Our Story - 50 Years of Phoenix Cricket Club
Based on the 50th Anniversary speech and historical reflections of Roy Gibson.
From Sand Dunes to a Cricket Club (1975)
Phoenix Cricket Club was born in 1975 from a simple idea shared between neighbours at a Saturday night barbecue in Hamilton Hill.
Club founder Eric Scott and a group of mates talked about levelling the sand dunes opposite their homes and building a cricket pitch. As the story goes, after a few more beers, the plans had grown into dreams of a full clubhouse complete with a revolving restaurant overlooking the Indian Ocean.
But unlike many great pub ideas, this one became reality.
The following Monday, Eric contacted the Fremantle Mercantile Cricket Association and was told he had just two and a half weeks to register a club with a name, colours and enough players to field a side. He went door-to-door around Hamilton Hill recruiting local cricketers and quickly gathered 15 players — enough to launch the club.
The club took its name and colours from the nearby Phoenix Shopping Centre, which also became Phoenix Cricket Club’s first sponsor.
The club’s first cricket equipment came thanks to a generous donation from one of Eric’s workmates — $185, roughly a week’s wages at the time. That money purchased four bats, pads, gloves, stumps and just two protective boxes, which players had to share as wickets fell.
Against the odds, Phoenix entered the competition in 4th Grade and remarkably won a premiership in its very first season.
Building the Club
Within only a few years, Phoenix had grown rapidly. The club established itself at Goodchild Reserve, expanded to multiple teams and earned promotion into A Grade competition.
By the early 1980s, Phoenix had become known as a proud suburban club built on friendship, volunteer spirit and resilience rather than star power.
Like many community clubs, the early years were full of unforgettable characters and stories. Thursday night training sessions, social events and lifelong friendships became the backbone of the club culture.
The club’s welcoming atmosphere helped create generations of lifelong friendships and volunteers who would shape Phoenix for decades to come.
Challenges, Growth & Resilience
Phoenix faced its share of setbacks through the 1980s and 1990s.
The club briefly merged with Cockburn Cricket Club, strengthening the playing group and helping establish greater competitiveness across all grades.
In 1983, Phoenix made headlines after signing talented WACA player Darryl Smith, only for the WACA to intervene to keep him at top-level cricket.
Then, in January 1984, disaster struck when vandals broke into the Goodchild clubhouse and set it alight. The fire destroyed club equipment and badly damaged the building.
True to its name, Phoenix rose again.
The club continued to rebuild, regroup and grow stronger with every challenge.
Fire damage at Goodchild Reserve clubhouse
The Rise of a Competitive Force
The late 1980s and early 1990s signalled the beginning of a successful era for Phoenix Cricket Club.
Three consecutive Under-23 premierships showcased a wave of emerging talent, including players such as Darren and Craig Rourke, Wayne Moore, Nick D’Angelo and Darren Roberts.
A turning point came in the mid-1990s when Darryl Smith returned to Phoenix — this time as player, coach and captain. Under his leadership, Phoenix won back-to-back A Grade premierships in the South Metropolitan Cricket Association.
The unforgettable 1996/97 premiership season saw the A Grade side go through the entire year undefeated.
Phoenix would go on to become one of the strongest clubs in the competition, making A Grade finals for 14 consecutive seasons and winning multiple premierships across all grades.
During this period, the club also relocated from Goodchild Reserve to Anning Park before finally settling at Tempest Park — the club’s home for more than 20 years.
First Grade team 1996-97
A Club Built by Volunteers
Behind every successful season was an army of volunteers.
People like John Stanley, Craig Rourke, Peter McGilvray and countless others helped shape Phoenix into more than just a cricket club.
Generations of committee members, coaches, scorers, umpires, parents and supporters have all played a role in building the club’s culture and success.
Phoenix has always been powered by volunteers willing to give their time to create something bigger than themselves.
Frank Rourke and sons Craig and Darren
Investing in the Future
One of the most important chapters in Phoenix history has been the development of junior cricket.
The creation of Phoenix Beeliar Junior Cricket Club laid the foundation for the club’s long-term future. Despite resistance from rival clubs, dedicated volunteers worked tirelessly to establish the junior program and grow participation year after year.
That investment has already paid dividends, with juniors progressing through the ranks into senior premiership-winning teams.
In recent years, Phoenix has also continued to expand through the growth of its women’s cricket program and renewed focus on youth development.
The club’s future remains bright because each generation continues to build on the work of those who came before them.
50 Years Strong
In its 50th anniversary season, Phoenix Cricket Club celebrated one of the greatest years in its history — securing seven premierships across the club.
From humble beginnings on the sand dunes of Hamilton Hill to becoming one of the South Metropolitan Cricket Association’s proudest clubs, Phoenix has always been about more than cricket.
It has been about mateship, resilience, family, community and generations of people giving their time to create something lasting.
Fifty years on, the Phoenix spirit continues to rise.
First Grade – Premiers 2024-25
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