The Lilydale Cricket Club have once again been left frustrated after $3000 worth of equipment was stolen.
Club president Stephen Oxley said between Saturday 4 and Thursday 9 October the Frogbox live streaming system, including the camera and associated equipment, was stolen from the recreation reserve.
It’s not the first time the club has been the target of theft and damages, with the grandstand set ablaze in February and a bowling machine being stolen on a previous occasion.
The equipment, which included a video camera, tripod, portable battery, 4G encoder, 4G SIM card, adjustable camera tilt, camera preview screen and various cables was stored in the scoreboard building and was used to film and live stream the games.
Mr Oxley said it felt like an “opportunistic” theft, that was essentially a snatch and grab effort.
“We’re just so exposed. It could have been anyone,” he said.
With “everything under lock and key” the only access to the scoreboard building was by lifting the metal mesh window guards and sliding the windows out of the railings.
Stealing the equipment they did, Mr Oxley said won’t have any value to anyone else, as it is all coded specifically for Lilydale Cricket Club, making it an essential part of being a premier grade playing group.
“All of the premier grade cricket clubs, so we’re premier one cricket, which is probably the highest standard that you can get to in this municipality, they won’t be able to stream their games to show how good they are to the other clubs,” Mr Oxley said.
“Other clubs stream live to their players and patrons and then they’re viewed in the cricket world as having a bit more money or a bit more notoriety, which attracts players, but also helps with player development.
“People think it’s the smallest little detail at the cricket club, so who cares? But it’s massive for us.”
The club gets thousands of views on the live streams, “maybe not on the Saturday, but if you look at it says 10,000 views and 5000 views so people are going back” to watch.
To now try to replace that essential equipment, Mr Oxley said would be near impossible without community support, sponsorship or donations.
“I went out to the public to see if I can drum up a bit of awareness. Maybe someone might donate. I was going to do something like a GoFundMe page,” he said.
“We don’t have money to replace it. Most of these players here, some of them get paid to play, and we get a small amount of sponsorship to be able to afford that. And the rest of it is literally done through player regos.
“So at the end of the day, when I do the finances, and we’re in red or we’ve got $100 to spare, $3000 is something that I just don’t have. It’s unfortunate.”
Aside from the live streaming equipment, Mr Oxley said other items were also stolen throughout the football season.
“The juniors would normally have a bowling machine that sits on a tripod and just shoots balls at them.
“Over the football period, it’s gone, vanished. I was talking to the football club, and they said, it’s funny, because on the other side of the building they have this huge speaker, which the under 19 boys will play and pump music. It’s also gone.”
Both the cricket club and the football club have also experienced instances of antisocial behaviour, with the reserve being a common gathering location for young people and rough sleepers.
Mr Oxley said the parents of junior players have, at times, felt so uncomfortable, they have moved clubs or not come to training.
With the station car park neighbouring the fence and access from both Main Street and further along the Olinda Creek, again, Mr Oxley said the club rooms and facilities were exposed.
Attempting to befriend many of the young people who do hang out at the reserve, to “keep them on side”, Mr Oxley said, has its challenges.
As a Yarra Ranges Council facility, Mr Oxley said there’s only so much the club can do.
A Yarra Ranges Council spokesperson said they were aware of “concerns…regarding safety and antisocial behaviour at Lilydale Reserve”
“While matters relating to theft and criminal behaviour fall under the jurisdiction of Victoria Police, Council continues to work closely with local clubs and community groups to support safe and welcoming public spaces,” they said.
“We encourage any incidents of theft or antisocial behaviour to be reported directly to Victoria Police, and thank our community members for their ongoing care for our shared spaces.”
Previously, the clubs felt more secure, with a direct CCTV feed back to the Lilydale Police Station, but this is now inactive, with maintenance and upgrades of the cameras required.
Casey MP Aaron Violi said he would support the club in any way he could.
“Community sport at Lilydale has been enhanced by improved technology. It is both devastating and disgusting to see our local community club targeted by thieves and this equipment stolen,” he said.
“I’ve spoken to president Steve Oxley and am committed to working with the club on solutions to some of the challenges they are facing.”
Mr Oxley said, at this stage, the club was asking for any community assistance, whether that be any information regarding the theft of the equipment or financial support.
“We’re asking our community to please keep an eye out on online marketplaces or anywhere this kind of equipment might appear for sale. If you come across anything suspicious or have any information that could help, please contact me directly or notify the police,” he said.
“This message is not just to inform you of the situation, but to appeal to our community’s strong spirit — any assistance or information, no matter how small, would be greatly appreciated.”
