Sport
21 October, 2025
Mark Allen breaks record for career A grade games for the Clunes Cricket Club
Clunes Cricket Club legend Mark Allen has etched his name in the record books, officially playing the most A grade games for his beloved Magpies with his 279th match last Saturday.
It’s another milestone in a decorated career for Allen in Magpies colours.
His resume includes being a three-time club A grade Best and Fairest (1997/98, 2017/18 and 2018/19), which coincided with his Ken Gibbs Medal win in 2017/18, an 11-time club A grade Batting Award winner, former A grade captain and MDCA representative player, just to name a few.
Saturday’s record-breaking match versus Beaufort at Bull Millgate Oval was simply poetic, as Allen played the same opponent at the same ground as his A grade debut back in the 1988/89 season as a 14-year-old.
After being one short of tying the record previously held by fellow club legend Ray Millgate at the end of last season, Allen said he’s had plenty of time to reflect on his tenure at the Magpies, which has spanned decades.
“It’s quite surreal, really, because time does go quickly and I do remember my first game quite vividly,” he said.
“All I ever wanted to do was play with the guys who were my heroes. I didn’t really have a lot of sporting heroes as such in the Australian side, it was all the guys in Clunes who were a few years older than me. They were my idols.
“I used to go down and score and hang around and then all of a sudden they asked me to play and I couldn’t believe I was playing cricket with them.
“I want to acknowledge the guy I’m going past, Ray Millgate, and his family, because they have kept the connection going since his passing and he was a great Clunes person and a great cricketer.”
Alongside his countless individual accolades, Allen was also A reserve premiership captain in 2008/09 and played a key role in the Magpies’ A grade flags in 2009/10 and 2018/19.
According to Allen, being able to bring premierships to his boyhood club trumps all of his other achievements.
“My family has always had a connection with the club and the town. I was born and bred in the town, so all you wanted to do on a Saturday afternoon was play sport,” he said.
“The premierships in 2009/10 and 2018/19 were pretty cool because when I first started, we were one of the sides at the bottom of the ladder for a long time.
“To finally get to that flag was pretty cool and winning the Ken Gibbs Medal was also a highlight, because Ken was there and I got to know Ken. I was very proud of that achievement.”
Outside of his on-field achievements, Allen has also been a dedicated volunteer for the MDCA, taking on the role as Clunes’ league delegate for 20 years and was the MDCA’s president for 10 seasons, with his tenure ending in 2024.
After seeing many of his early role models take up similar positions, Allen said he’s always been passionate about preserving local cricket.
“I always wanted to keep the game going and make the game better by trying to bring new things in,” he said.
“I always enjoyed that side of it as well because it’s a struggle at times to keep any sport going.
“During my time as president, along with the executive, we brought in coloured clothing, the white balls, changed the name of the best and fairest and brought in T20 for a while.”
With 279 career A grade games under his belt, Allen said he isn’t keen on hanging up his bat just yet.
“I’ll just keep playing for as long as I can because I enjoy the game,” he said.
“My son is starting his cricketing journey now, so I want to aim to play at least one game with him at some point in some grade. That would be a great moment in my life if I could play cricket with him.”