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How the Melbourne All Abilities Cricket Association pulls people out of ‘very dark places'
At 25 years of age, Denis Wilkinson received a diagnosis that would change his life forever.
Wilkinson was found to have McCune-Albright Syndrome, a rare and complex genetic disorder affecting the bone, skin and endocrine systems.
It explained why he shot up from 5'8 to 6'8 between the ages of 15 and 22.
'I'm one in five million,' Wilkinson explained.
'I get looked after at Royal Melbourne and at Western Health medically, I see the best surgeons. My biggest problem is excess growth, because I produce so much growth hormone naturally, it's a lot of disfiguration and my bones are very soft.
'(The diagnosis) was very very late and it literally changed my whole life.
'Sometimes my body, I wake up some days and I'm done before I start.'
Almost poetically, around the same time Wilkinson, now aged 40, was diagnosed with McCune-Albright Syndrome some 15 years ago, a chance conversation was struck up at Moorabbin Cricket Club.
It was there and then the seed for what would become the Melbourne All Abilities Cricket Association (MAACA) was planted in the mind of the competition's founder, Steve Lefebvre.
In 2025, the competition celebrated its 10th season, and it has shaped the lives of Wilkinson and many others for the better.
'This has really saved a number of them,' Lefebvre said of the impact MAACA has had on its participants.
'Some of them have seen darker times and playing within a club has got them connected which is absolutely fantastic, they don't become one of those unfortunate statistics, they're actually enjoying themselves among the community like everyone else.
'A number of the clubs have helped them get jobs, they've helped them go through pathway processes to the Victorian team.'
The association now has 16 clubs, 24 teams and more than 300 players across Geelong, Ballarat, Bendigo and greater Melbourne.
Crucially, every program must be embedded within a 'mainstream' local cricket club to foster a sense of belonging.
Lefebvre is a retired police officer of 41 years who developed Victoria Police's mental health strategy, while he was also recognised with a 'Victorian Local Hero' nomination at the 2025 Australian of the Year Awards for his work with MAACA.
He said the association's growth was rapid, but would be capped at three new clubs per season so it 'doesn't get out of hand'.
'We've got different divisions according to different skill levels and different disability levels, right up to the high functioning guys,' he explained. Humble beginnings
Vickram Jholl was the player who inspired the creation of an all-abilities program at Moorabbin, and later the formation of the MAACA, when his tireless and determined parents leant over the fence at cricket training and asked Lefebvre if he could help their son.
In the first year there were only seven players and Lefebvre was left disappointed, but steadily that number grew. The next year there were 19, then 29, then 44, and so on.
'It just started as an idea at Moorabbin Cricket Club about 15 years ago and it all started to blossom, now we're putting the reins on it because it's just exploding … when you see it you're absolutely hooked,' Lefebvre said.
'The interest got so big that we decided to set up a competition. It's a program first and a competition second.
'It must be embedded within a mainstream cricket club, it can't be an all abilities club, and that's all about integration and inclusion basically … all our all abilities players come to Moorabbin functions.
'The cultural change has taken place many years ago and it's just part of the everyday furniture at Moorabbin which is fantastic. It's nothing new for a First XI player to be sitting next to an all abilities player and having a chat.
'That was the idea of what we wanted to do and that was the way it worked out which was great.'
Vickram's parents Arjan and Gobind Jholl had been searching tirelessly for an opportunity for Vickram – who has autism and an intellectual disability – to play cricket when they met Lefebvre.
'It took us a while to get a club that would take in people with all abilities,' Arjan explained.
'Vickram was really interested in cricket … he kept saying he wanted to play cricket.
'We went around door knocking, got the local council involved as well, it took us around a year.
'Everyone was telling us we can't take it on, it's too hard basket, it's a big liability, but Steve gave it a go and said 'I'll do it', and he did. He's our saviour, we weren't going to give up until we found someone but we were lucky that Steve gave us a go.' The impact
Vickram and Wilkinson are just two cases out of hundreds of MAACA shaping a disadvantaged life for the better.
'It has made a lot of difference … just that sense of belonging, giving everyone a go, you're not judging,' Arjan said of the impact on Vickram.
'Everyone has a goal no matter what your ability is, he's so proud to put on his uniform on match days and he thinks, 'right, I'm a hot shot cricket player'. It has boosted his self esteem, his morale.
'He's a different boy altogether.'
Wilkinson has only been playing in MAACA for the past two seasons but said it had been 'amazing' for him.
'It's given me another path and another step in life, people go through a lot of things in life, but it's all about a team environment and getting out there, and community,' said Wilkinson, who plays for Seddon Cricket Club.
'Some days I wake up and my head is just pounding and my face is swollen, it's just life.
'Cricket helps me and gives me a purpose on Tuesday, Thursday, Saturday and Sunday, to me it gives me something to look forward to, then a week's gone like that.'
'My day to day life is very boring unfortunately, I'm on the disability pension and when I'm really sick I don't leave the house, or might see the boys at cricket and socialise.
'Outside of cricket I struggle a lot on the medical side of it. Cricket and golf are the things that get me out of the house to come and socialise, it makes me a better person.
'The people at Seddon love and respect all of our all abilities players, they put a smile on our face and we put a smile on their face.'
An action as simple as Wilkinson putting his body behind the ball in the outfield can cause injury for him given his softer bones, while he also needs injections once a month, has to take tablets everyday, and has diabetes. 'We could go on forever …' he trails off.
Wilkinson has also struggled with alcohol as a result of his condition, but went cold turkey in his first season with MAACA.
'I get on it a bit, I don't work most days and it gets boring, cricket does help. I can't say so much positive things with MAACA … I'm very fortunate.
'Last year I did so well,' Wilkinson said.
'This year hasn't been great because when I get sick I get on it a bit too much, but that's life.'
Wilkinson added that his diagnosis 'took a big toll' on him.
'I'm lucky I've got an amazing family, my mum and dad, If I didn't have them … I've been in very dark places in life and if it wasn't for my family and friends and cricket and golf, it was very, very, very hard.
'Everyone gets dealt a shit card and might feel shit on 'x' day, but you've got to wake up and have some positives.'
