The 18-year-old is one of the brightest prospects in Victorian cricket and showed his promise during the JLT One Day Cup in October when he captured 4-11 for Victoria against New South Wales.
Sutherland has also starred at Under 19 level nationally. He averaged 51 with the bat and 16 with the ball in the National Championships and months later led the Australian U19 side to victory in a five-match series against Sri Lanka in April.
“I’m really excited to be on board with the Renegades this season – it will be my first taste of the BBL as a player,” he said.
“The opportunity to learn from the likes of Aaron Finch, Brad Hodge, Dwayne Bravo and Brad Hogg is something I’m really looking forward to.
“T20 cricket tests every part of your game so I’m excited about working closely with some of the best players in the world to achieve success with the Renegades and develop my own skills along the way.”
At 17 years and 350 days Sutherland became Victoria’s youngest List A debutant when he played for the Bushrangers in October, eclipsing the mark set by Renegades teammate Cameron White.
Sutherland turned down an AFL career to pursue cricket and Renegades Coach Andrew McDonald said he shapes as a player to watch in the coming years.
“Will is an exciting prospect for us and we’ll give him every opportunity around his under 19 commitments to push for a spot in the starting XI this season,” McDonald said.
“There will be some strong competition for spots, but Will provides a versatile option given his ability with bat and ball.
“He’ll get a lot out of being around the squad and he’s certainly going to provide some excitement for Renegades fans in the years to come.”
The Renegades WBBL side has also completed its playing roster for the season ahead with the signing of Essendon-Maribyrnong Park player Jenny Taffs last week.
The all-rounder was on the Renegades roster in WBBL|01 and will add further depth to the squad during a busy season.
Renegades Chief Executive Stuart Coventry said he was pleased with the depth across the BBL and WBBL line-ups.
“As a Club we feel we’re in a strong position to push for success in both the BBL and WBBL competitions this season,” Coventry said.
“The signings of Will and Jenny complement our playing rosters and now we can’t wait to get stuck into the season.
“Our players will spend some time in Geelong as part of their preparation and that will be an important stepping stone ahead of the season.
“Then we’re into the real stuff and it promises to be an exciting season for our players, and most importantly our members and fans.”
The Renegades begin their WBBL campaign on December 9 in Sydney and the BBL season gets underway on December 21.