A career that has taken him around Australia while permitting his favourite pastimes, playing footy and terrorising batsmen.
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An ageing fast bowler down on pace but still menacing, who is enjoying bowling with more variation instead of relying on pace alone.
A veteran campaigner handed the captaincy of Albion this season, after a season-killing knee injury to Andy Mack, as the side looks to reverse two straight grand final losses to Court House.
A new father high on nature’s ultimate gift, who arrived in Gunnedah some five years ago, had a child and put down roots.
These are some of the elements of the Brad Jenkinson story.
When Jenkinson left for work this week, as a shotfirer, he no doubt kissed his eight-month-old son, Oscar, whom he is raising with his wife, Caitlin.
And on Saturday afternoon at Kitchener Park, the 32-year-old will kiss the pitch with venom as he spears the ball at Court House batsmen, in a replay of last season’s grand final.
Having previously played cricket on the Sunshine Coast, in Emerald and in the Hunter Valley, Jenkinson arrived in Gunnedah to make his mark. In winter, he plays AFL for the Bulldogs.
“Luckily with my jobs I’m generally Monday to Friday … It allows me to play sport all weekend, all year round, which is great,” he said.
“I’ve really enjoyed it (living in Gunnedah),” he added. “It’s probably one of the better mining towns I’ve lived and worked in.
“We’ve sort of settled down here. I’ve got a kid now and we’ve bought a house. It’s good.”
Jenkinson describes fatherhood as a “massive culture change to begin with”. But with Oscar “starting to do a little bit more”, he was “really enjoying it now”.
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“Absolutely,” he answered when asked if he would like to play grade cricket with Oscar some day, describing that as the “ideal” scenario. “So hopefully he takes after me and pulls on the footy boots and the whites, come cricket season.”
After joining Kookaburras for the 2016-17 season following two seasons at Bective East, he took 40 wickets in nine matches at 8.53 apiece, with a best of 7-31, before joining Albion last season and taking 41 wickets in 12 matches at 6.8 and with a best of 7-20. Last season he scored 291 runs at 36.38 – 73 the highest score.
Gunnedah’s most lethal strike weapon has changed as a bowler over the years. “Certainly the pace has dropped off. Certainly compared to when I was 17 or 18. But you definitely do become a lot smarter.
“At the tail end of last year I shortened my run-up right up. You know, just bowled smarter – swung the ball around a lot more. And obviously a lot more accuracy as well.”
In short, the explosives expert now “reads” batsmen better, instead of trying to “blow them away” with pace.