Golden Square's Scott Johnson to pad up for 400th club game

But it's certainly not - he still loves everything about it.

"I still really enjoy the game... it's not wearing thin at all," Johnson said this week as he prepares to mark yet another milestone at Golden Square - 400 club games.

"I still love the training and being around all the boys. For me, probably the best part about still being involved is the training; the banter you have with the boys during training and then sitting down afterwards and having a chat is a bit of a highlight each week, to be honest."

More than 350 of Johnson's Bendigo District Cricket Association games at Golden Square have been in the first XI (357) after he ticked off that milestone earlier this year.

The rest is made up of a combination of B (28) and C grade (14) games in what's a career where he has been the ultimate all-rounder - batsman, bowler and wicket-keeper.

Johnson - now a father of four - joined Golden Square as a 14-year-old and spent his first season at the club playing in the C grade before making his first XI debut in 1991 when he was in Year 9 at the now-closed Golden Square Secondary College.

In the lead-up to Johnson's 400^th milestone, which will be played at Atkins Street against Bendigo on Saturday, the club has been celebrating it on its social media with what it has dubbed "Scott Johnson Round".

READ MORE: Evans leads Addy BDCA MVP rankings after opening round

As part of the celebration the club has shared Johnson's career stats with both bat and ball - 11,911 runs at an average of 39.3 from 387 innings with 12 centuries and 82 half-centuries, plus 272 wickets at an average of 22.3 from 2191.3 overs bowled and best figures of 6-33.

Testament to the esteem in which Johnson is held at Golden Square, the club last season named its first XI best and fairest in his honour - the Scott Johnson Medal - with long-time team-mate Scott Trollope the inaugural recipient.

According to Golden Square's extensive history database compiled by former president Ian Kellett, Johnson has played 150 games with Trollope.

The player Johnson has played most of his cricket alongside at Golden Square is good mate Grant Connelly, with the pair playing together in 251 games.

As well as Connelly and Trollope, Johnson has also played more than 100 games with Simon Pearce (138), Jason Johnson (124), Jamie Bysouth (113), Rob Bakes (105), Luke Baird (104), current skipper Liam Smith (104) and Jake Higgins (100).

Johnson has won five first XI premierships with the Bulldogs, which include playing in four in a row from seasons 1995-96 to 1998-99.

He's also one of only eight players to have won the BDCA Cricketer of the Year award multiple times having done so in three seasons - 2000-01, 2009-10 and 2012-13.

READ MORE: Redbacks back from brink to defeat Demons by four runs

While the magnitude of the milestone hasn't fully sunk in for Johnson, what's clear is just how significant a role the Golden Square Cricket Club has played in his life.

"The club has been a massive part of my life and is just like my second home," Johnson said.

"Pretty much all of my best friends have come from the club, I've had job opportunities created through Golden Square and it has just been such a huge part of my life."

Johnson - known around the club and BDCA as "Scooter" - has been involved with Golden Square for 34 years and only had a brief period away when his focus was on indoor cricket.

"There was a period there somewhere in the late 90s I reckon it was when I took half a season off to concentrate on indoor cricket," Johnson said.

"There was an Indoor Cricket World Cup I played in and I didn't start playing cricket with Golden Square, whichever season that was, until about Christmas.

"So I had half a year off there and then I had another season off there at one stage in the 90s after having a knee reconstruction."

With 400 club games to be ticked off this weekend for Johnson, the next major milestone he will be in sight of is becoming the BDCA's all-time leader for first XI games played - a record currently held by Max Taylor with 389.

Taylor and Johnson are the only players in BDCA history to have played more than 350 first XI games.

Following Saturday's play Golden Square is inviting all past and present players, family and supporters back to Wade Street to celebrate Johnson's 400^th game.

Meanwhile, Kangaroo Flat batsman Daniel Barber will play his 200^th club game when the Roos host Bendigo United at Dower Park.

Barber's 200^th game comes a week after he broke through for his maiden first XI century when he compiled 110 n.o. in the Roos' win over Eaglehawk at Canterbury Park.

Barber was a member of the Roos' first XI premiership team last season and over the course of his career at the club has scored 3888 runs at an average of 21.1 and taken 41 wickets.

"Humble, passionate, loyal and a quiet achiever who would do absolutely anything for his club and team-mates, many of who are his good mates - a person and player that many would crave to have at their club," is how the Roos describe Barber.

