Profile: Tony Dodemaide

Tony Dodemaide played ten Tests and 24 One Day Internationals (ODI) for Australia, during a 14-year first class career. He made remarkable debuts in both forms of the game becoming the first person to take five wickets on ODI debut, and scoring a fifty and taking a five-for on Test debut.

In total Dodemaide took 534 first class wickets and compiled 5,966 first class runs for Australia, Victoria and Sussex, and since retiring has worked in both England and Australia as a senior administrator. After a role as Manager of Corporate Marketing at Melbourne Cricket Club, the country’s largest and oldest sports club, Dodemaide became Head of Cricket at MCC in 1999.

During his five years in the post, MCC strengthened its position as the world’s most active cricket-playing and cricket-promoting club and with a particular focus on creating greater opportunities for young players.

Dodemaide oversaw the growth of Out-Matches against schools, the expansion of the Young Cricketers scheme to include women and more opportunities for young players to use the Indoor School. At Lord’s ground itself his time as Head of Cricket saw the re-laying of the outfield and development of portable pitches.

MCC’s loss in 2004 was the Western Australian Cricket Association’s gain, as Dodemaide became Chief Executive. In early 2007, via London and Perth, Dodemaide finally returned to his native Victoria to become Chief Executive at Cricket Victoria.