Brent Hamblin: from back-up wicket-keeper to Roos' spearhead

In fact, since 2000 only five players have taken more first XI wickets in the BDCA than Hamblin's 346 for the Roos.

Fair to say that's not bad going for a player whose initial foray into first XI cricket at the Roos was a back-up wicket-keeper to Andrew Hosking.

While paceman Hamblin has become a name synonymous with Kangaroo Flat - a club he will play his 200^th first XI game for this weekend - he first played as a junior at Bendigo before making the Roos home.

"I've been with Kangaroo Flat since the under-15s," Hamblin said this week.

"I had some mates I was playing rep cricket with like Darcy Geyer and Ben Blennerhassett who were playing at Kangaroo Flat.

"A few of my mates at Bendigo stopped playing and my junior coach who I got on really well with finished up, so I decided to go to Kangaroo Flat.

"With Hosko getting a bit older Kangaroo Flat had shown a bit of interest in me coming over and doing a bit of back-up wicket-keeping.

"Back in the day I was a wicket-keeper. I played my juniors and Northern Rivers rep cricket as a wicket-keeper, kept a little bit in the B grade and also kept for a game or two in the A grade, so that's how I got out to Kangaroo Flat.

"It took me quite a while to get my first wicket in the A grade because I was basically just a fielder and in there as a back-up for Hosko in the early days."

According to Bendigo Advertiser records, Hamblin became a regular in the Roos' first XI side in 2008-09.

He played in at least nine games that season, but bowled just 16 overs for figures of 0-96.

But within 12 months Hamblin had certainly began to make his mark with the ball for the Roos.

He got his opportunity and grasped it, taking 18 wickets for the season, with only star team-mate Adam Burns with 19 claiming more than him.

Hamblin's first wicket in the first XI came against Strathdale-Maristians in round four when he dismissed Jono Davidson and four games later he bagged his first five-for when he took 5-40 in a loss to Sandhurst.

Thirteen years on Hamblin now has nine five-wicket hauls, with best figures of 6-3 taken against Bendigo United at Harry Trott Oval in November of 2020.

Another of his five-wicket hauls came in November of 2017 against Huntly North - a game in which he took a hat-trick.

That was the second hat-trick of Hamblin's career having also claimed one against Bendigo in November of 2013 at Atkins Street.

For Hamblin, his journey at the Roos has encompassed the full circle of claiming a wooden spoon in 2013-14 through to the elation of winning last season's premiership against Strathdale-Maristians.

"It has certainly been a journey... I've been on the wrong side of outright losses and on the right side of outright wins as well," Hamblin said.

"I've been on the bottom of the ladder and played in a semi-final where we lost on the first day (v Bendigo United in 2016-17).

"I've lost a grand final (v Strathdale in 2021) and lost a lot of Twenty20 grand finals, but it has all been experience along the way to getting to winning last year.

"We spoke a lot last season about it's not the destination of winning a flag, it's more the journey.

"It took me 15 years to win a flag and to do it with nine of the 11 blokes who played juniors at the club was fantastic.

"There has been some lean years where we've only won a handful of games when we were quite young, so last season was great.

"What I've also really enjoyed is now being able to play with the sons of a few of the guys I played with earlier. I've played with Campbell and Clayton Smith (sons of Mick Smith), Luke Wight (son of Rod Wight) and in the same team as Adam and Riley Burns (father and son)."

Hamblin, 32, is certainly passionate about the Kangaroo Flat Cricket Club with a strong interest in its history.

And he will now be etched into the club's history as both a 200-gamer and premiership coach of last season.

He is continuing to coach the Roos this season, while juggling another sporting role as president of FC Eaglehawk (soccer).

"I've had some opportunities in the past where I could have moved on and gone somewhere else, but never have I second-guessed myself about staying at Kangaroo Flat," Hamblin said.

"The club has done a lot of work in recent years on its statistical history and there's not a lot who have played 200 games, so it's special to get there and something I can, hopefully, talk to my young fella (Karter) about when he's out there playing with Kangaroo Flat and I'm enjoying a beer."

As well as his 346 wickets with the ball for the Roos, Hamblin - who considers Golden Square's Phil Hetherington the best batsman he has bowled to - has shown he's no slouch with the bat either.

He has compiled 3197 runs from 170 innings at an average of 24 with 12 half-centuries and a highest score of 81.

"It would be nice to get a hundred one day... I've got a few 80s, but I do need to keep working on my batting and being a bit more consistent," Hamblin said.

"There's no point making 40s and 80s... you might as well try to get to 50 or 100, so getting back to two-day cricket this year might help my cause; we'll see how we go."

Hamblin will reach the 200-game milestone on Saturday when the Roos host Sandhurst at Dower Park.

Day two of Hamblin's milestone game on December 9 will coincide with the Roos' Ladies Day celebrating the life of the late Kristy Orton.