2002 DIVISION ONE GRAND FINAL

2002 VBA DIVISION ONE CHAMPIONSHIP - 'MATTY' TRUMPS 'CLARKO' IN VBA     

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David Clarkson (left) and Matthew Sheldon-Collins (right) exchange lineup cards before the 2nd Grand Final	Waverley Wildcats (Red) and Upwey Ferntree-Gully Tigers (Grey) line up before the 2nd Grand Final

The Victorian Baseball Association Division One Championship provided a legendary match-up for the second time in the past three years when the Waverley Wildcats faced their local rivals Upwey-Ferntree Gully Tigers. What makes these clashes even more interesting these days is the confrontation of former "lifetime" teammates, ABL legends and 'Flintoff & Dunn' Hall-Of-Famers DAVID CLARKSON (who manages the Wildcats) and MATTHEW SHELDON-COLLINS (who manages the Tigers).

'Clarko' and 'Matty' virtually grew up together as Waverley junior players, Waverley senior players and ABL teammates with the Waverley / Melbourne Reds, not to mention State and International teams. It would be hard to estimate how many games the pair had played together, but the number must surely be over 1,000! Both are still legends of the Waverley club, even though Matthew has moved on to manage / coach Upwey in recent years. 

For the record, Matthew's more experienced Upwey-Ferntree Gully team clinched their third successive VBA Championship. Needing to win two Grand Final games after Waverley had been undefeated in the "double elimination series", the Tigers convincingly beat the Wildcats 12-3 and 15-4 on successive Sundays to secure the title at Melbourne Ballpark. 

Still one of the "toughest outs" in Australian baseball, Sheldon-Collins turned back the clock in the Championship games, hitting everything in sight and crushing a home run in each game! Clarkson also showed that he could still hit and he left the game with great dignity announcing his retirement as a player and as senior coach at the end of this season... he will always be remembered as one of Waverley's favourite sons.

Apart from ABL greats 'Clarko' and 'Matty' also featuring in the Grand Final were:

For Upwey there were recent Victoria Aces' stars BEN UTTING (also a Reds great), STEVE JENKINS and GLYNN KIMBERLEY along with lesser known former ABL Reds' players ROHAN CHAPMAN, HAYDN CHINN and SIMON RATCLIFFE. 

The young Waverley team were anchored by former Reds' and recent Victorian Aces' pitching star DAVID McWATTERS, along with another former Reds' star and 2002 Victorian teammate SHANE HOGAN while Waverley sadly missed the services of another Victorian star JARROD HODGES who had returned to the USA for Spring training. Another former Waverley Reds' stalwart LEE HOGAN was Waverley's Pitching Coach and occasional pitcher.