By Olivia Condous
The Melton Cricket Club and wider community are mourning after the death of local sporting legend and former club president Kevin Vernon.
Vernon served as club president for 34 years and was diagnosed with motor neurone disease in June last year.
Despite his declining health, he remained a pillar of the Melton cricket community and played his 600th game last month.
Melton Cricket Club announced his death on Sunday evening with online tributes flowing since.
“Kevin Vernon has meant so much to so many people at the Melton Cricket Club and today is an incredibly sad day for us all,” said the Lions’ Facebook post.
Melton councillor Ashleigh Vandenberg described Vernon as an icon and legend in one Facebook comment.
“He has achieved so much and was a wonderful role model for many of us,” she said.
Several local sporting clubs have paid tribute to Vernon in Facebook posts with words of admiration for the sporting legend.
“Kev was an institution and supported the development of cricket in Melton,” said a Melton South Cricket Club social media post.
“Today Melton cricket has lost one of its greats.”
Vernon spoke with Star Weekly last month after playing his 600th game and said he was proud to serve the Melton Cricket club for more than 40 years.
“I’ve been able to contribute to something bigger than myself,” he said at the time.
As well as achieving the 600 game milestone, Vernon was also a key figure in establishing the all-abilities program at the club.
