MOUNT Gambier cricket and football legend Michael Silvy is soon to make the move to Adelaide, leaving behind a sporting legacy spanning decades.
During his time in the Blue Lake city, Silvy has become a well-respected sportsman, with a collection of premierships and high achievements throughout his career, many of these coming from his time at North Gambier.
He started playing both sports from a young age and besides a stint away playing in Adelaide and some time at the Port MacDonnell Football Club, Silvy has been loyal to his Tiger pride.
“I started in the Under 12’s, Under 14’s at North,” Silvy said.
“I did have a stint away, playing cricket and footy in Adelaide in the late 90’s, but returned to the club again after I finished my district stint with Kensington.”
His time with Kensington was a highlight for Silvy and playing in a first grade cricket premiership with the side is something he looks back on fondly.
“I also played in a D Grade premiership at Kensington in my first year and won the player of the year, which is an award given over all grades,” he said.
“I have my name up on the board at the Kensington Cricket Club, which I am very proud of.”
Silvy also represented South Australia’s state cricket team in Under 17’s and Under 19’s, along with playing in the South Australia country cricket team on several tours.
Add to this making the Australian country representative team on three occasions and it can not be denied Silvy’s career has been a decorated one.
“I was the player of the championship in I think 2007,” he said.
“And up until last year I was the leading wicket taker for South Australia in their national championships.
“That record was taken over by Andrew Frick in last season’s carnival.
“He’s now retired as well, so he got my record and then retired.
“I am very proud of those results at that level.”
However, Silvy said he can not look past premierships as some of the biggest highlights in both cricket and football.
“Premierships in cricket were obviously a highlight, I think I have played in eight A Grade premierships,” he said.
“I think Michael Johnston has played in more – he’s the only one who might have played in nine I think.
“From a football perspective, I have never played in a senior premiership at North, but played in a senior premiership with Port MacDonnell, when I was assistant coach in 2012.
“That rates very highly.”
After retiring from football this year, Silvy’s accomplishments are not all cricket related, with a string of Reserves premierships for North – 2014, 2015 and 2016 – under his belt.
When asked what sparked his passion for sport, Silvy said it was watching the professionals play as a youngster.
“I just loved watching the big boys on tv,” he said.
“In the 80’s, if you were any good at sport you wanted to play cricket for Australia and football for your favourite VFL team.
“I was a massive fan of footy and cricket and I think in country areas they are probably the primary sports.
“I was attracted to those and I did have mates who played, so that helped.”
Silvy said it is this mateship which keeps him coming back each year.
“I probably would not be still playing if I was not playing with some good blokes and good mates of mine,” he said.
“Especially cricket, it’s a long, tedious and difficult game to play if you do not enjoy the company.
“I only gave up playing footy at 39 because all the years bowling and all the years playing footy and cricket without a break eventually takes its toll.
“But I’ll play cricket for as long as I can still play well.”
With both football and cricket such big parts of Silvy’s life, he said he can not pick between the two.
“I have been asked the question so many times and I think my answer is always I love both equally,” he said.
“I think your passion is driven for those individual sports because you do not play them all year round.
“By the end of the cricket season I’m looking forward to the footy season and by the end of the footy season, I’m looking forward to cricket.”
Silvy said the move to Adelaide would be difficult, but he was excited for what the future holds for his family.
“I have grown up here and my kids have grown up here,” he said.
“I love the place and I love my job, I always have.”
“It’s going to be sad to go.”
Throughout his time with North, Silvy said one of the things he loved most was seeing the development of young cricket players.
This includes his own son, who after playing for North in two premierships alongside his father, has followed in his footsteps and is currently playing district cricket at Kensington.
“I won my first premiership at North in 1999-2000 and my last one was last season,” Silvy said.
“When you can go through a whole generational shift with new guys coming in at 13, 14 years of age … you watch them work their way from batting at 10 and not getting a bowl, to opening the batting and being the best batsman in the competition.
“It is a nice feeling to be involved in the person’s development, not only as a cricketer, but as a bloke.
“Seeing them go from school into working life and getting married, I have seen all of that just in playing cricket.
“It’s been pretty awesome.”
