In Between Balls with Taj McLoughlin
We are blessed at St George to have an excellant crop of young cricketers who are not just talented at their sporting pursuits but fine young Saints men off the field. Taj McLoughlin is a perfect example of a young cricketer who plays for the love of the club and his team but seemingly improves with each opportunity to play his sport. Taj has ridden the highs and lows of grade cricket from being dropped from 5th Grade last season to making his 2nd grade debut less than a season later through hard work followed by cnsistent performance. Let's go in between balls and find out a little more about the life and times of .... Taj McLoughlin
What year you were born and where?
2005 at St George Private Hospital
Can you remember your first game of cricket?
First game, I was playing Fifth grade against Bankstown at Graham Thomas. I was 15 and didn’t do much. I didn’t bat and got one or two catches.
Tell us briefly about your cricketing journey?
I’m a Saints junior so I played all my junior club cricket for the great Kingsgrove cricket club up until under 15’s including a few senior games with my dad, as well as junior rep cricket for saints from under 10’s all the way through until under 17’s and now here at the grade club.
What other sports do you play?
In the off season I play all age soccer for Forest Rangers FC and a bit of Golf here and there.
Who is your favourite sports movie or documentary?
Happy Gilmore
Who’s your favourite cricket commentator?
Mark Waugh
What’s the one thing about you most people don’t know about?
Most people don’t know my nationality. I am Irish, Indian, Austrian, Polish, English and Australian.
How many years did you play at St George?
This is my 4th year for the Grade club, but overall including reps this is my 11th season.
St George Nickname?
I don’t really have a nickname but T or tajy get thrown around sometimes.
Highest Level Played (St George or Representative including Jnr Level)?
2nd Grade for St George
What’s your highest score in senior cricket? For which club and where?
90 for St George at Fairfield oval
Highest Score for St George?
90
What has been your best bowling figures in senior cricket?
0/1 off 1.1 including a maiden (The only time I’ve bowled in senior cricket)
Can you tell us which players in the club we should be looking out for in terms of higher representative honours?
Will Taylor and Rithvik Kumar have some serious talent for their age.
Who has been the scariest bowler you have played against so far?
I think it has to be Stuart Clark. It wasn’t quick but he is a former Test cricketer so I think the only appropriate reaction was to be a little nervous.
Who has been the best spinner you have played against so far?
No clue. But I remember some bloke from UTS took 8 fa against us in 5th grade once and that was hard to face.
Who has been the best batsman you’ve played against?
Sam Konstas throughout my entire junior career
Who has been your funniest St George team mate?
Sam Newtown
Who was your childhood hero?
Mike Hussey
Who are the three sports people in the world you’d most like to meet?
Daniel Riccardo, Min woo Lee, and Lewis Hamilton
Name some St George players you admire most in terms of skills and competitive spirit?
Tom Forrester and Mattew Baden.
Greatest St George influence?
Both Kev Pilay and Hamish, who are always reminding me of the simple things that go a long way, and they undoubtably push me more than anyone to be better. Hamish has also been my personal coach for 10 years now and has got me to where I am today.
What do you enjoy most about playing cricket?
I love the competitive side of the game and always having the ability to improve and progress up the grades to challenge yourself.
What didn’t you like?
When a team puts out a bad spread at tea.
What do you enjoy most about playing at St George?
I love the culture around the club and the togetherness we have between players, coaches and supporters.
What has been your most memorable moment in cricket?
Being fortunate enough to play cricket with my Dad in the park and one game for Saints during COVID times at Hurstville oval.
Favorite Saints Tradition?
Nothing beats singing the song after a win.
Tell us about the best win you’ve been involved with?
Last year in 4th grade, we were chasing 280 odd I think. Anoop and myself put on 180 odd after being 5 for nothing to set up the win for the boys at the end.
Taj and Anoop Bawa after their amazing partnership
“Favorite” worst injury playing cricket?
I once acquired food poisoning from the Penrith parents in junior rep cricket, putting me on the sidelines for a week throwing my guts up.
Favorite Beverage?
Vodka lime and soda
Favorite Food?
Mexican
Favorite Holiday Destination?
Canada
What are your hobbies?
Playing golf, Fifa, and spending time with my girlfriend.
What’s the best advice you’ve received?
Bado once told me that, Attitude determines everything in life, and how you make use of that attitude will determine how you succeed in the future.
What do you do for a living?
I study Chiropractic Sciences at Macquarie Uni and on the side, I work as a labourer installing clotheslines and mailboxes. I also do a little bit of coaching as well.
Greatest achievement outside of cricket?
My girlfriend
If you were down to $10 how would you spend it?
I would use $7 dollars to buy a mcsmart meal from maccas. And the other 3 dollars I will try to hustle and possibly gamble it in various way, maybe through Sportsbet, to make even more money (Gamble Responsibly)
Advise to any youngsters looking to make it in the game?
My advice to the young kids out there is to actually listen to all the advice given to you from coaches or your parents and take on that advice to continuously improve and strive to play higher grades and work through the tricky periods to come out of the other side an even better player.
Taj batting this season at Hurstville Oval
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