Kane Arendarcikas has stepped down as St Patrick’s captain.
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Arendarcikas told club officials of his plans prior to the season start with the Patties’ 14-run loss to North Albury ending his reign as the club fell just short of finals.
“I feel like after three years I’ve gone as far as I can and it’s probably time for a fresh voice,” he said.
The club’s 16-year finals run ended when it finished only 0.02 points behind sixth-placed Lavington.
Every run is worth 0.01 points, so the Patties needed only three more to make the top six.
Alternatively, every wicket is 0.25 points, so the club needed just one more over the 15 rounds.
St Pat’s had a horror start, winning only one of its first eight games.
“From Christmas we were one loss away from missing out,” Arendarcikas said.
“From my point of view as a captain, I said to the guys after the game I was really proud of the way we fought back after Christmas and embraced training.
“We’d mapped out a plan of attack from Christmas and, all bar 15 runs against North Albury, the players executed it to a tee.”
St Pat’s had been singled out for attention from a number of clubs after two outright wins over battling outfits Wodonga Raiders and New City in successive matches catapulted the club into the top six.
“The vitriol coming from clubs was like we’d done something wrong,” he said.
“I don’t think that affected us against North but, deep down, a few of the young players, in particular, it probably affected them a little bit in that people were saying we don’t deserve to be there.
The vitriol coming from clubs was like we’d done something wrong ... a few of the young players, in particular, it probably affected them a little bit in that people were saying we don’t deserve to be there.
- Kane Arendarcikas
“We could actually get to finals and that was something we should be proud of, or something we shouldn’t be ashamed of, which was a bit disappointing, when all we were doing was playing to the rules.”
Arendarcikas says, in the end, his team didn’t deserve to play finals as it had lost nine games.
But he maintains CAW should be applauded for its controversial bonus points system creating one of the most exciting seasons.
Arendarcikas turns 40 on Friday, but says he’ll play on, in whatever grade the club decides.
