Wednesday 18 May 2022 09:43 AM Andrew Symonds to get honour from Gold Coast Dolphins as he's remembered for ... trends now
Andrew Symonds put the cricket world on notice when he was just 15 with a legendary knock that remains the stuff of legend at his foundation club on the Gold Coast.
A 200-plus run innings, his first ever for the Gold Coast Dolphins more than 20 years ago, would be the start of a famous career cut tragically short this week when the iconic cricketer was killed in a car accident.
His death continues to be deeply mourned at the Dolphins headquarters where club president Adam Daniels revealed to Daily Mail Australia that a new youth-focused cricket academy would be named in his honour.
It will be a fitting tribute, says Daniels, given Symonds exploded on to the local scene in his early teens before making his under-19 debut that is still talked about today.
Arriving at the club's picturesque Robina grounds at age 15 having been self-taught with the help of his father Ken, Symonds first made an impression during a casual nets session.
'He came out for this net session and had all these grade bowlers around and he was just smacking them all over the place,' said Daniels, who would also play for the Dolphins several years behind Symonds.
'He looked around like this was some kind of joke. But he was just that good.'
Symonds later made his under-19 debut and, with the help of good friend (and now Australian women's coach) Matthew Mott the pair laid on a 446-run partnership off just 36 overs that had opponents, teammates and onlookers captivated.
Andrew Symonds - combining with teammate Matthew Mott (R) - produced a 446-run partnership on debut
Symonds helped the Gold Coast Dolphins to a first-grade premiership at just 17 (seen middle back)
Symonds (second left) with his grade premiership teammates at the club he will be honoured at
'We were up against South Brisbane and he was just hammering them all over the park, my god,' says Daniels.
'Andrew hit, I think, 240 and I think they both retired and we had over 500 runs on the board in that match which was a one-day game.
'And I know there are stories about Ricky Ponting playing grade cricket at 14 and making hundreds so this really put him in that category very early on.
'You know you are seeing something very very good and very special when players are doing that at that age.'
Another famous moment would see Symonds launch a cracking six far beyond the club's southern boundary, over a clump of trees and allegedly hit what was then the Queensland Foxtel headquarters located around 150 metres away.
'There
