I THINK it was THAT bowling action that first caught my attention as a child: the awkward run-in as he approached the bowling crease – limbs seemingly going in four different directions – followed by the strangest bowling delivery I’d ever seen. Not tight and powerful like Dennis Lillee or stretched and silky like Jeff Thomson. Frankly, his bowling action was a mess.
No wonder Max Walker’s nickname was “Tangles”.
But I loved him all the same. He was the clumsy, goofy guy in the all-powerful Australian cricket team of the mid-70s. Not express pace like Lillee or Thomson – he was politely referred to as fast-medium – but he was the workhorse of the side, bowling over after over, giving little opportunity for the opposing batsmen to score and shoring up one end while Lillee and Thommo tore them up in short bursts from the other end. It was the perfect bowling combination.
And sometimes, when they played in friendlier conditions like England, Max was able to shine and show what a true swing bowler could do.
Bloke could bat a bit, too. And before he played Test cricket for Australia, he’d also played VFL (now AFL) footy for Melbourne. A two-sport talent our Maxie.
I adored him. He was my idol – years after he retired I got my uncle in Naracoorte to get his signature at an after-dinner speaking engagement. I treasured that autograph. I think I still have it packed away somewhere with my other childhood memorabilia.
Max Walker was born in Hobart, Tasmania on September 12, 1948. After a successful Aussie Rules career in his home state, he was signed by the Melbourne Demons in 1967 and went on to play 85 senior games before quitting to focus on playing state cricket regularly for Victoria in 1971.
He played his first Test for Australia against Pakistan in 1973. He went on to play 34 Tests for Australia – he scored 586 runs with a batting of 19.53 and a highest score of 78 not out; he took 138 wickets at an average of 27.47 and best figures of 8/143.
After he retired in 1981, Max got into guest speaking and co-hosting Wide World Of Sports with Ken Sutcliffe on the Nine Network. I watched those blokes banter back and forth for years on a Saturday arvo. Max was such an amiable, likeable guy.
He wrote books, too. Lots of them – mainly cricket anecdotes and tall tales. His books had silly titles like How To Kiss A Crocodile and How To Puzzle A Python. They were classic Christmas stocking fillers and you can find a ton of them in second-hand bookshops these days.
He kinda faded from the limelight after the late 90s and I didn’t think much of him. Max was just there. A comforting reminder of more innocent days past.
It was September 28 when I read the news at work that he’d passed away. Cancer. Been ill for some time, apparently. I shed a quiet tear – my childhood heroes are dropping like flies.
The last time I recall Max getting a call-up to the big team was for a 50-over day/night game in 1981. One-day cricket – with its batsmen-friendly wickets – wasn’t kind to bowlers like Maxie and he didn’t last long.
In what I believe was his final appearance with Australia, Max bowled early – in fact, he may have even opened the bowling that night. He trundled in – a mess of arms and legs as usual – and hurled down a short-pitched delivery that bounced safely over the batsman’s head…and kept soaring. And soaring. Over the wicketkeeper’s head and away to the boundary for four wides. It was the most extraordinary delivery I’d ever seen. I don’t think they let Max bowl much after that in the game.
And that’s my lasting memory of the great man. Uncoordinated, unconventional and unpredictable to the end.
RIP Max Walker 1948-2016
