Brunswick Cricket Club
[2] After playing informally against Yarra (Heidelberg), Williamson Alliance and Phoenix Park the club began formally in official competitions in 1901.
Brunswick first played in the Victorian Junior Cricket Association at the club's first home ground on the east side of Sydney Rd, close to the Barkley Brick Company.
During these early years, John Curtin, Australian Prime Minister, played both cricket and football for Brunswick.
The side finished fourth in the regular season before beating Malvern, Box Hill and Altona in the finals campaign.
The Championship game against Altona saw club legend John Swanson sharing a decisive 143-run partnership with VSDCA games record holder and fellow Hall of Famer Geoff Turner, as Brunswick recovered from 4-75 to 5-218, Turner compiling 56 before Swanson went on to reach triple figures.
In their first season of in the Second Division of the Victorian Premier Cricket the side won a momentous Grand Final over Ringwood.
[4] In 2015/16, the captain/coach pairing of David Mckay and Karl Mayne, both also former Essendon players, lead the men's First XI to back into finals cricket after a three-year absence.
The 15/16 Twilight T20 side also performed well making the Grand Final with guest players including Clint McKay and Cam Stevenson.
while the Second XI led by Captain Evan Smith broke a 77-year drought in winning a tense Grand Final with a remarkable comeback over Preston.
The following year, Bill returned to Brunswick and captained the club's first premiership in 1914/15, making 77 runs opening the batting in the final.
One of his five grand finals for Essendon (two of which were successful) was the famous match against Northcote, when former Test captain Bill Lawry made an inspired 282 not out to win the game.
In the 1987/88 championship final, John made 100 and took a vital wicket near the end as Brunswick dismissed Altona to win by 15 runs.
John's performance won him the 'JL Seelemeyer Trophy' for Player of the Final.John was a damaging left-handed batsman and one of the most brilliant gully fieldsmen in the country, and was also considered the best outfielder with an arm to match.
John was a regular in the Australian team for 20 years, winning the Claxton Shield batting title in 1967-1968 and the Helms Award as MVP in 1968.
The night concluded with John being presented with the 'John Swanson Honour Board' which now hangs on the wall of the Gillon Oval club rooms.
Cameron Stevenson played junior cricket with Brunswick from 2003, before moving to the senior squad in 2008/09 and making his First XI debut in 2009/10.
