Prior to the commencement of the season, a group of cricketing dads with teenagers rising up the ranks put forward a plan to develop their young charges.
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Jerome Simpson, Dave Schmude, Greg Johnson, Mark McDermott, Andrew Starr, Brad Schumacher and Scott Waterson decided to form a father-son team and enter the third grade competition under the Hillgrove banner.
Winning wasn't their main priority, they were there to pass on their knowledge of the game to their enthusiastic youngsters.
They did however, rise up the ladder to first place but along the way the teenagers have stood out at representative level and made their way into first grade teams.
Sam Johnson captained the third-placed Armidale side in the Walter Taylor Shield which also featured a large contingent of players from their club team.
Sam has played first grade games for Hillgrove including a grand final berth where he finished 12 not out and caught the eye of everyone in attendance.
Olly Schmude and Ryan Simpson played senior representative cricket in Armidale's Connolly Cup team as well.
They have also all played junior representative cricket at some stage.
The father-son team finished the third grade season in first place.
This Saturday will see the culmination of the work done on development this season when they take on last year's third grade runners-up Easts-Anytime.
Jerome Simpson will captain the side and said only four of the dads will play with seven of the juniors lining up.
"They are all level-headed, good kids," he said.
"A lot of them have played rep and high level rep, they know what the big games are."
Simpson believes the juniors have overtaken their fathers on the pitch since the beginning of the season.
"The young fellas are carrying the dads who at times could keep any good chemist in business with the painkillers and dencorub used before and after the games," he said.
While Sam Johnson is unavailable to play after his rise up the grades, his father Greg 'the destroyer' is hoping to wind back the clock and take the headlines back.
"We are going to get the old fella to roll the arm over," Simpson said.
Their opponents have plenty of cricketing experience among their ranks and missed out on the grand final win last season.
Simpson is expecting the Easts-Anytime team will come out firing.
"We beat them the last game so they are going to come out all guns blazing at us," he said.
"Apparently they stepped it up on the weekend so we are expecting it.
"Out on the field they are going to confront us.
"They showed that a fortnight ago.
"We are hoping to bring home the silverware."