The St. Brigids / St. Louis Cricket Club was founded in 1953 with the first team playing on Matting in the Federal District Cricket Association (FDCA) in season 1953/54. The club had one team, but slowly gained impetus to add a second team in season 1958/59, and then to finally make the club’s first final in 1960/61 season.  At this stage, the club still did not have club rooms and used the saloon bar at the Bridge Hotel as the base for Thursday night selections and gatherings after Saturday matches.

 

In 1968/69, the club gained access to a shared Turf pitch at Bondi Road Reserve, Bonbeach.  This was a turning point for the Club’s on-field performance as the 1st XI went undefeated that season and secured the club’s first Premiership in 3rd Turf FDCA.

 

In 1973/74, the Club acquired access to the Tin Shed at the back of McCully oval Aspendale, which became known as the “Cave”, the spiritual home of the Saints.  Finally, the Club had a place to gather after training and match days, and now could generate funds for the Club, plus the Tin Shed became a major contributor to the spiritual fabric of the Club.

 

By 1976/77, the Saints now had 2 Turf sides for the first time, 4 Senior teams and 2 Junior sides and momentum was with the Club going forward.

 

In 1977/78, the Saints had 5 Senior sides and 3 Junior sides, and also secured the FDCA 1st Turf flag.  The sound of tin reverberated all over the whole of Aspendale.

 

In 1980/81, the Saints entered a Ladies team for the first time.  The Club now had 7 Senior Men’s teams, a Ladies Team and 3 Junior teams, and all under the umbrella of the Tin Shed (the Cave).

 

During the season 1981/82, the Saints were given the keys to a new pavilion at Browns Reserve resulting from hard work over multiple club committees running numerous fund raising, a Federal Government grant and the Council funding commitment.  The official opening of the Pavilion was on the 11th July 1982.  So now stands the Saints new pavilion and the club spirit engendered from the Cave (Tin Shed of a decade), was transferred to the new Home of Cricket at Browns Reserve.

 

On the 27th August 1986, the Saints Life Members Association (SLMA) was formed to assist the club in raising finances and fostering ties between past and present players of the club.  The SLMA organised functions and maintained contact with past players of the club, such as Rock Day, the first Sunday of February of each year at the Home of Cricket.

 

With the demise of FDCA Turf, so in 1994/95 the Club Turf Teams now played in the Victorian Turf Cricket Association (VTCA), while the Synthetic Grades and Juniors remained in the FDCA.

 

With the FDCA Senior Synthetic folding, the Club in 1999/2000 now entered all their Senior sides, both Turf and Synthetic in the Dandenong and District Cricket Association (DDCA).  The juniors remained in the FDCA, but it was only a matter of time before the FDCA would be no longer.

 

A new competition was formed at the start of the 2013/14 season known as the South East Cricket Competition (SECA) which was a combination of both the old FDCA and the City of Moorabbin Cricket Association.  So Saints juniors now played within SECA.

 

Another change was made at the start of the 2019/20 season with the Saints Senior Teams moving to the new Cricket Southern Bayside (CSB) Turf Completion and the SECA Synthetic Competition and joining our Juniors in that same competition of SECA.

 

So the journey of the St. Brigids St. Louis Cricket Club has been very fluid in its first 70 years.