Dogs unveil new skipper Shannon Beks in nod to the future

The Dogs have unveiled Shannon Beks as their division one skipper and hope the talented all-rounder can lead a charge up the Warrnambool and District Cricket Association ladder.

Beks, 23, is one of several Dennington players in his early 20s and will take on the role after a 362-run campaign this past summer.

Dogs president Michael Howley said Beks was an ideal candidate for the role.

"With COVID last year impacting footy, we got a full year out of Shannon for the first time since he was probably 16 or 17," Howley said.

"He made the most runs for us comfortably and was really good as a batsman. He just provided that other option with the ball and the fact he's taken on the captaincy is great for us.

"We've got a young team now so hopefully going forward with a lot of guys in their early 20s or even as teenagers, there'll be a squad of guys Shannon can be the leader of for a fair while."

Beks said the role came as a surprise but was relishing the chance to take it on.

"I've probably thought about it a bit more over the last couple of years and we've got that young side, so it'll be good to be able to relate to the lads a little bit more," he said.

"I'm probably pretty close to their age. It'll be different but it should be really good fun."

He said Dennington, which finished seventh in 2020-21, would like steady improvements across the board.

"But we'll really focus on our fielding and putting pressure back on that way," Beks told The Standard.

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