Tracy Village to wear black armbands in honour of stalwart who said ‘let’s have a crack’ to keep club alive

A Darwin cricket legend who took a local club from ‘an absolute cellar dweller’ to ‘a powerhouse’ is being remembered by former teammates including an ex-test cricketer.

Max Hatzoglou

@MHatzoglou

2 min read

June 17, 2023 - 11:56AM

Former Australian test cricketer Jeff Hammond (appealling in picture) paid tribute to Ross McKenzie.

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Tracy Village cricketers will wear black armbands in their Saturday-Sunday match against Palmerston this weekend in honour of club stalwart Ross McKenzie.

The Top End cricket legend died this week aged 59.

McKenzie, who was a big fan of The Angels rock band, was revered by many for his efforts at his local cricket club in the 80s and 90s where he held positions as captain, coach and president as a 20-year-old.

“For a 20-year-old to have done that, it was just marvellous to see the way he grew as a person,” former test cricketer Jeff Hammond, who won multiple premierships with McKenzie, said.

“He gave his all to that club, he was extremely well respected.

“He had an enormous friendship base and there wasn’t anything he wouldn’t do for the club and as the consequence, there wasn’t anything people wouldn’t do for him.”

After taking up the role of president in a tough period for the club, McKenzie was pivotal in a renaissance led by the recruit of former professional cricketer Hammond and his son Ashley in 1987.

McKenzie’s work marked a major turnaround in the prosperity of the club which almost folded.

Tracy Village cricketers will wear black armbands to honour club stalwart Ross McKenzie (above) who passed away earlier this week aged 59. Picture: Supplied.

Former Tracy Village cricketer Darren Treumer, who was one of many talented players the club produced under McKenzie’s leadership, recalls the moment he kept the club alive.

“I vividly remember we were at a guy’s house and it was an AGM and I remember being around and they were talking about whether they were going to fold and pull the pin,” Treumer said.

“And Rosko said ‘nah nah, let’s have a crack at it’, obviously no one wanted to take on the responsibility (of presidency) and he said ‘I will have a crack at it’.

“That was his attitude.

“He basically took the club from an absolute cellar dweller to a powerhouse.

“He was just a charismatic guy, had the gift of the gab, was a real fun guy to be around, played and captained a lot of A-Grade cricket and had a real good attitude.

“He did it a bit tough later in life but he was just a sensational bloke and a good guy.”

Since McKenzie took up the presidency role, he managed to lead the likes of Damion Reeves, Ashley Hammond, Darren Treumer and Clinton Auty to state cricket level with the enjoyable environment he created.

Ross McKenzie with his two children Stacy and Cameron. Picture: Supplied.

Jeff son’s Ashley said the response to the news of McKenzie’s death in a tribute written by McKenzie's close friend Clinton Hoffmann on Facebook was ‘amazing to see how many people he touched’.

“It was just phenomenal to see the impact Ross had on so people in Northern Territory cricket,” Ashley said.

The post has gained 171 comments and 277 reactions.

Hoffmann wrote in the post, “this morning, Rosco passed away, leaving behind a legacy that will not soon be forgotten.”

“I idolised him from the moment I met him.

“At just 20-years-old, he was the captain and president of the East Darwin Cricket Club, a true leader in every sense of the word, building the club one junior at a time.”