Story Dream To Wear The Baggy Green ? A C2007 Career Story

[Short Leg]

With the start of the Australian summer just around the corner I contemplated my next year of park cricket as the phone rang. I felt like abusing this bloke that I thought was a telemarketer trying to sell me a discount holiday to California but I settled for ?hello? ?Is that Jesse Slatter? said the bloke on the other end ?yeah it is mate? I replied ?G?Day Slats this is Greg Shipperd the coach of the Victorian Bushrangers and we are interested in offering you a contract for this season? said Shippy. Maybe it wont be a park cricket season after all for the 16 year old batting all rounder.

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Slats will play out the season at home in Australia for the Bushrangers and the fly to England in the winter for a stint at county cricket although he is yet to sign on the dotted line with a squad. Features of the youngster?s life include training two nights a week usually on Tuesday and Thursday and the dreaded team selection.

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With the Bushrangers in pre season training and the start of the season just a fortnight away Slatter is keen to get his name out there and hopefully step onto the field for the first time at first class level. With the youngster make it to the top and play along with his hero's at international level or be rejected completely?

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[Mr. Kurns]

sounds fantastic mate

 

[Short Leg]

A New Beginning​

Sunday
October 1st 2006
2:30pm

Today is the start of the cricket month October. With the start of the season just over a fortnight away now I have learned the beauty of joining the Bushies is all that add on crap that comes with the territory so today im being interviewed for my profile on the Bushrangers website. I think it turned out well. Don?t you?

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[zainawan89]

Good another career story.

 

[IloveGilly]

oOo, sweet . Looking forward to a 16 yr old player

 

[Cricket_60]

Great stuff so far

 

[nikish_a]

Great stuff looking forward to "slats" performing.

 

[Short Leg]

Thanks for the reply's boys hopefully i can get in and score a few. Cheers.

 

[Juzzyp]

this shapes up to be a quality story, can't wait until the season gets under way

 

[MWaugh]

really nice start to the story slats. very nice presentation to start off. pity your other story didnt continue but im sure this will be just as good, if not better. all the best mate ill be following it with interest

 

[barmyarmy]

oOo, sweet . Looking forward to a 16 yr old player

Hey, it happens in India and Bangladesh!

 

[Short Leg]

That's true wasn't Tendulkar 16 on his debut for India. I guess the difference is im going to be bigger............maybe not.

 

[Short Leg]

Slat's Get's Himself A Sponsor​

Monday
October 2nd 2006
6:30pm

It?s always a for filling experience to have a major company interested in your name and today I received a phone call right when I was sitting down for dinner. It was the good men at Impala asking for you?re truly to sign on as a promising up a comer for the brand name. Having just been drafted into a domestic squad who would I be to refuse such an offer so I gave the all clear. I was assured that my new gear was in the mail and it wouldn?t be long before I was giving the Sovereign a gig in the nets.

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A couple of these baby?s are in the mail for the young kid​

Impala sport is one of the largest Australian owned cricket bat manufacturing companies so it is of great honour to be wielding their willow for the season. Being the down to earth man I am I realise that getting the gear is the easy part it?s up to me to restore the faith in the Victorian selectors that I am the right man to take us to premiership glory.

 

[Short Leg]

First Training Session At The Pool ​

Tuesday Training
October 3rd 2006
12 noon

Today Greg Shipperd who is the coach of this wonderful state decided to take the lads down to the pool for a change of pace before the start of a long hard season. Slats kept a low profile as best he could in the first training session for the club but it only took so long before the boys were onto me. Swimming has never been my strong point and that point-hit home as I coped abuse from the boys on the tem bus on the way home. ?Get Slats some floaties? and ?Try and keep your head above the water for once Slatsy? are just a few of the comments that are funny the first squillion times but get old quickly especially when they are coming from Dave ?big nose? Hussey. My philosophy has always been that it?s funny until it happens to me and today was defiantly an example.

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Slats best friend in the pool as well as Dave Hussey and his nose that coincidently has it?s own postcode​

With the days failing behind me I decided to hit the nets to improve that cut shot that has plagued my ability to score quickly at the lower levels and will play a big part if I am to succeed for the state of Victoria. At the end of the session Shippy announced our fixtures for the Pura and ING cups followed by the international fixture for the summer to remind us of what we are all striving for.The next time the boys get together for training on thursday will be for the dreaded sand dune running.

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[Short Leg]

Slats On Air​

Wednesday
4th October 2006
1:00pm
11 Days Until The Season Starts

As a new member of the Victorian squad local radio station here in the worlds most livable city of Melbourne SEN 1116am was keen to have words with me. Mark Doran appears on the show from 12am? 4pm and was willing to pick my brains. Who would I be to turn them down so I agreed to the deal to show the world (and selectors) that I was an honest hard working gentleman plus I could earn a few bucks on the side.

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SEN ? Mark Doran
1116am

Doran: With us now we have promising Victorian Bushrangers rookie and all rounder Jesse Slatter. Welcome to the show Slats. Can I call you Slats?

Slatter: Nah Mark only my mates can call me Slats (pause) nah mate it?s ok.

Doran: You have said publicly that you have always wanted to play cricket for Australia how close are you to that dream now that you?re in the Bushrangers squad Slats?

Slatter: Yeah mate that would be grouse. Hopefully the selectors give me a chance to prove myself at this level and then hopefully onto the highest level. Not trying to get to ahead of myself we?re only in pre season.

Doran: There?s talk about your weakness against the short ball are you expecting a barrage?

Slatter: I think you need to get your facts straight Mark. If the bowlers out there want to bowl short to me then that?s fine in my book. I?ve been working like a dog in the off season and im fully prepared to perform at first class level.

Doran: In that case how many runs are you planning to make this season?

Slatter: Eh?

Doran: How many run this season Slats?

Slatter: Dunno (pause) have to be a shitload.

Doran: Easy they?re Slats im sure you have been burning up the track in pre season getting your fitness levels up.

Slatter: Oh yeah sure Marky turn it up mate.

Doran: Now Slats. What?s this I hear about an unfortunate event at the swimming pool?

Slatter: Yeah real funny aren?t you Mark! Ok so im not the best swimmer big deal last time I checked it?s the runs on the field that count.

Doran: Ok well thanks for your time Slats we look forward to seeing you in the whites as you run onto the ground for the Bushrangers on debut. Good luck for the coming season.

Slatter: Yeah cheers mate hopefully Shippy and the selectors rate my high enough to get a game and score some runs.

Im beginning to think I am made for this life. Now that I have breezed through my first media session I feel like everybody wants a piece of the Slatter franchise soon enough I will be plastered on billboards selling cheap deodorant like Punter.