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14-02-2023, 09:07 AM
Mathew Inness masters three sports as strength and conditioning coach (https://www.codesports.com.au/afl/western-bulldogs/afl-cricket-and-cycling-mathew-inness-masters-three-sports-as-strength-and-conditioning-coach/news-story/418fe448c81e27b716357f2f21b5fa0b)
https://content.api.news/v3/images/bin/14f9baf901d0631d1947b90efec9312b?width=1024
For years Mathew Inness had one sporting focus: bowling fast for Victoria.
Now he has three.
When Inness, 45, arrived at training at Essendon Cricket Club at 5.45pm last Tuesday, a lot of his day’s work had been done.
There was more to do.
The former Vics left-armer had spent the day at the Western Bulldogs, where his title – head of sports science and physical performance – has far more heft than his first-class cricket batting average.
From the Whitten Oval it was on to Windy Hill as bowling coach in support of Essendon senior coach Asanka Gurusinha, the former Sri Lankan Test star.
After 90 minutes running an eye over the Bombers’ quicks, Inness headed home to plan some sessions for the Malaysian track cycling team.
He has been the cyclists’ strength and conditioning coach for almost six years, a period that has brought success on the international stage in the sprint program.
Football, cricket and cycling: The depth and breadth of Innes the sporting manager and educator is impressive in a professional career that started when his cricket career finished.
Last Saturday Essendon Cricket Club marked its 150th year by hiring out a room at the MCG and launching a hall of fame.
It was a great haul of cricketers indeed.
There was Test man Simon O’Donnell.
State players Jamie Siddons, John Grant, Keith Kirby, George Davies and Jack Stephens.
Long-serving player and administrator Harry Nunn, 254-game club great Craig Berger and legendary scorer Mike Walsh.
And there was Mathew Inness, the paceman who joined the Bombers with a bunch of mates from Broadford when he was 14.
Peeved to be picked in the fourths, he chose to go back and play Country Week cricket.
When he returned a week later, he was selected in the fifths!
But he climbed the grades quickly, and was in the firsts by 1994-95.
He went on to win the bowling award five times, take 207 wickets at 16.54, play 102 matches and gain life membership.
When visitors to Windy Hill walk into the cricket club’s social room, they are greeted by a photo of Inness letting fly for the Vics, a flashing run to the wicket preceding the delivery of the ball.
Inness joined Essendon’s roll-call of state players when Victoria introduced him to Sheffield Shield cricket in 1997-98, his debut coming against NSW at the MCG.
It was a tough initiation: Michael Slater clattered 137 and with opening partner Rodney Davison (169) put on 219.
The visitors went on to declare at 9-532, but the Vics managed a draw through keeper Darren Berry’s first-innings 166 not out (Inness had a first-class batting average of 7.16, but he shared with Berry a last-wicket stand of 118).
Starting out with 19 wickets from six matches, Inness had some strong seasons for the Vics and an exceptional one in 2000-01 when he scalped 43 batters.
His teammates admired not only his skill, but his spirit.
“He’s probably the first guy I faced who at speed could swing the ball away and in … being left-arm, he was always a nightmare,’’ former Victorian wicketkeeper Adam Crosthwaite says.
“Most left-armers would go across you. He would swing the ball away, then he would swing it down the line… he made me look stupid in the nets. You’d play and miss, play and miss and then you’d have your front pad blown off.’’
Crosthwaite adds: “Playing with him, you just knew he was going to give so much more than anyone. He was one of the best teammates you could have. Just kept running in.’’
Ex-Victorian batter David Hussey says Inness was a “clever bowler who knew exactly what to do and how to get batters out and set them up perfectly’’.
Hussey says Inness often bowled through pain, remembering how he shrugged off a knee injury early in his career.
But Inness says the state selectors began to choose two fast bowlers supported by all-rounders like Cameron White and Jon Moss, and he fell down the pecking order.
Still wanting to play first-class cricket, he headed to Perth.
“I didn’t want to go,’’ he says. “I loved playing for Victoria. But there was just more opportunity over there.’’
Inness had little impact in his first two years in the WA squad.
His third represented the rejuvenation of his career: 40 wickets at 20.12.
