Peter Siddle
YOUNG MEN IN A HURRY
Peter Siddle stands tall among Victoria's emerging elite and is one of a growing number of teenage all-sportsmen to choose cricket over football.
Starting the new season with career-best efforts at both Pura and Ford Ranger Cup level, the curly-headed fast bowler from Morwell is in the best shape of his career.
"My body hasn't been as well equipped as it should have been," he said. "I've had back and shoulder injuries, but I worked really hard in the pre-season with Dave Bailey and it's all going alright. Hopefully I can get a full year in."
Bailey, the Bushrangers' strength and conditioning coach, says Siddle is among those to have developed his strength and core body areas which should allow him to be a regular from now on.
"Fast bowling is tough work. It's all about management and doing all the right things; listening to your body and so far so good for ‘Sidds'," he says.
In 2006, Siddle joined Michael Hill and Aaron Finch at the Centre of Excellence for four months of training and matchplay, giving them invaluable preparation coming into the new Australian season.
After taking seven wickets in the first game of the first-class summer in Adelaide, including three in one over, he missed the next match against the Warriors with a bruised heel but was back again for Victoria's first Ford Ranger Cup game.
Only once before had he ever taken three wickets in an over, at Under 14 representative level in Morwell when he grabbed his one and only hat trick.
Like most youngsters, he played all sports from football and soccer through to basketball and cricket.
He was also West Gippsland's junior woodchopping champion. "My Dad and his Dad were into it and I did a lot of it too before giving it up. It can be a bit dangerous. I didn't want to cut any toes off!"
From the age of 16, Siddle was playing senior football back home as well as representing Dandenong at Premier League level.
"It was a big move coming down at that age. There wasn't enough time for footy as well as cricket and I went with my cricket."
Debuting at one day level against Western Australia two summers ago, he said it'll always remain an amazing memory as the Warriors included champions including Adam Gilchrist, Justin Langer and Damien Martyn.
"It was an incredible opportunity to play against guys like that," he said.
Siddle was Victoria's 150th one-day representative and to mark the occasion his sports-loving parents Steve and Allison flew to Perth for the game.
Other leading Bushrangers from the bush include Cameron White (Bairnsdale), Andrew McDonald (Albury-Wodonga), Aaron Finch (Colac), Shane Harwood (Ballarat) and Aiden Blizzard (Shepparton).
