Life Members

The club is proud to have a group of life members who have provided incredible service to the club both on and off the field. 

Photo	Bio
	1976/77 - Ian Donaldson (Deceased) Ian played a leading role in the founding of the Riverton Cricket Club. He was the President of the club for nine years in addition to taking on other administrative roles within the club. Ian also played an active role in the merge of the Riverton and Rostrata clubs and became the inaugural President of the Riverton Rostrata Cricket Club. It’s fair to say that he was not the most talented of cricketers, however his off field contribution to the club was enormous.
	1981/82 – Des Kenna Des was also instrumental in the founding of the Riverton Cricket Club. He came to the club as a very experienced cricketer having played for the Glenorchy District Cricket Club in Tasmania for many years. An extremely talented right hand batsmen and left hand bowler, he was the inaugural club captain leading the 2nd Grade team to the grand final in our first season. Off the field, he served as the club’s Vice President for seven years.
	1984/85 – Andrew Grigg Andrew commenced playing full time with the club in 1975/76 after playing a game as a fill in during the 1973/74 season. He holds the club record for games played (427) having scored 7,439 runs and taking 392 wickets. Off the field, he has been a Vice President, Club Registrar (for 13 years) and Treasurer for 27 yrs.
	1985/86 - Robert Fielder Robbie was an exceptional batsmen/bowler who was a fiercely competitive cricketer. He played his first game for the club on the 27th November 1971. In his third game he scored a century in 3rd Grade which immediately saw him promoted to our top team (2nd Grade). Apart from a few seasons playing pennant cricket for South Perth and Willetton, Rob was a permanent fixture in our First XI for almost 20 years. Off the field he has been club President, Vice President and Treasurer whilst also spending many years coaching junior cricketers.
	1987/88 – Glenn Buckman Glenn played his first game in 1972/73 and retired after the completion of the 1993/94 season. He started off bowling leg spin and captured 6 for 31 the first time the ball was thrown to him. Over the years, his leggies gave way to pace bowling (almost off the same leg spin run up!) and in a time when there was no such thing as a helmet, there were numerous batsmen who were pretty surprised when facing Glenn the first time. His last game ended in a premiership with Glenn getting a hat trick in his last bowling performance.
	1991/92 – Philip Elliott Phil (Fab Phil, Fabulous) was without doubt one of the most efficient administrators the club has been fortunate to have. A club secretary for eight years and a stint as Vice President was more than enough time for Phil to etch out a reputation as a force of nature in his dealings with the Association and anybody else for that matter. He was also an excellent wicketkeeper who loved a chat with the batsmen, the bowler, the fieldsmen, the umpire and anybody else within talking distance on the boundary. A handy bat to boot and an all-round fierce competitor in his 171 games for the club.
	1991/92 – Gary Piller Gary was a very handy jack of all trades cricketer who gave 100% all the time and put his hand up to play anywhere for the club. He filled numerous roles on the committee from Vice President, Registrar and Treasurer as well as several years as a general committee member. Gary’s approach was simple – if the club needed a role filled he would do it without hesitation. A stint as a successful team captain, again when the club needed somebody to step up, was just reward for a great clubman.
	1992/93 –Owen Bryden The driving force behind the formation of the Rostrata Cricket Club and a key player in the formation of the Riverton Rostrata Cricket Club. Owen is a passionate clubman whose contribution to the club off the field was enormous for both Rostrata and the RRCC. Despite a long career at Willetton, he was still able to play 144 games for the Rats, scoring over 3,000 runs and taking over 100 wickets. His honest and forthright approach probably unsettled some but he was a fantastic example for budding committee members and players alike.
	1992/93 – Harry Findlay Harry would be the first to tell you that he wasn’t the greatest cricketer ever, but from the club’s perspective he was worth his weight in gold. He would play anywhere, anytime, to help the club and whenever he was out on the field his love of cricket was obvious. But it was off the field where Harry excelled. Along with Owen Bryden, he played a leading role in the formation of the Rostrata Cricket Club, becoming the club’s inaugural Secretary in 1985/86. A committee member on numerous occasions and a huge supporter of the club, I’m sure he would still be part of the Rats if he hadn’t moved interstate.
