John Rogers is preparing to gaze through the looking glass and what's on the other side could be a vital boost for Canberra's cricket landscape.
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Zak Keogh will become the youngest first grader in club history when Weston Creek Molonglo face Queanbeyan at Freebody Oval on Saturday.
The 14-year-old has been catapulted into the top grade after an impressive showing in seconds, with a wedding and the NSW country championships causing a major reshuffle in the Creek.
He has a long road ahead but the emerging batsman could one day follow in Mac Wright's footsteps - a kid from the coast who came to Canberra to get his shot before Tasmania came calling.
"He’s a young bloke from the coast, from the same area as Mac Wright. He seems like a really good young fellow, he had a really good game in twos last week," Rogers said.
"We’ve obviously been decimated by a wedding and country championships this week so he gets an opportunity in the ones.
"It will definitely test the club’s depth, that’s for sure. It’s probably a little bit of a looking glass into the future into a few years down the track when the core of the Weston Creek team that has been for the last few years gets a bit older and decides to stop playing.
"I’m actually excited for these young blokes to step up and do the business. The Myburgh brothers, Jay Allen, Aidan Cowie, and young Zak is obviously having his first taste of first grade as well.
"Combined, I’d be surprised if none of them go on to do some special stuff."
Now the crop of rising stars have another chance to impress again while Djali Bloomfield and Tom Atallah fulfil their ACT/Southern Districts duties at the NSW country championships.
A host of stars across the region have been missing in previous weeks to play for ACT sides in the Cricket NSW Regional Bash and Sydney's premier Twenty20 competition.
Rogers has played at the elite level and says the most important factor for the "million and one different ACT teams floating around at the moment" is to put the best teams on the park.
More representative pathways could entice more country players like Keogh and Wright to test themselves in Canberra in a bid to achieve higher honours - just as Australia's most prolific off-spinner Nathan Lyon did.
"That’s the only way we’re going to build a reputation as a strong cricketing community and we’ll be respected around the traps too, if we keep winning those sorts of games," Rogers said.
"Historically [Canberra] has [been a drawcard for country-based players], absolutely, because there was a chance to play second XI and Futures League cricket in Canberra.
"At the moment the option for country people is to play in Sydney and they can have a foot in both camps, play in Sydney and play for the Comets. That’s where it’s really tricky at the moment.
"[Lyon] never played in Sydney. He came to Canberra, he played in Canberra, he played for the Comets and then he got picked up.
"We need to keep respecting the fact that the local Canberra cricketing community provides a great opportunity for young blokes and good cricketers from the country."
CRICKET ACT GALLOP CUP ROUND SIX
Saturday: Tuggeranong Valley v North Canberra-Gungahlin at Chisholm Oval, ANU v Western District-UC at ANU North Oval, Queanbeyan v Weston Creek Molonglo at Freebody Oval, Eastlake v Ginninderra at Kingston Oval.
