The star of the Reds' first-ever game, holding us together with a match-winning 37. Never missed a game since. A model of consistency who rarely fails to reach double figures. Far and away the club's leading runscorer with 7500 runs. In fact, responsible for nearly 10% of all the runs we've ever made.Truly this unsung hero stands head and shoulders above us all.
Yes, if only Reds had a few more contributors like Extras, what a club this would be. A little quieter and more subdued, perhaps. A lot more sober on Saturday nights, to be sure. But no-one would ever get us out. So after twenty years, maybe it's time we had a talk to this quiet achiever and found out the secret of his success.
Like many of the early Reds, Extras found the going a lot easier on matting." The grounds were fast, the rules were a lot tougher on wide and short-pitched bowling - it suited my style perfectly," says Extras, who averaged a steady 200 a season at every level before coming down to 150 in Mercantile.
And what was his style? "Well, pretty much like Ken Norling - or Clarkie
in his saner days.A lot off the pads.Very little in front of the wicket. And
I tended to score better against the new ball for some reason." Unlike
most Reds, Extras thrived on bad wickets. Righetti was his favourite ground,
and he still proudly recalls his career-high 68 there that set up an outright.
"Unlike the rest of the side, I quickly realised that if you couldn't handle
the shooter, chances were the keeper couldn't either. So it was just a matter
of blocking the straight ones and letting him worry about the others."
While he professes not to be concerned, it's clear that his lack of recognition
around the club rankles a little. "Take a guy like Matt McCaughey. He's
played with me for years, but he still thinks Extras are something you pay another
20 cents for to put on your pizza." Extras says he'd love to hit a six
day like Matt can, but points out ... with force ... that "I've got the
runs on the I'll back my record against Matt's any day
Extras particularly resents being listed below people like Mike Geisler Venn King and Dave Nadel when the batting order goes the scorebook. "Here I am, the leading runscorer in the club's history, and they put me after the bunnies. After all that I've achieved, I really feel that I deserve to be the top of the order next season."
His biggest disappointment in the last twenty years? "Oh, same as anyone else .-that grand final tie against Yarra Park. I how would you feel? I was sure I'd scored winning run down to fine leg. And then Joe put up his finger. I was gob-smacked. I'd won a premiership and then I'd lost it. And Joe of all people ... my favourite umpire ... I used to get more runs with him in charge than anyone:'
Extras doesn't mind living in the shadow of his more famous brother Sundries. "No, in fact it really craps me off when people say that Paul Greatbatch is the only Red with a brother who's played Test cricket. Maybe they'll wake up after the fantastic World Cup my brother had."
So as kids, what were those backyard games of cricket between Sundries and
Extras like? "Not like the Waugh twins! Real wars of attrition actually.
Mum usually had to call one of us for overstepping to break the deadlock and
get us in for dinner!"
What made Extras go to Fawkner Park with the Reds rather than stick with the
Royal Park Reds? "It was that season they had the rotating captaincy.They
really shafted me. Everyone else got a go except me. Lohie said I'd get the
semi, but everyone knew we weren't going to make it. I would've done a better
job than most of them too."
So was Extras ever approached to take on the captaincy at Reds? "Yeah, a couple of times. The year after the Rickster did the A Grade. And when people were getting sick of Genghis Kahn, which was just about every other year. I've probably got better people skills than both of them. But I had to be honest and tell the guys that they both play the game pretty much the same way I do:"
Rarely seen at training these days, Extras admits he's a liability in the field. "I know captains grizzle about me when we're defending a score. Still, I'm not as much of a problem as some people I could mention. Like Simon Roberts, or Peter Bickle, or Peter Murk, or David Dyte, just to name a few."
Extras is a typical Red in one other respect - his chequered employment history.As a youngster, Extras sold late edition Heralds outside Flinders Street station, near a spot now occupied by Terry, another of his favourite umpires. Like his best mate Dot, he put himself through uni by bit parts in local TV productions and commercials. ("You've probably seen me in quite a few crowd scenes:')
Extras had a brief career in teaching, but soon found himself at the centre of a bitter fight between the VSTA and the Education Department over teacher workloads. Disillusioned, he quit the school system and now works in the health food industry, selling (of course) sundried tomatoes. More recently, he has been promoting sugarless gum with his longterm partner, tennis player Liz Smylie, who likes to chew delicious.... but let's not go into that.
And will Extras be padding up for his 21 st season with the Reds? "Funnily enough, I was thinking of giving it away. But this new rule with the bonus run for no-balls and wides that you run on ... it's like a new lease of life for me.And with the five run penalties that the MCC's got in the pipeline next year for running on the wicket and unfair play ... you won't be saying bye to me for a few years yet!"