ONE of Bathurst City's key figures during the club's mid-2000s era of dominance was recently recognised with life membership.
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Jay Cleary became the club's latest addition to the life member list when he was acknowledged during the Redbacks presentation night.
Cleary, who still plays a key role in the second grade team, has been a part of the club for more than 20 years and has only had a couple of seasons away from cricket across that time.
![Jay Cleary with his Bathurst City Cricket Club life membership award. Picture by James Arrow. Jay Cleary with his Bathurst City Cricket Club life membership award. Picture by James Arrow.](/images/transform/v1/crop/frm/YpbCWLfGAstDHC22gJwdbm/c51d0150-d589-410f-89cb-5b17add19166.jpg/r0_280_5472_3356_w1200_h678_fmax.jpg)
Cleary said the recognition was made all the more special with how Redbacks presented it to him.
"You never ever expect this sort of stuff. It's was so great with the way the club organised it, with my family being involved and me not knowing anything about it," he said.
"It was really special and there was a great turnout for presentation night. I had my whole family there, it was really nice.
"I'd like to thank everyone I've ever played with and everyone who has supported the club."
Grand final legend looks towards next generation
Cleary is almost a foundation member of the club, having joined Redbacks for their second season in 1997-98.
He enjoyed more than a decade as a regular first grade player for Bathurst City and played a hand in the club's first ever top grade title in 2004-05.
That was a title that would start a hat trick of championships for the team.
Cleary's created many special moments across the course of his Redbacks career that he enjoys looking back on.
"Many, many moons ago I remember hitting two sixes in a first grade one day final in the last over to win it. That was pretty cool," he said.
"Any time we line up is great but some of the best memories are back at the pub as well. I've been lucky enough to play against some great opposition in my time."
No matter the era he's played in Cleary has loved the community that Redbacks have built up since their foundation in the 90s.
![Jay Cleary (left, with Percy Raveneau) in 2015 following his match-winning knock in the second grade major semi-final. Jay Cleary (left, with Percy Raveneau) in 2015 following his match-winning knock in the second grade major semi-final.](/images/transform/v1/crop/frm/YpbCWLfGAstDHC22gJwdbm/cd57871f-a31b-4494-b462-db629bc4be4b.jpeg/r0_93_3216_2137_w1200_h678_fmax.jpg)
He's has achieved a great deal with the club's top grade side but it's his ongoing role with the second grade squad that he finds just as fulfilling.
"It's a great tight knit club. We're fighting against the tide because we don't have a junior base but we always seem to be able to reinvent ourselves," he said.
"We had a great amount of teams over the last year, which is something we've worked on over the last four or so years. Hopefully that can translate into the first grade stuff, where we've got a young team that's on the improve.
"I'm trying to help some of our young, talented guys coming through to be better. Quite a few guys in our first grade side have come through teams that I've either captained or been strongly associated with.
"That's just the best thing. I'm really excited to see what they can do in the years to come."