On Saturday Eastern Suburbs Cricket Club paid tribute to club stalwart and Life Member Phil O’Sullivan OAM who passed away on the On the 11th August 2020, at the age of 97.
Phil was a major contributor to the club and the local community over the years.
Phil first walked onto Waverley Oval in 1927. He has been a member of the cricket club since 1946 and a Life Member since 1971. He was Vice President of the club from 1967-1979 and President 1979-1987.
One of Phil’s greatest legacies were his Saturday Morning Junior Coaching classes at Waverley Oval which he started some 40 years ago. Today they are still in existence and are still the backbone of our grass roots junior cricket programs. The club has now over 750 Junior Cricketers (boys and girls).
Phil was awarded the Australian Sports Medal in 2000 and The Centenary Medal in 2001. In May 2012 the grandstand at Waverley Oval was named the Phil O’Sullivan-Bob Horsell Grandstand.
He received an OAM in 2013 for service to the Waverley region through a range of sporting and community organisations.
Phil’s son Chris, as well as Phil’s Grandchildren Phillip, Christopher, Stephen and Phil’s extended family were present at Saturday’s tribute.
Phil’s family were joined on the morning by Life Members, members and supporters of the club and also special dignitaries including Gabrielle Upton (Member for Vaucluse); Dr Marjorie O’Neill (Member for Coogee), Sally Betts (former Mayor of Waverley, and Waverley Councillor) and John Knox (Chairman of Cricket New South Wales)
Jim Maxwell AM, Club President delivered the Tribute on Saturday. All those present, including both the 1st Grade cricket teams, Eastern Suburbs and North Sydney, participating in the opening game of the season on the day, lined up facing Phil’s named grandstand, in a Moment of Silence out of respect to Phil.
Chris was invited to join the Captains Jack Preddey (Eastern Suburbs Cricket Club) and Justin Avendano (North Sydney Cricket Club) for the Coin Toss. Chris’s coin toss went well, with Jack winning the toss and gladly Eastern Suburbs side claiming victory on the day! Phil would have been proud!
It was a fitting and very worthy tribute to Phil to acknowledge his magnificent contributions.
