East Warrnambool-YCW veteran Jarrod Wilson loves nothing more than developing youngsters in the nets and watching them shine out on the field.
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The 42-year-old said the highlight of his 10-year stint with the Warrnambool and District Cricket Association club was guiding the Broncos' under-15 side to a premiership in 2017, having coached the core group of players for nearly four years.
He also loved coaching East Warrnambool-YCW's first ever junior girls side in the under 14 division and leading a WDCA under 13 boys team to a country week premiership in 2017.
But with injuries taking their toll and his business, Warrnambool Shades and Blinds, taking off, Wilson announced this would be his final season as captain-coach of the division one side at East Warrnambool-YCW's committee meeting on Wednesday night.
"It can be challenging, but once you get your group of kids you just want them to thrive," he told The Standard.
"I find I can do a decent job of coaching them...maybe I've just got good the patience for it."
East Warrnambool-YCW president Luke Smith said Wilson would be involved in coaching and playing cricket "from Monday through to Saturday".
"He's done a cracking job with it all," Smith said.
"Those junior sides wouldn't have got off the ground without him."
But Smith knew his good mate wouldn't be able to go around forever.
The club president joked that East Warrnambool-YCW's two Sri Lankan imports, Weranga Bulathwala and Pubudu Fernando, endearingly call Wilson 'old man' in Sinhalese – "wayasaka miniha".
And as the tag stuck, the whole team expanded their vocabulary.
"He throws himself around bowling 17 overs like he's 21, when he's actually double that," Smith said.
"But a credit to him, he's just a naturally fit person."
Wilson and Smith couldn't say whether the Broncos, who sit rock bottom on the WDCA division one table with a 2-12 win-loss record, will look to stay in the top flight again next season.
"You don't want to go out every week and get flogged, you want to be competitive." Wilson said.
"It wears you down mentally and can take away from your love of the game."
But the pair agreed pulling off a gritty draw against Brierly-Christ Church, just a whisker behind Russells Creek at second, would be make for a memorable end to the veteran bowler's captaincy.
The Bulls declared for 296 runs before sending the Broncos in and picking up two early wickets, meaning East Warrnambool-YCW would need to bat out its 80 overs for the first time this season against a premiership contender.
"If Fernando gets going the sky's the limit," Smith said.
