Jodie Hicks and Britt Perry turn to AFLW after WBBL careers
Imagine having the talent to succeed at not one elite sport, but two. Such is the case for GWS Giants players Jodie Hicks and Britt Perry and now the pair are focusing on AFLW over their cricket careers.
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Imagine having the talent to succeed at not one elite sport, but two.
Such is the case for GWS Giants players Jodie Hicks and Britt Perry.
This time last year, both players were cricketers, playing for Sydney Sixers and Adelaide Strikers respectively in the WBBL.
This year, after not being offered new Big Bash contracts, they have switched codes to their other sporting passion and are pursuing football careers as part of the Giants AFLW roster.
It’s an upside of the early stages of professionalism in women’s sport, where there’s still freedom to move between sports without the restrictions of full-time contracts.
“It’s a huge bonus (having the two sports),” said Perry, who has relocated to Sydney from Adelaide for the AFLW season.
“I’ve been playing footy at the same time as playing cricket for many years now but just have never been able to take the extra step with footy because cricket was providing opportunities so I stuck with that.
“I enjoyed cricket while I was there but as soon as I left I realised how much I love footy.”
Hicks also juggled the two sports last season, but at the top for both. She even jetted from Adelaide to Melbourne to Adelaide in the space of two days to be at the Giants’ Round 1 game on a Saturday in between the Sixers’ semi-final and final on the Friday and Sunday.
It was a tough several months as she managed the WBBL season that overlapped her Giants pre-season, which couldn’t completely comprehend until it was all over.
She’s grateful she can put in a proper preparation with the GWS this time round.
“At the time I was so focused on being at places at different times in the two codes that I didn’t realise how full on it was until I finished both of them,” Hicks said.
“It didn’t really hit me until after the season.
“(This pre-season) has been really good. You fit in a lot better because everyone knows you’ve been doing the hard work. They did last year but every now and then you second guess yourself because you have to be pulled out of certain sessions because you can’t do everything flat out.
“It’s good to be among the girls and have more time for them and hang out with them more. It lets you in on that team culture a bit more.”
Both players are leaving their cricket futures open for now and will keep bat and ball close by should an opportunity arise down the track, but right now the focus is Giants and pushing up the ladder from their fourth place finish in 2018.
A run of four games without loss last season had the side gunning for a top-two finish, but those hopes were dashed when they went down to finalists Brisbane in the final round.
It’s a finish that ignited a determination for 2019.
“Everyone is back ready and firing. We’re so keen to learn,” Hicks said.
“Everyone is a bit disappointed with how we finished up last year and that’s driving our team forward this year.”
They’re on track too.
“All I can say is that around the club the girls keep talking about how much further we are now compared to this time last year,” said Perry.
“They’re really keen and we’re in a really strong position for what’s next.”
Originally published as Jodie Hicks and Britt Perry turn to AFLW after WBBL careers
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