Having won the title for the first time in 2025, the WA Aboriginal Women’s team will enter this year’s National Indigenous Cricket Championships in the unfamiliar role of defending champions.
WA Women’s Aboriginal Team Looking to go Back-to-Back
The side played some outstanding cricket in last year’s tournament, highlighted by their win over Queensland in the final.
While going in as defending champions could be seen as added pressure, Head Coach Alex Stewart said the side was looking to approach the tournament in a similar manner to last year.
“It doesn’t do a great deal to our approach internally, but there may be some more expectation externally,” he said.
“We want to go into the tournament looking to have a good time and win some games of cricket.
“Quite a few of the players in the team are young and developing cricketers.
“For them, this tournament is about being able to understand winning and what you need to do to become better cricketers.”
With several young players in the squad, the side is set to call upon their senior players to help them in the title defence.
WA batter Mikayala Hinkley, who played a starring role in last year’s final, is set to be one of the senior players critical to the side’s fortunes again this year.
Hinkley joins Veronica Keen as a co-captain for this year’s tournament.
Stewart said it was a big boost for the squad to be able to call upon a player of Hinkley’s calibre for the tournament.
“I get to coach Mikayla at club level, and I’ve seen her do some pretty special things at that level,” he said.
“A few other states have state contracted players in their squads, but Mikayla is in charge of leadership from a cricketing and cultural perspective.”
Stewart said he also expected Keen to have another prolific tournament as a leader of the squad.
“Veronica took a little bit of a breather through the middle part of this season,” he said.
“She’s obviously played a lot of second 11 cricket for WA and has been an important part of Midland-Guildford’s team that made the final this season.
“She’s another year older and wiser and it will be good for her to have that added leadership around her.”
While opposition sides will be on red alert to the co-captains, Stewart said there was plenty of young talent that would help the side’s cause.
“I’m looking forward to seeing Charlotte Toohey throughout the tournament,” he said.
“She’s 17, which is cool to think about, and went away last year with the Australian Indigenous side and played well for us too.
“It’s also a great opportunity for someone like Milani McColl, who’s only 14.”
WA commences their campaign against Queensland on Tuesday in a rematch of last year’s of Grand Final.
Through the WA Cricket Foundation, WA Cricket provides pathways and programs for Aboriginal cricketers from grassroots through to state and national representation.