Geelong pace bowler Vincent Huf links with Darwin-based Tracy Village for Victorian winter after tough 2022-23 season

The Dunkeld-based quick arrived in the Top End this week to play Darwin club cricket for Tracy Village after a season for Geelong which tested him physically and mentally.

Despite playing the majority of the season, snaring 16 wickets for the Cats, predominately in the second XI and with Victoria's under 19 team, the former Monivae College student said after Christmas he was severely hampered.

"I was really crook with glandular fever and it really did set me back a lot," he said.

"I missed a few games and then coming back was extremely hard having been put away with that. It was disappointing to not play a full season in the end."

Huf finished his season on a high, however, snaring 4-38 in the second XI qualifying final from 23 overs to give him confidence.

"Having strong impacts in the last few games, particularly bowling those 23 overs was really good," he said.

"If you take that away, and obviously I had games where I was basically running on fumes, I was happy with my season considering.

"A lot of people may not know I was sick, so realistically I walk away happy. I would have liked to have played more first XI cricket but it's the way it was.

"Hopefully I can build on it and play more next season."

Huf, a talented dual-sport athlete who played with the Greater Western Rebels in 2022, as well as Hamilton Kangaroos in the Hampden league, confirmed he would not be playing football this season to focus on his cricket up north.

He added he would then look to play in England the following year.

"For the short-term I've decided to focus on cricket and we'll see how we go," he said.

"I thought I wasn't going to gain anything playing footy and I might have been able to play at a pretty high standard. But I'll focus on my cricket for the next few years and see where it takes me.

"Potentially, down the track depending on how this goes I'll return down the footy avenue."

He said the opportunity to play in Darwin - a popular choice for emerging Victorian players and contracted cricketers with its abundance of different tournaments - was too good to pass up.

"It's nice to get away from home a bit and just test myself out and get in a full 12 months of cricket, which is something I've never been able to do, " he said.

"I want to play a full year in Australia which I hope to gain a lot from. You find yourself playing with and against some very good cricketers.

"A lot of them come up here because it's one of the only places to play really good standard of cricket during the winter. The professionals come here which will be great. Todd Murphy (Australian spinner) played for Tracy Village last year so it's really exciting."

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