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[url]http://www.sportal.com.au:80/cricket.asp?i=news&id=90113[/url]
[quote]A stint with VFL club Coburg has helped paceman Clinton McKay move within reach of making his first-class debut for Victoria.
The paceman is the beneficiary of the Bushrangers' depleted bowling stocks and has taken injured quick Shane Harwood's place in the Victorian squad to take on South Australia in Adelaide this week.
Harwood joins an injury list which contains Allan Wise, Peter Siddle and Dirk Nannes.
McKay, who does not have a Cricket Victoria contract this season, has attributed his rise to a strong pre-season, during which he lost nine kilos while he was training with VFL club Coburg in Melbourne.
"It wasn't my best year last year so I'm trying to give it a big crack and see how it ends up," McKay said.
"I dropped eight or nine kilos training three nights a week with the Coburg VFL (footy) team."
McKay said Cricket Victoria's career and welfare manager Andy Collins, who was a premiership player with Hawthorn, was the brainchild of the initiative.
"Andy Collins got Andrew McDonald and I down. It's the best thing I've ever done," he said.
The move has enabled McKay to not only gain an extra yard in pace but also enabled him to bowl faster for longer.
Victoria squad: Cameron White (c), Adam Crosthwaite, Gerard Denton, Brad Hodge, David Hussey, Nick Jewell, Mick Lewis, Andrew McDonald, Clinton McKay, Lloyd Mash, Jonathon Moss, Shane Warne (12th man to be named)
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