Life Member Farewelled
Queensland Cricket is grieving the passing of former State player, coach, selector and Life Member Jack McLaughlin OAM.
McLaughlin passed away yesterday at the age of 93.
At the time of his death, he was Queensland’s second oldest male player and oldest Life Member, having received the honour in 1996.
Born in Corinda and a stalwart of the Western Suburbs club, the main playing field at the club’s home ground at Graceville was named in his honour last weekend.
Queensland Cricket CEO Terry Svenson paid tribute to McLaughlin.
“Jack was unfailing supportive of cricket in Queensland and we express our deepest condolences to his family and friends,’’ he said.
“He was a popular member of the cricket fraternity, and will be missed by all.”
“Jack’s commitment and love for the game was easily recognised by the many roles he filled, as a player, coach, selector, commentator, volunteer and life member, and through that the many individuals and groups that he influenced,’’ Svenson said.
John ‘Jack’ McLaughlin made his first grade debut in 1947 for Wests after impressing as a schoolboy at Gregory Terrace.
After catching the eye as a 19-year-old in the Queensland Colts team at the start of the 1949-50 season, he subsequently made his first class debut later that summer, taking on Victoria at the Melbourne Cricket Ground under the captaincy of Bill Brown who was in his last season for Queensland.
McLaughlin made 58 as an opener on debut and went on to play 59 first class and 56 Sheffield Shield games for the State between 1949-50 and 1962-63.
McLaughlin hit 2988 first class runs at 33.95, with a highest score of 146. That knock was one of two centuries he scored in the 1957-58 season, which he topped off by leading Western Suburbs to a first grade premiership.
His best summer was in 1959-60 when he hit 740 runs at 49.33, including two centuries and six half-centuries. He captained Queensland on three occasions.
An elegant batsman and exceptional fielder who cut a distinctive figure in the field due to his preference of wearing a white floppy ‘washing hat’, he also represented Queensland in Claxton Shield baseball from 1948 to 1956.
He was a Queensland cricket selector from 1965-66 to 1975-76, and a respected coach, overseeing Shield preparations, mentoring promising first grade players and travelling widely throughout the State to deliver junior development programs under the Utah Coal State Coaching program during the 1970s.
He was also a regular commentator for the ABC and columnist for The Courier-Mail in his post-playing days.
In his later years, he farmed cattle at ‘Emerald View’ at Grandchester.
He was a life member of both Queensland Cricket and Wests and received an Order of Australia medal for his services to cricket in 1993.
