Lives in Cricket No 28 - Keith Carmody

101 Achievement and Rejection in Western Australia Country Week, in which up to 200 boys were billeted in Perth for a competition during the Christmas holidays. Along with the successful country tour Keith continued to coach juniors in metropolitan clubs, schools and the indoor facilities at Boans. It’s easy to understand the bewilderment and resentment of 17-year-old Frank O’Driscoll when he made his ‘A’ grade debut in Carmody’s East Perth side and received no word of encouragement from the coach. Although it’s hard to defend such total indifference, the explanation lies mainly in Carmody’s belief, stated publicly in The West Australian in July 1949, that he was focused on boys of ‘11, 12 and 13 years when they were most receptive’ to being coached ‘to play along the right lines’ for first-class cricket. In short – and without excusing Carmody’s attitude to him – O’Driscoll suffered from being too old. He might have fared better if he’d asserted himself in the same manner as the young John Rutherford. While O’Driscoll never built on an excellent grade career to play for the state, Rutherford responded to an equally disturbing rebuff with a persistence that eventually made him the first West Australian picked for Australia while playing for the state team. 43 In 2012 Rutherford had no doubt that Carmody’s coaching alone had equipped him for first-class cricket. Yet when the University club batsman went to a junior coaching session at the WACA ground in the winter of 1948 Keith told him to go away. Without seeing him bat, he was convinced the 18-year-old Rutherford would have too many technical faults to warrant the attention he was lavishing on much younger players. Undeterred, Rutherford returned again and again to sit behind the nets and watch him coaching 12-and 13-year-olds. One day, when no youngsters turned up, he pleaded with Keith to ‘have a look at me!’ While the coach responded by throwing balls for him to cut, hook and drive, Rutherford asked for hints that would make him a first- class player. ‘You haven’t the first idea how to play!’ said Keith. When Rutherford persisted – ‘Will you give me an idea?’ – Keith hoisted a string in the manner of his coaching session in Albany. After the batsman’s attempts to play varied shots brought more bruises on the back of the head than clean strikes on the ball, Keith told him: ‘Come back and see me in a year’s time!’ Rutherford’s response was to practise daily with similar apparatus before 43 The first Western Australian-born Test player, Ernie Bromley, was playing for Victoria when picked for the Fourth Test against England in 1932/33 and the Second Test in England in 1934.