	1996/97- Hugh Barnett Hugh is, to date, our greatest left arm spin bowler having taken 412 wickets during his 210 games for the club. He was simply an outstanding bowler who was a nightmare to face as every part of his bowling action just looked wrong. He seemed to bowl off the wrong foot and looked like he was throwing pies, but somehow he would deliver a ball with perfect flight, some spin, kick and fizz to leave many a batsmen playing at thin air. He regularly opened the bowling in our First XI with a great deal of success. A club Vice President with stints as a committee member only added to his contribution to the club.
	1997/98 – Grant Pattullo Grant ‘Spud’ Pattullo. Truly one of the club’s greatest players having played 326 games, scoring over 2,000 runs and taking a massive 730 wickets. For the majority of his career he was a left arm medium pacer who swung the ball and could bowl all day. Halfway through his career he started to bowl some spin bowling and by the end he was a left arm spinner. A fantastic clubman who worked tirelessly for the club off the pitch, particularly as barman and social organiser. We never relied on Spud to score with the bat, although he had a highest score of 73 not out, so maybe we were a bit harsh.
	1999/00 – Harry Buckman 350 games, 7,813 runs and 30 staggering wickets bowling some of the worst balls ever. Had career best bowling figures of 2 for 0 which he still talks about. His saving grace was that he was an excellent keeper with 219 catches and 24 stumpings. Throw in contributions to the club as a captain, Vice President and committee member and it’s not hard to see why he received life membership. Had a penchant for autographing players bats in the mistaken belief that a Harry Buckman autographed bat would be special. Very strange.
	1999/00 – Arthur Fielder Arthur played 338 games scoring 7,129 runs and taking 232 wickets with his right arm off spin. Throw in 121 catches and it’s easy to see that his on field contribution to the club has been enormous. He wasn’t the tallest or most powerful player to grace the park, but being a left hander he loved anything pitched short of a good length so he could smash it to the leg side. The most incredible fact of his career is that after 15 years he still had not scored 100 in an innings until one day at Cannington it all came together. He ended the day on 201 not out – the highest individual score for the then Riverton Cricket Club.
	2002/03 – Keith Taylor Keith has played 333 games and scored 4,627 runs whilst taking 339 wickets. However, statistics do not do justice to his on field contribution to the club. He commenced playing in our First XI as a junior and stayed there for more than 20 years developing into an outstanding pace bowler, handy batsmen and a gun in the field with a rocket launcher for an arm. A fantastic clubman who has been President, Vice President, Secretary, Property Officer and general committee member, he is always working for the club. An outstanding servant to the club both on and off the pitch. A fitness fanatic.
	2003/04 – Mark Fogarty Mark was always destined to play for the club as both his father and brother played before him. A medium pace bowler who gave it his all, he played 205 games taking 325 wickets. A fierce competitor who knew he couldn’t blast out batsmen, he relied on his line, length and his cricket nous to get success. As a batsmen he could bat. Sometimes. The one thing he could be relied on was to fight it out and rarely gave up his wicket easily. Off the field he was a club President leading the club through a difficult time in the early 2000’s when playing numbers dropped off significantly threatening the survival of the club.
	2003/04 – Anthony Newman Anthony (Tony) is acknowledged as the best cricketer to play for the club on an ongoing basis. He played 352 games, scored a club record 9,327 runs and taken 411 wickets. Along with Keith Taylor, they formed the backbone of the First XI for many years. A magnificent catch in the slips he has taken 207 catches – a staggering number for a non-keeper. Off field he has been a committee man and was the club Registrar for five years. The club recognises Tony’s contribution by awarding the A.F. Newman Medal to the best player in the 1st XI each season.
	2006/07 – Grant Brown Grant played 236 games, scored 3,539 runs and took 163 wickets. He was always a player who put the needs of the club first and would play wherever he was needed. However it is his off field contribution that makes Grant stand out. He had a spell as President of Rostrata and later on became President of Riverton Rostrata for five years. In between he was an active general committee member and an enthusiastic supporter and organiser for the club. ‘Brown Dog’ loves the club and we are hoping that his recent move back to Perth will allow him to renew his club involvement.
	2008/09 – Geoff Read One of the greatest fighters the club has had. ‘Chopper’ has had his fair share of hurdles to play cricket but that did not stop him playing an impressive 204 games scoring 1,545 runs and taking 88 wickets with what he himself describes as rubbish bowling. Off the field he was a magnificent administrator for the club filling the roles of Secretary and Registrar for many years. Still a strong supporter of the club, it’s fair to say that we wish we had more players like Chopper who would give their all to play cricket. To this day he still talks about his 151 run partnership with Harry Buckman in 1997/98. Zzzzzzz…
	2009/10 – Paul Mead Paul played 337 games for the club scoring 6,260 runs. Somehow he has taken 27 wickets which would suggest there’s 25 people out there pretty embarrassed. Yet another player who would always put the needs of the club first and play in whatever grade he was required. He's been a committee member, Treasurer, team captain and sponsor. Paul has done it all for the club and continues to support the club socially and in whatever capacity he can. Truly a magnificent clubman.
