Victorian Sheffield Shield debut on Brody Couch's radar

The Victorian cricketer played two one-day matches for his state last summer and is now chasing a call-up to the four-day ranks.

Couch, 21, is working on his fitness to give himself the best chance of impressing first-class selectors.

"The main goal is to cement myself in the (one-day) side but I know that is going to be a pretty tough ask considering the talent we've got and depth we've got," he said.

"One of the things I learned from my two games was in relation to how fit you have to be to play shield cricket.

"I managed myself well to play in the one-day games but if I want to have a crack at shield cricket for Victoria then I have to improve my fitness a lot more."

The Nirranda export is already doing his own "pre-season before pre-season" and will join his state teammates on the training track in three weeks' time.

He has identified areas he needs to improve to take the next step in his fledgling career.

"Being a bowler you have to be able to bowl long spells or you come in and bowl short spells at a really high intensity so I think in a general sense you need to have good endurance," he said.

"(It helps) if you're fielding. You can be in the field for up to two days and it can be a tough slog.

"For the one-day games that is when short duration, high-intensity sprinting efforts come into play, especially as I field on the boundary a lot so I am sprinting in and out.

"In the shorter format your intensity as a bowler and in the field goes up a level. There's just a few different factors for red-ball and white-ball (cricket)."

The Geelong-based Couch, who is studying criminology and psychology at university, will travel to Melbourne four times a week during pre-season.

He said the work load would be a step up on his rookie season.

Fellow Victorian rookie Tommy Jackson says the return of second XI state-versus-state matches will give him more opportunities to develop across the 2021-22 season.

The Woodford export is eager to use the learnings of his maiden season to push for a first-class debut.

He wants to impress Sheffield Shield selectors with strong performances for the Victorian second XI.

"We've got a bit more of a longer season coming up now - the Vic second XI will be back this season," he said.

"It was too hard to fly (due to COVID last year) so there will be more of an opportunity this season which will be good."

The Geelong-based Jackson, who spent three weeks of his off-season in Warrnambool and also went to the May Racing Carnival, watched Couch make his one-day debut for Victoria last season.

"It spurs me on a bit but I was more just a proud mate watching," he said.

"I was lucky enough to be there and watch him play which was pretty cool.

"I was nearly as nervous as he was."

Jackson said his form for Victorian Premier Cricket club Geelong fluctuated last season.

His top score for Geelong was 85.

"I didn't go on with the biggest scores I wanted but I went not too badly in the middle of the year but then I drifted a bit late when I probably needed to make a few," he said.

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