“It was probably my best season… plenty of wickets and three five-fors,’’ he says.
Click the link at the top of the page for more in this article.
He seems to be a very good guy at our club and I hope we keep him for a while to come.
https://content.api.news/v3/images/bin/14f9baf901d0631d1947b90efec9312b?width=1024
For years Mathew Inness had one sporting focus: bowling fast for Victoria.
Now he has three.
When Inness, 45, arrived at training at Essendon Cricket Club at 5.45pm last Tuesday, a lot of his day’s work had been done.
There was more to do.
The former Vics left-armer had spent the day at the Western Bulldogs, where his title – head of sports science and physical performance – has far more heft than his first-class cricket batting average.
From the Whitten Oval it was on to Windy Hill as bowling coach in support of Essendon senior coach Asanka Gurusinha, the former Sri Lankan Test star.
After 90 minutes running an eye over the Bombers’ quicks, Inness headed home to plan some sessions for the Malaysian track cycling team.
He has been the cyclists’ strength and conditioning coach for almost six years, a period that has brought success on the international stage in the sprint program.
Football, cricket and cycling: The depth and breadth of Innes the sporting manager and educator is impressive in a professional career that started when his cricket career finished.
Last Saturday Essendon Cricket Club marked its 150th year by hiring out a room at the MCG and launching a hall of fame.
It was a great haul of cricketers indeed.
There was Test man Simon O’Donnell.
State players Jamie Siddons, John Grant, Keith Kirby, George Davies and Jack Stephens.
Long-serving player and administrator Harry Nunn, 254-game club great Craig Berger and legendary scorer Mike Walsh.
And there was Mathew Inness, the paceman who joined the Bombers with a bunch of mates from Broadford when he was 14.
Peeved to be picked in the fourths, he chose to go back and play Country Week cricket.
When he returned a week later, he was selected in the fifths!
But he climbed the grades quickly, and was in the firsts by 1994-95.
He went on to win the bowling award five times, take 207 wickets at 16.54, play 102 matches and gain life membership.
When visitors to Windy Hill walk into the cricket club’s social room, they are greeted by a photo of Inness letting fly for the Vics, a flashing run to the wicket preceding the delivery of the ball.
Inness joined Essendon’s roll-call of state players when Victoria introduced him to Sheffield Shield cricket in 1997-98, his debut coming against NSW at the MCG.
It was a tough initiation: Michael Slater clattered 137 and with opening partner Rodney Davison (169) put on 219.
The visitors went on to declare at 9-532, but the Vics managed a draw through keeper Darren Berry’s first-innings 166 not out (Inness had a first-class batting average of 7.16, but he shared with Berry a last-wicket stand of 118).
Starting out with 19 wickets from six matches, Inness had some strong seasons for the Vics and an exceptional one in 2000-01 when he scalped 43 batters.
His teammates admired not only his skill, but his spirit.
“He’s probably the first guy I faced who at speed could swing the ball away and in … being left-arm, he was always a nightmare,’’ former Victorian wicketkeeper Adam Crosthwaite says.
“Most left-armers would go across you. He would swing the ball away, then he would swing it down the line… he made me look stupid in the nets. You’d play and miss, play and miss and then you’d have your front pad blown off.’’
Crosthwaite adds: “Playing with him, you just knew he was going to give so much more than anyone. He was one of the best teammates you could have. Just kept running in.’’
Ex-Victorian batter David Hussey says Inness was a “clever bowler who knew exactly what to do and how to get batters out and set them up perfectly’’.
Hussey says Inness often bowled through pain, remembering how he shrugged off a knee injury early in his career.
But Inness says the state selectors began to choose two fast bowlers supported by all-rounders like Cameron White and Jon Moss, and he fell down the pecking order.
Still wanting to play first-class cricket, he headed to Perth.
“I didn’t want to go,’’ he says. “I loved playing for Victoria. But there was just more opportunity over there.’’
Inness had little impact in his first two years in the WA squad.
His third represented the rejuvenation of his career: 40 wickets at 20.12.
“It was probably my best season… plenty of wickets and three five-fors,’’ he says.
Click the link at the top of the page for more in this article.
He seems to be a very good guy at our club and I hope we keep him for a while to come.