ACT Comets fast bowler Tom Rogers has signed a full-time contract with Cricket Tasmania and Aiden Blizzard isn't the slightest bit surprised.
Subscribe now for unlimited access.
$0/
(min cost $0)
or signup to continue reading
Blizzard knew "a couple of states had him on their radar" late last year and has already tipped the Weston Creek Molonglo product to earn a Big Bash League deal to go with his state contract.
Rogers won the Futures League player of the year award last season and his two-year long return stint at the Comets has inadvertently launched him onto the national stage.
Cricket ACT director of high performance Blizzard has backed Rogers to excel in Tasmania as Tigers coach Adam Griffith ushers in a new era.
The 23-year-old follows in the footsteps of his older brother John Rogers, who played at the top level for Tasmania and Western Australia.
The pair reunited for the Comets last summer and Rogers set the competition alight in becoming the competition's third leading wicket taker with 24 in six games.
"It's very well deserved and he's worked pretty hard over the last two seasons with us to take that opportunity. We're really rapt for him to be offered a contract in Tassie," Blizzard said.
"The difference between the club and Futures is quite significant, it takes a little bit of time to adjust. But then again the step up from Futures to first class is more significant.
"It took a little while to get used to it but once he got the hang of it he really put some good performances on the board for us.
"We're really confident that he's in a good place now to take that next step with the grounding of the last two years for him.
"It'll be nice to see him in some Big Bash colours following a nice one-day cup performance."
Rogers will link up with Australian wicketkeeper Matthew Wade, with cricket's worst kept secret finally confirmed after the gloveman was announced in Tasmania's squad.
Wade moved back home for family reasons to end a 10-year stay in Victoria and could soon find himself keeping to two Comets products in Rogers and rookie Mac Wright.
Rogers is one of five new faces to be given full contracts with Tasmania this season alongside Wade, upgraded rookie Gabe Bell, Nick Buchanan and Charlie Wakim.
Former Australian spinner Xavier Doherty hung up the boots while Hamish Kingston, Dom Michael, and Cameron Wheatley did not receive contracts with Tasmania.
