Gaby leads by example in new cricket team

GABY Hynes is thrilled to be leading Glen Alvie Cricket Club’s new women’s team as captain/coach in the upcoming 2024/25 season.

The development of a women’s side has been a long time coming for the 21-year-old, who started her playing career with the club more than a decade ago.

“I’ve been playing at the club for the past 12 years. Over the last couple of years, I’ve really been pushing for more women to be involved. Glen Alvie has never really had enough players for a team.

There’s always the struggle of being out of town, but recently we’ve had a lot of girls come through our junior program,” she said. 

From the junior program, five or six have expressed interest in fielding a women’s side with a few mother/daughter combinations.

“The minimum age for the women’s team is 14 years old. We have a lot of 10- to 12-year-olds who haven’t played cricket with our boys’ side, so we are pushing for them to play in our female side,” Gaby said. 

Gaby has also fostered interest from the Bass Coast Breakers.

“I said they had to come play cricket if they signed me up for the footy,” she said.

“It was really good to be in the women’s dynamic in sport. It’s something I’ve missed. 

“I did a lot of Gippsland Pride stuff and played representative cricket growing up and it was great. Every January, I’d have a group of mates I knew would be there and it was the most fun. It really drove my love for cricket.

“To then have that in footy, I knew it was something I wanted to bring into the summer season.”

Gaby’s passion for cricket began with watching her dad David Hynes play on a Saturday.

She’s had a number of highlights during her playing career, including receiving the John Nugent Award. 

“It’s the most valuable player award for the U18s. That was a real privilege and I felt quite proud of that,” Gaby said.

Last season, the Gippsland Pride team came in second.

This felt particularly special to Gaby, as the teams comprised of girls who had been playing together for six years and David coached the team.

“Each year, we’d lose a few girls because of the age differences, but the team we ended up with was phenomenal. It was some of the best cricket I’d ever witnessed and some of the best cricket I’d ever played,” she said.

Gaby has competed in a few finals for Glen Alvie, including captaining a men’s C Grade side to the semi-finals in 2022/23.

“No one wanted to do it, and I was playing each week, and I wanted to make sure we had someone there. It was good exposure because I’d been coaching for a few years, and captaining was a whole different kettle of fish. I really enjoyed it,” she said.

“It was good, especially for the young girls. It didn’t quite click how important it was to have a female in the club until one training day they said ‘Okay, we have to so sit here so we can watch Gaby train and see what we have to do when we grow up’. It made me realise I’m not just the president’s daughter or just Gaby, I’m actually a role model. Seeing those girls run around and now their mum’s coming in, it’s created a whole new dynamic for the way I see cricket. It’s not just there to have a hit, it’s to form friendships.”

Gaby has had coaching experience from overseeing the junior program for the last four years.

Two years ago, she also took on the coaching role for the U15s.

“They were at a tricky age where they are either going to love cricket or be done with it, so I was focused on creating an environment that made them feel comfortable,” she said.

“The majority of those boys have stuck around, and they’ve invited more of their friends. I’ve stepped back from that, but I’ve always turned up for training and helped out where I can with the juniors.

Depending on who’s closer, I’ll go watch one of my brothers in the U15s or U17s. I always try to be at the forefront of it all so the kids can see me.

“The women’s team is something we’ve wanted to do, and I am now in a position where I’m comfortable with driving it and can commit to it. I’m slowly realising how much of a commitment it is, but it’s one of those things that is worth committing to.”

Gaby said she is excited to see how female involvement is changing the landscape of sport.

“I think this is a time where cricket is not going to die out. A lot of boys have been turning away from cricket because footy has become a full-year sport. I think having the progression we’ve got now is going to save the sport,” she said.

“Women aren’t just there to play – they’re there for meals, they’ll help clean the rooms, they’ll help with the social events, and they’ll help make the club a nice, safe environment that they want to be in. That full level of involvement is what is going to save the clubs.”

Gaby said her goal for the 2024/25 season is to ensure her team enjoy the challenge ahead and there’s enough momentum for the team to continue next season.

“Seeing mums, siblings and friends all get involved – this is a club I want to be a part of,” she said.

“I want to see the confidence continue to grow and I don’t want anyone to feel like they aren’t welcome. I want to drive this towards the way I wanted cricket to be when I started, and I want to see it become better and better.”