‘A lot of cricket’: Newcomb Bulls veteran hits 450 game milestone

NEWCOMB Bulls Cricket Club veteran Frank Canadillas marked his 450th senior game earlier this month in a Bellarine Peninsula Cricket Association Round 11 club clash at Ervin Reserve, alongside his son.

Canadillas, 61, started with the club when he was in primary school, first following his friends into the sport, before working his way up through every senior division, from fourths to ones.

While he points to winning premierships in each of these divisions as a key highlight over his career, it is the friendships and the chance to play with his son Luke that has kept him going.

“450 games – it’s a lot of cricket,” he said, laughing.

“I just enjoy being outdoors, playing the game; it keeps you out of the house too.”

His son, 28, also started with the Bulls as a junior, but a shock Crohn’s disease diagnosis at the age of 14, took him away from the game for more than a decade.

Now mostly a fill-in for the side, Luke’s return to the field a few years ago has kept Canadillas a dedicated team member for the Bulls, with the club legend stepping in to help when teams are short in number.

“The Bulls have been struggling for a lot of years now with numbers,” Canadillas said.

He said the number of clubs located in close proximity to the Bulls made it hard to attract players.

“It’s a great family club at Newcomb.

“It doesn’t matter what ability any guy has got, just come over for a game.”

Canadillas said he will play out the season, but his future with the sport is now dependent on his body.

“The body’s starting to shut down; it takes a long time to recover now,” he said.