The At The End Of The Day Team of the Week will highlight the best 11 and place them in a side on a weekly basis, with players from first grade district competitions in Orange, Bathurst, Dubbo, Lithgow, Cowra, Parkes and Mudgee.

Here’s the first line-up for 2018:

Coming off a simply stellar week with the triumphant zone under 14s side, Coady fired for the Cougars on Saturday.

Anchored his side’s pursuit of Newtown’s 9-270, but Souths ultimately fell short.

Who doesn’t love a cricketer named Dougie? Potter has moved to Narromine and has lapped up the Dubbo conditions, producing a fine knock on Saturday.

First ton this season, after scores of 55 and 71 in the opening two rounds. A young cricketer to watch.

Averages 60 this season – is a pillar in the middle order for Macquarie.

The Bourke Bruiser! Strachan is easily the most exciting cricketer in the zone. Nine sixes in an unbeaten 82 at Dubbo’s No.1 Oval evidence of that. Get around him.

A potentially match-winning ton. A century-run stand with his No.11 batsman. A second career triple-figure score – last Saturday was a memorable one for Tigers middle-order gun David Hitchick.

The finger-spinner’s first decent bag of wickets this summer. Could be ominous for Bathurst clubs.

In only his third spell this summer, Railz picked up a five-for and very nearly a hat-trick. Morphing into a fine all-rounder.

A third-career first grade seven-for for the Redbacks king of swing.

Take a bow, Hendo. The former Cowra star picked up his maiden michelle (five-for) for his Bathurst club in their tough day out against the Tigers boys. 

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*Team of the Week will appear each week, and is made up of the best 11 players to perform at district level cricket across Western Zone’s competitions.

I often sit at my desk and provide a reassuring ear to the musings of my colleague, Matt Findlay.

Naturally, most of the topics of conversation this time of year revolve around cricket, but this week, as will be the case for the next 12 days or so, tennis is on the agenda.

Here’s a hot take from the man commonly known as Findlay Mignon:

- Roger Federer winning the Australian open is easy money. Get on the Fed Express. 

- Bernard Tomic is refreshingly honest, rather than just a massive jerk (putting it nicely).

- Nick Kyrgios had (and there was a big emphasis on had) the potential to be Australia’s greatest ever tennis player. He’s talking all-time.

- Why is my serve and volley game not as strong as McGrath’s?

Ok, I might have added the last one in there.

But this is my column, not his, and honestly, I’d back myself to knock off Findlay in straight sets anyway.

With a game based on the Australian tennis great Andrew Ilie, I can’t lose. I’m basically a brick wall on that baseline.

On a serious note though, points two through to three pricked the ears.

Last week, I touched on the dilemma most Australia’s encounter every summer: whether or not Australia’s players, the loud-mouth current crop, anyway, deserve our support?

I answered yes: Kyrgios looks to have mellowed out a touch and, at the moment, Tomic is making him look like an Australian of the Year candidate.

I’m all in on Kyrgios.

He’s a chance of producing his best tennis this summer, at home, in the biggest tournament in the southern hemisphere … it could be special.

On special … anyone know if Bruce McAvaney is in the chair this year? Now, that would be special. 

While ever Australians love their sporting stars, particularly the underdogs, the nation won’t tolerate the jerks (again, putting it nicely).

Those taking the general public for a ride – that’s Bernie to a tee.

He’s off “counting his millions” while Australia is dying to get behind its next Lleyton Hewitt, begging for another Pat Rafter, we’d even settle for another Mark Philippoussis – the Poo!

Heck, I’m crying out for one more Andrew Ilie over here.

Sure, as Findlay pointed out in his Monday musings, Tomic is nothing if he’s not honest.

But Roger Federer is also honest.

No, a 36-year-old shouldn’t be favourite for one of the four majors in tennis, as Fed bluntly pointed out in the lead-up to Monday’s opening round. 

That there is being honest. 

The difference between the two, the two being Federer and Tomic, is obviously class. A huge gulf in it.

Tomic has none, while the Swiss ace, who in fact does head into the 2018 open as the bookies’ favourite, has it in spades – always has.

Even when Tomic had a sense of likability, when he inevitably bowed out of the Australian Open and ended up in his hotted up Mazda on the Gold Coast, Australians jumped on Fed – a great bloke and a winner.

And while half the population is probably on the Fed Express already given old Bernie didn’t qualify, I reckon the other half of Australia will have Kyrgios to cheer on for a bit before we do, maybe even to the final. 

The start of an all-time great career? Matty’s musings could be on the money.