and was asked to train with Geelong," he said.
“Football took over a little bit when I was younger.
“I also played for the Rhymney Cricket Club once I was married – as my wife Erin came from there.”
Hindsight, as they say, is a wonderful thing and Mr McKinnis said when he looks back he thinks cricket should have been his main sport.
“As I got older and older I realised there’s so much more you can do in cricket,” he said.
“So I probably missed my prime time to really enjoy my cricket as much as I should have.
“As I got older I realised I could contribute something back to the game and took up umpiring”
Mr McKinnis also has the role of delegating the umpire appointments for the weekend’s matches – a role he has had for 18 years.
“I think players appreciate the work which goes into it all,” he said. “I’ve been told I have a ‘different’ personality.
“I’m pretty firm about most things I do. I try to be as fair as I can be.”
Now, in his early 70s, Mr McKinnis said he doesn’t look like stopping any time soon.
“Partly because I love what I do and the other, we need more people to come and learn,” he said.
“People ask all the time how can I still concentrate and what makes you keep going.
“I’ve always had a pretty strong mind and I get wrapped up in the game.”
Buangor-Tatyoon play Youth Club in the biggest A Grade match of the round this weekend as two of the most promising sides go head-to-head.
In other games, Pomonal takes on Halls Gap and Swifts Great-Western will play Aradale.
B Grade returns this weekend after a long lay off.
The pick of the bunch is one versus two, as second placed Swifts-Great Western take on Chalambar.
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