Barber's team-mate, Campbell Smith, will also play his 100^th club game for the Roos against the Redbacks.

Round two of the BDCA will be a two-dayer starting at 1pm.

Round two games:

White Hills v Huntly North.

Kangaroo Flat v Bendigo United.

Strathdale-Maristians v Eaglehawk.

Bendigo v Golden Square.

Sandhurst v Strathfieldsaye.

BENDIGO - Kieren Burns, Archer Carlile, Nathan Fitzpatrick, Kynan Gard, Bailey George, Aidan Goddard, Bailey Goodwin, Kyle Humphrys, Dylan Johnstone, James Ryan (c), Xavier Ryan.

BENDIGO UNITED - Stephen Barrett, Harry Donegan, Clayton Holmes (c), Samuel Langley, Marcus Mangiameli, Darcy Mills, Wil Pinniger, Miggy Podosky, Mitchell Treacy, Riley Treloar, Ashley Younghusband.

EAGLEHAWK - Daniel Major, Angus Chisholm, Nicholas Farley, Fletcher Good, Xavier Grant, Cory Jacobs, Aaron Monro (c), Nathan Walsh, Harvey White, Benjamin Williams, Joshua Williams.

GOLDEN SQUARE - Jake Higgins, Will Bowles, Scott Johnson, Jack Keating, Tom Mckinley, Dylan Robinson, Josh Simpson, Liam Smith (c), Jayden Templeton, Kayle Thompson, Scott Trollope.

HUNTLY NORTH - Will Kennett, Kyen Burrill-Grinton, Judd Gilchrist, Shane Gilchrist, Ryan Grundy (c), Alex Hand, Jarrod Harris, Shiran Kulathunga, Jack Wilson.

KANGAROO FLAT - Campbell Smith, Christopher Barber, Daniel Barber, Adam Burns, Matt Dwyer, Brent Hamblin, Dylan Klemm, Jake Klemm (c), Ethan Oaten, Luke Stagg, Luke Wight.

SANDHURST - Ashley Gray, Taylor Beard, Benjamin Evans, Dylan Gibson (c), Jasper Langley, Ben Leed, Jack Ryan, Zac Sims, Thomas Starr, Liam Stubbings.

STRATHDALE-MARISTIANS - James Barri, Ben DeAraugo, Ryan Haythorpe, Sam Johnston, Thomas Purcell, Jack Pysing, Cameron Taylor (c), Wil Tuohey, James Vlaeminck, Grant Waldron, Matthew Wilkinson.

STRATHFIELDSAYE - Jack Stubbs, Chathura Damith, Ben Devanny (c), Pat Dillon, Jett Grundy, Bayden Hunter, Kobey Hunter, Matt Newbold, Marc Sherwell, Savith Priyan, Aston Wilson.

WHITE HILLS - Brayden Stepien (c), Caleb Barras, Gavin Bowles, Riley Fitzpatrick, Ben Irvine, Rhys Irwin, Michael Nalesnyik, Angus O'Brien, Thomas Piazza, Max Shepherd, Nicholas Wharton.

ALL four division one teams will be chasing more than 240 when round two of the Emu Valley Cricket Association season resumes on Saturday.

The team with the biggest target to chase is United in its home clash against rivals Emu Creek at Ewing Park.

The Emus last week compiled 278 led by half-centuries to opening batsman Luke Bennett (90) and fellow all-rounder Simon Marwood (67).

Play gets under way at 1.30pm.

Division one state of play:

Axe Creek 8-246 v Sedgwick

at Club Court

............................................

Emu Creek 278 v United

at Ewing Park

............................................

Spring Gully 5-269 v West Bendigo 2-17

at Spring Gully Oval

............................................

California Gully 7-265 v Mandurang

at California Gully Oval

Saturday's round two games:

Kingower v Arnold

Wedderburn v Boort-Yando

Games get under way at 1.30pm.

Ladder:

Kingower - 4

Wedderburn - 4

Arnold - 0

Boort - 0

............................................

* Due to the changeover from MyCricket to PlayHQ, cricket scoreboards currently are unable to be printed in Monday's edition.

Our journalists work hard to provide local, up-to-date news to the community. This is how you can access our trusted content: