OUR HISTORY
 

More Than 100 Years of the Roos

The story of Morphettville Park Cricket Club stretches back more than a century, from the early days of St Mark's Cricket Club to the community club we know today at Kellett Reserve.

While references to St Mark's playing cricket date as far back as 1906, the club's constitution records 1922 as the official year of foundation. Since then, the club has competed under several names, played at grounds across Adelaide, celebrated numerous premierships and produced generations of outstanding cricketers.

More than 100 years later, Morphettville Park Cricket Club continues to build on the foundations laid by the players, volunteers and supporters who came before us.

1906 – The Early Years

Records show a St Mark's Cricket Club competing in the inaugural season of the United Church Cricket Association in 1906. The club is believed to have drawn its players from parishioners of St Mark's Church of England in Augusta Street, Maylands.

St Marks continued to appear in cricket records in the years that followed, although some records from this early period have since been lost, including around the First World War.

1922 – Our Foundation

The club's constitution records 1922 as the official year of foundation, with St Mark's competing in the New Adelaide Juniors Cricket Association during the 1922/23 season.

The following season, St Marks rejoined the United Church Cricket Association and played at a ground in the East Parklands near the corner of Dequetteville Terrace and Rundle Street, opposite the Kent Town Brewery.

Success soon followed, with St Mark's winning the 1924/25 D Grade Premiership before finishing runners-up in both
1927/28 and 1928/29.

1930s – Building a Successful Club

In 1930/31, St Mark's joined the East Torrens Cricket Association and finished runners-up in its first season before winning the 1931/32 Premiership.

The club later joined the newly formed New Adelaide Cricket Association in 1935/36 and claimed another premiership in 1937/38. The association became the Adelaide Cricket Association in 1938, where St Marks continued to compete until the early years of the Second World War.

1940s & 1950s – Joining Adelaide & Suburban

The Second World War resulted in a significant loss of cricketers and teams across Adelaide. When the Adelaide Cricket Association went into recess, St Marks joined the Adelaide & Suburban Cricket Association (ASCA) for the 1942/43 season.

Some outstanding individual performances followed. Jim Coulls won the Association batting trophy in 1944/45 with 781 runs, including three consecutive centuries, while Harold McAllister claimed the Association bowling trophy the following season with 56 wickets.

In 1952/53, St Marks won its first ASCA premiership, completing an undefeated season in Section 2. Peter Thomas also claimed the Association bowling trophy with 60 wickets.

In 1955, the club left its East Parklands ground and relocated to the South Parklands. The new home was a traditional tree-lined Parklands ground, complete with a green equipment shed that also served as an unofficial post-game bar and clubroom.

1960s – Success and a New Home

The 1960s produced some of the club's greatest early achievements.

In 1961/62, St Marks captured its first Section 1 Premiership, with all-rounder Ray Lee dominating with the bat and winning the Association batting trophy with 764 runs.

The decade also featured club great Graham Tuohy, who would go on to accumulate a club-record 11,162 runs and win 14 club batting trophies, including eight consecutively.

Then came one of the most important moments in our history.

1967 – The Move to Morphettville

As Adelaide's south-western suburbs continued to grow, new sporting facilities were being developed throughout
the area.

In 1967, St Marks relocated to Kellett Reserve on Denham Avenue, Morphettville, beginning an association with the ground that continues today.

Success followed at the new home. Geoff Williams claimed the 1969/70 Association bowling trophy with 71 wickets before captaining the club to the 1970/71 Section 2 Premiership.

1970s – Building the Club at Kellett Reserve

The 1970s were an important period of growth.

Kellett Reserve underwent redevelopment in the early part of the decade, including the construction of licensed club facilities and changerooms. During the works, training and matches temporarily moved to nearby Morphettville Park Primary School before cricket returned to Kellett Reserve for the 1974/75 season.

Growing player numbers allowed St Marks to establish a second side in 1971/72, which quickly found success by winning the 1974/75 Section 4 Premiership. A C Grade side followed in 1975.

The club then reached the pinnacle of the Association, winning the 1975/76 Section 1 Premiership before successfully defending the title in 1976/77.

