Andrea McCauley steps down as SA women’s cricket head coach after six years in role

With a year left on her contract, former cricketer Andrea McCauley has stepped down from her role as SA’s head women’s cricket coach. But she has absolutely no regrets.

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SOUTH Australia’s head women’s cricket coach Andrea McCauley has today resigned from the role, despite still having a year left to go on her contract.

McCauley — who has been in the full-time coaching role since 2014 — said the time was right for her to step down.

She has been coaching the SA Scorpions in the Women’s National Cricket League and the Adelaide Strikers in the Women’s Big Bash League.

Not only a coach, but widely regarded as a strong advocate for the women’s game behind closed doors, McCauley said she made the decision to quit the role in December before the Big Bash competition began.

“I feel that I’ve got tired,” she said in an exclusive interview with The Advertiser.

“Both physically and mentally I don’t feel like I could offer (the players) any more.

“So that was my decision, to step aside and I think that’s best for me and it’s best for them.

“They need a new voice. It will be good for them to have someone else to put a new spin on things.”

The 2018/19 summer season has been disappointing for both State women’s sides, with the Scorpions finishing on the bottom of the WNCL ladder and the Strikers failing to make finals.

Strikers men’s head coach Jason Gillespie and women's coach Andrea McCauley speak to the media at Adelaide Oval in early 2018. Picture: Tom Huntley

Prior to her taking up the head coach role with SACA in a full-time capacity six years ago, she worked in the role part-time for a year and before that was an under-18 state coach.

As such, she said, she had been coaching many of the current top level cricketers — including Amanda-Jade Wellington, Tahlia McGrath, Bridget Patterson, Megan Schutt and Tegan McPharlin — since their junior days.

“I’ve been more than the coach … to keep growing the structure of the female program, there’s a lot of energy that goes into always pushing to get more,” she said, adding that one of her biggest achievements was successfully lobbying for a strength and conditioning coach for the women’s team.

“I've tried to innovate as much as I can and bring other skills coaches into the program because you can’t coach everything and certainly the SACA has been supportive of me to do that.

“I feel like I’ve kept a good program running, but it’s time to put my feet up.”

Andrea McCauley with some of her cricket memorabilia at the newly renovated Karen Rolton Oval in November 2018. Picture: Matt Turner

McCauley said one of the biggest highlights of her coaching career was when the Scorpions won their maiden WNCL title in 2015, where the side ended New South Wales’ 10-year dominance of the competition.

The 53-year-old is also a former SA captain, who also played one Test and one ODI for Australia in 1990.

McCauley told players she was stepping down before their final two WNCL games played last week and she was given a touching send-off at the Scorpions’ final game on Sunday, being drenched with water by the players after their 47-run win over the ACT Meteors.

Former captain, Tegan McPharlin gave a speech and each player shared a memory of McCauley, including Australian fringe all-rounder Tahlia McGrath who recalled her first meeting with the coach.

“Apparently the first thing I did with (McGrath) as her coach was to show her vision of her bowling with her hair everywhere and I told her that if she didn’t tie her hair back she wouldn’t get picked and she said that had had such a big impact on her cricket career,” McCauley said with a laugh.

Andrea McCauley in her playing days in 1989. Picture: FILE

SACA’s general manager of high performance Tim Nielsen said McCauley had been an asset to state cricket.

“She’s brought such energy, knowledge and experience to the role and has really advanced our women’s program forward — she will absolutely be missed,” he said.

SACA chief executive Keith Bradshaw said McCauley’s contribution to the women’s program had been exceptional.

“And her passion to see young South Australian athletes succeed is evident in everything she’s done,” he said.

“We are sad to say goodbye to Andrea and wish her all the best for the next chapter.”

McCauley will continue as head coach until a replacement is appointed in the coming months.

“I’ve put my heart and soul into it,” she said.

“Cricket has always been my life and I don’t think I could have achieved any more than I have.

“Right now, I’m very content with where I’m at and I’m content with my decision because I know it’s the right one.”