While it’s rare today for international—and even state—players to participate regularly in grade cricket, this wasn’t always the case. Up until the early 2000s, it was common to see Australian representatives turning out for their grade clubs a few times each season. Bankstown boasted the Waugh twins, Northern District had Mark Taylor, UNSW fielded Michael Slater, Mosman had the Lee brothers, Sutherland had Glenn McGrath, and at Manly, we were fortunate to have the original finisher - Michael Bevan.
After transferring to Manly from Campbelltown—where he had already established a reputation for match-winning performances—Bevan became a key figure for the club over several seasons.