Youth-focused Victoria announce men's contract list

Victoria will take an almost identical squad into next summer as the men's team vows to continue its focus on youth as part of their "planned transition period".

Premier Cricket star James Seymour and rookie fast bowler Fergus O'Neill are the only new faces on their contract list for the 2021-22 season.

Patrick Rowe is the sole omission, with the 20-year-old losing his rookie deal. The wicketkeeper was a highly-rated junior prodigy, dominating national junior carnivals and earning selection for Australia's Under-19 World Cup squad last year before making a brief cameo for Australia A as Cameron Green's concussion substitute against India.

The Vics won four Sheffield Shield titles in five seasons between 2014-15 and 2018-19 with a deeply experienced side but are now committed to developing their younger contingent.

More than half of their 29 contracted players are aged 23 or younger.

They had four debutants in the Marsh Sheffield Shield last season and six in the One-Day Cup, with Mitch Perry and Will Sutherland (both 21) playing every first-class game.

Victoria won just one of eight Shield games and ended up fifth on the standings, the lowest they have finished in seven seasons. They also finished fifth with a solitary win in the Marsh Cup.

"We are on a journey where our State squad is moving through a planned transition period," said general manager of cricket, Shaun Graf. "The experience our emerging group of players gained this past season will hopefully have them well prepared for the coming season.

"To be able to get more games into this young emerging group of talented players has been a huge benefit out of an extremely challenging season."

Seymour, 29, has earnt his first professional contract following an avalanche of runs in club cricket in recent years, culminating in a promising Sheffield Shield debut in Victoria's final game of the season in April.

The left-hander scored a half-century against South Australia, with Victoria coach Chris Rogers suggesting his persistence highlights that "there are still opportunities for mature players if they can consistently perform".

"It's a credit to him to get this opportunity at 29 years of age," said Rogers. "He may have thought this chance was past him but he’s forced his selection by scoring heavily in Premier Cricket."

O'Neill is a 20-year-old swing bowler who took 29 wickets at 16 in Victorian Premier Cricket last season, just his second season playing first grade for Melbourne Cricket Club where he has been mentored by former Test bowler Adam Dale.

Aaron Finch, Glenn Maxwell and James Pattinson had previously been announced as the state's Cricket Australia-contracted players, though young gun Will Pucovski missed out on a national deal.

Victorian Men's contract list 2021-22

In: James Seymour, Fergus O'Neill

Out: Patrick Rowe

Squad: Peter Handscomb (c), Scott Boland, Brody Couch (rookie), Xavier Crone, Travis Dean, Sam Elliott (rookie), Zak Evans, Aaron Finch (Cricket Australia contract), Jake Fraser-McGurk, Seb Gotch, Sam Harper, Marcus Harris, Mackenzie Harvey, Jon Holland, Tom Jackson (rookie), Nic Maddinson, Glenn Maxwell (Cricket Australia contract), Cameron McClure (rookie), Jonathan Merlo, Todd Murphy (rookie), Tom O'Connell, Fergus O'Neill (rookie), Wil Parker, James Pattinson (Cricket Australia contract), Mitchell Perry, Will Pucovski, James Seymour, Matt Short, Will Sutherland.