Scotch College

John is one of the select few

John MacWhirter

John is one of the select few

It didn't take John MacWhirter ('63) too long to realise that life as a Victorian cricket selector would have its controversial moments.

Elected as one of a four-man selection panel last year, John and his colleagues made the headlines when they dropped former Australian Test team members Damien Fleming and Colin "Funky" Miller from the state squad, though their Australian appearances were even then by no means a distant memory.

"It was certainly a tough call," John told Great Scot, "but we know we have to look to the future of Victorian cricket, and many of the players we promoted to the squad did well."

John, who was Captain of Cricket at Scotch in his final year of 1963, is no newcomer as a cricket selector. Before elevation to the Victorian panel, he was chairman of selectors at South Melbourne for three years and at University for six years.

He described his election to the panel as a surprise. "I was one of five nominations for the three positions available - the other selector is state coach David Hookes - but because I'd had no first-class cricket experience, I thought I was an outsider,"

John said. John may not have played for Victoria at the top level, but he is certainly not short of cricket experience. He was a state squad member for several years and played state 2nd XI games. He also made 133 Premier Cricket (formerly known as district cricket) 1st XI appearances: 112 with South Melbourne and 21 with Essendon.

John said making selection decisions was usually a matter of consensus. "We all have a vote, and Mick O'Sullivan, the chairman, has a casting vote, but during discussions it rarely comes to that," he said.

Being a selector doesn't just mean sitting at the MCG watching a few state matches and writing some names down.

"It's not quite a full-time job, but not far from it!" he joked. "I don't think my partner Ann quite realised what I was getting myself into. During the cricket season, selection duties take between 20 and 30 hours a week, and sometimes more.

"We watch Pura and ING Cup games at home and at least one of us goes interstate to watch Victoria's games. Then there are state under 19, under 17 and 2nd XI matches, as well as Premier Cricket every weekend, not to mention attending selection meetings and holding discussions with the Australian selectors. It's just as well I only work part-time now!"

John attended the recent "40 years on" dinner for the class of '63, and he says his links with old Scotch boys over the years have mainly been through playing cricket with and against them.

At South Melbourne, he was joined by his brother Mal ('65), and they played together in the 1967/68 South Melbourne premiership-winning side. "We also both played baseball for South Melbourne over the winter," John said.

John has a three-year term as a selector, and realises that the Fleming/Miller decision will not be the last hard decision he and his colleagues will have to make. "We know our ultimate aim is to produce Australian players, so we will need to continue to do our job without fear or favour."

David Ashton