1976 – Morphettville Park St Marks

As the cricket club established itself at Denham Avenue, it gradually developed a closer relationship with the Morphettville Park Football Club and its licensed facilities.

To reflect this alignment, the club changed its name in 1976 to Morphettville Park St Marks (MPSM).

The name would remain for the following eight seasons.

1984 – Morphettville Park Cricket Club

In 1984, the club's alignment with Morphettville Park was completed when the name was officially changed to Morphettville Park Cricket Club.

The 1980s brought both success and challenges. The club won Section 2 premierships in 1980/81 and 1986/87, but playing numbers began to decline later in the decade.

A difficult period saw the cricket club reduced to just one side and temporarily playing its matches away from Kellett Reserve at Darlington Primary School.

It became clear that rebuilding the club and returning home would be critical to its future.

1990 – The Return to Kellett Reserve

Morphettville Park returned to Kellett Reserve for the 1990/91 season, this time with three teams representing the club. The decision would prove to be one of the most important in MPCC history.

Just one season later, something extraordinary happened.

1991/92 – Three Teams, Three Premierships

The 1991/92 season became one of the greatest in Morphettville Park Cricket Club history.

MPCC won premierships in all three grades.

At the time, it was the only occurrence of a club winning three premierships in the same season across the 90-year history of the Adelaide & Suburban Cricket Association.

The extraordinary achievement sparked a massive night of celebration and began MPCC's longest sustained period in Section 1, lasting 16 seasons.

1995 – Becoming the Roos We Know Today

In 1995, the transition to Morphettville Park was completed with the club's name formally becoming Morphettville Park.

The club's colours also evolved, incorporating the red of the Morphettville Park Football Club into the cricket club's traditional green and gold.

On the field, the C Grade enjoyed success during the decade, winning premierships in 1995/96 and 1998/99.

2000s – Back on Top

The beginning of the new century brought another successful period for the Roos.

In 2002/03, Morphettville Park returned to the top of the Association by winning its fourth Section 1 Premiership.

It became an even bigger celebration when the C Grade also won its Section 6 Grand Final outright.

The C Grade tasted premiership success again in 2005/06, while continued growth saw MPCC field four senior sides from the 2004/05 season.

After being relegated from Section 1 in 2007/08, the A Grade responded immediately by completing an undefeated 2008/09 season to win the Section 2 title and earn promotion straight back to the top flight.

The decade finished with the B Grade breaking through for a long-awaited premiership in 2009/10.

2010s – Continuing the Tradition

Success continued into the following decade.

The D Grade claimed the club's first D Grade premiership in 2011/12, followed by another C Grade premiership in
2012/13.

While generations of players had now represented the club at Kellett Reserve, another major transformation of our home was approaching.

2019 – Redeveloping Kellett Reserve

In 2019, the City of Marion commenced a major redevelopment of Kellett Reserve.

The existing clubrooms were demolished, the playing surface was enlarged and the surrounding precinct underwent significant changes.

The redevelopment meant MPCC temporarily had to leave its traditional home. The A and B Grades played home matches on the turf pitch at Women's Memorial Playing Fields in St Marys, while the C and D Grades also relocated there and used the northern oval.

During this period, the Sturt Lacrosse clubrooms became the club's temporary post-match social home.

2020 – A New Home for the Roos

The new clubrooms and redeveloped Kellett Reserve were ready for the beginning of the 2020/21 season, marking the beginning of another chapter in the history of Morphettville Park Cricket Club.

Further improvements followed in 2021, with the club's three practice nets reconstructed and repositioned.

After more than half a century at Denham Avenue, the redevelopment ensured Kellett Reserve could continue to be the home of the Roos for generations to come.

OUR STORY CONTINUES

From St Mark's Cricket Club to Morphettville Park St Marks and eventually Morphettville Park Cricket Club, our name, colours and home have evolved throughout more than a century of cricket.

What has remained is the contribution of generations of players, volunteers, families and supporters who have made the club what it is today.

From premierships and individual achievements to Saturday afternoons, club functions and lifelong friendships, every generation has added another chapter to the MPCC story.

More than 100 years after our foundation, the story of the Roos is still being written.