Tim Floros, Benji Floros, Bill Floros (Rockets Head Coach), Alexander Floros, and Matthew Floros, in Dubai during the 2017 Indoor Cricket World Cup. Photo: Supplied.
When the family business is an indoor cricket facility, you would either need to find space away from the sport or embrace it.
Thankfully for ACT and Australian indoor cricket, the Floros family chose the latter.
The ACT Rockets team for the upcoming Australian Indoor Cricket Championships in Ipswich features four members of the Floros family – as well as the coach.
Matthew Floros in action for the Rockets. Photo: Supplied.
Former Australian player Billy is the coach of the Rockets with nephew Matthew, named the world’s best indoor cricketer, the team captain. Matthew’s brothers, Tim and Benji, also represented Australia. Along with their cousin Alexander, an Australian junior representative, they make up the Floros component of the ACT Indoor cricket team for the upcoming Australian Indoor Cricket Championships.
For Billy, it’s not an issue; in fact, quite the opposite.
“It’s very interesting. We’re a very close family. It’s probably helped me in my coaching because I understand them so well,” he explains.
Matthew sees the family bond as a distinct advantage.
“We all grew up very close to each other and we spent plenty of time at the indoor cricket centre. We know each other’s games so well. It gives us an advantage.
“For 13 years, we’ve been at it, with Billy as coach and me as captain. We have such a close relationship we can be very open and honest with each other.”
Matthew Floros, playing for Australia at the Indoor Cricket World Cup in 2022. Photo: Supplied.
The Floros family has been a veritable production line of top-line cricketers.
Jason, brother of Matthew, Tim and Benji, represented Australia in indoor cricket. He also played for the Queensland Bulls and the Brisbane Heat. Jason has now retired. Another cousin Jake was named in the non-touring Australian squad and is now the coach of the national under-16 indoor cricket team.
This family has been vital to the Rockets becoming a national powerhouse in the sport, crowned Australian champions four times.
But they haven’t done it alone.
The Rockets, with the Floroses and the likes of World Cup winners Vinesh Bennett and Luke Ryan and Brock Winkler, head into the championships as one of the favourites, a point not lost on Billy.
“This year, I think we’ve got six Australian open players and another three who have played for Australia at the junior level. We are confident that we are better than we were last year when we just missed out on winning the title.”
Matthew adds, “We are stronger from a skill aspect. The fact that we are feeling stronger this year has given us confidence”.
Matthew Floros is the reigning ‘Player of the World’. Photo: Supplied.
Matthew heads into the Australian Indoor Cricket Championships as the reigning ‘Player of the World’ from the 2022 world titles, but he says, “Team results always come first, so winning the World Cup was the highlight. I think I won the award because the team did so well. Indoor cricket is very much a team sport”.
That team aspect has been instilled into Matthew and his brothers, cousins and uncles from an early age.
It has played a key role in the success of the ACT Rockets, which continues to thrive and grow with experience.
The Australian Indoor Cricket Championships commence today (17 June) in Ipswich and conclude on 1 July.
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