	2010/11 – David Read Dave played 193 games, scored 4,733 runs and took 102 wickets with his medium pacers. A very talented batsman who was a regular First XI member, he was always ready to have a bowl when asked. The highlight of his career was being a captain as it allowed him to bowl himself way too much, but invariably he would get a wicket or two and boy did everybody else hear about it. Was a club President and committee member as well as being a tireless worker for the club in relation to social activities. He supports the Sydney Swans so his life membership hangs by a thread.
	2011/12 - Steve Brodribb To the end of season 2021/22, Steve has played 356 games, scored 6,310 runs and taken a handy 81 wickets as a very part time ‘nude’ bowler. Despite being one of the more senior players in the club, he continually sets a great example by putting his hand up to play in the highest grade his form warrants – something many players should take on board. Off the field he had a three year stint as club President along with several years as a general committee member. An excellent clubman who is always suggesting ways to advance the club on and off the field.
	2011/12 – Richard Fielder Richard played 202 games for the club scoring 3,190 runs and taking 195 wickets. One of the many talented Fielder brothers who could all bat and bowl, Richard started playing in the First XI at a very young age (a team photo from 1980/81 shows him playing in shorts!). He looked anything but threatening as an off spin bowler, but his ability to flight and spin the ball undid many a batsmen. He was a Vice President and committee member on numerous occasions in addition to serving a couple of years as captain of the First XI.
	2012/13 – Mark Charman Mark played 85 games scoring just under 1,000 runs. He couldn’t bowl but he kept wickets extremely well. Yes, his on field contribution was not huge but it’s off the field where he has shown himself to be the one of the greatest contributors to the club ever. In his time as bar manager/social coordinator, he was a tireless worker. He was regularly first one at Riverton Reserve and on match days and invariably the last to leave come the end of the night. His organisation of social functions was incredible and a model for others to follow. A long time club sponsor, the club was fortunate to have this amazing clubman.
	2012/13 – Joe Shipard For many years Joe had the arduous task of opening the batting in our First XI. A hard hitting batsmen, he scored 4,912 runs in his 188 games with a highest score of 155 not out. He was not a bowler, although his best bowling of 2 wickets for 1 run is often mentioned. By him. Joe was a general committee member off the field and still actively supports the club on training nights, match days and socially.
	2013/14 – Gary Winters To the end of the 2021/22 season, Gary has played 282 games, scored 4,761 runs and taken 242 wickets. For many years he was a crazed medium to quick bowler who seemed to be ‘energised’ as soon as he crossed the white line to play a game. An incredible fighter, his 1998/99 10th wicket partnership of 127 with Mark Western stands to this day as a club record. Possessing a colourful vocabulary that has seen him wish opposition and sometimes his own players all the best in terms that would make a sailor blush, Gary gives his all for the club both on and off the field.
	2017/18 – Grant Newman Grant played 183 games for the club scoring 4,889 runs and taking 9 wickets with his very gentle bowling. He was a club captain, President, Vice President and committee member and been a fantastic contributor and supporter of the club over many years. Grant's contribution as President was exceptional with the club making significant improvement in key areas, particularly in getting partners involved in club activities.
	2019/20 – Sean Harrison To the end of the 2021/22 season, Sean has played 242 games, scored 3,686 runs and somehow taken four wickets. However it is as a wicketkeeper where Sean has excelled. He has taken 336 catches (a club record) along with 47 stumpings. He is currently the club captain and has served as President, Vice President and committee member. He supports all club functions and his club first approach is fantastic. A great clubman.
	2020/21 – Paul Inkster To the end of the 2021/22 season, Paul has played 223 matches, scoring 4,876 runs. Like Sean Harrison, Paul has been a standout wicketkeeper taking 278 catches and an incredible 79 stumpings. A mainstay of our top grade for many years,
	2020/21 – Craig Nelson
	2020/21 – Cleto Piani
	2021/22 – Matthew Connolly
	2021/22 – Jeff Howard
	2022/23 - Matthew Koenig
	2023/24 - Matthew Read