Blue and White: Inner South East Scorpions

Under-18s

Head Coach – Shannon Young

2012-13 Finish – Finals

Under-16s

Head Coach – Brendan McGuinness

2012-13 Finish – Semi-Finals

Under-14s

Head Coach – Steve Viccars

2012-13 Finish – Preliminary Finals

It’s fair to say the Inner South East Scorpions have their eyes on the prize.

With fluctuating form through the three age groups last season, Regional Cricket Manager John Hayes is keen to make up for lost time.

“If you asked every boy in the squad why they were playing, they would tell you that they are there to win,” Hayes said.

“They aren’t playing to say they made a Scorpions squad and ‘compete’ – we want some reward for the hard work we’ve put in.

The Scorpions only managed four wins throughout the Victorian Bushrangers Pathway Championships, none of which came in the under-18 competition.

Hayes is adamant their lacklustre performance will not be repeated.

“We’re quietly confident with the squad we’ve got at our disposal, so we have expectations as to how they’ll perform,” Hayes said.

“Shannon Young coming in as coach has been great for the boys. Having an ex-Premier cricket coach has been really beneficial for them.

“We’ve got a lot of bottom age players come through the under-16s, so it should be a really positive challenge for them.”

Despite the plethora of talent progressing to the under-18s, Hayes believes the under-16s won’t be compromised.

“We’ve managed to retain plenty of talent despite a lot of it moving on to the older age groups,” Hayes said.

“A lot of boys have improved over the off season, so we expect them to win more than they lose.

“The fact we’ve held onto so much talent is a real positive for us, because their bond will be really important on and off the field.”

In the under-14s, Hayes believes ingraining a winning culture is key to their development.

“It’s one thing to say we want them to develop, but teaching them to win is a key part of it.”

Working together with Southern District Cricket Association, coach Steve Viccars was presented with more than 80 of the region’s best players, which have been narrowed down to 13.

“Working in conjunction with the SDCA means that we’re picking up the extra kids we may have missed out on in the past,” Viccars said.

“We’ve got a stronger squad than we’ve ever had so its exciting for everyone involved.”