Melissa McConnell to stand for Cricket Victoria board

Frankston Peninsula’s Melissa McConnell has thrown her bat into the ring for a Cricket Victoria board position.

Melissa McConnell with legendary Frankston Peninsula Cricket Club official Denis Prendergast.

The vice-president of Frankston Peninsula Cricket Club is throwing her bat into the ring for the Cricket Victoria board elections.

Melissa McConnell confirmed yesterday that she had nominated for a director position at the CV annual general meeting on August 30.

Former Victorian wicketkeeper Phil Hyde and ex-City of Hawthorn mayor Jane Nathan are seeking re-election.

Carlton and Camberwell Magpies will nominate McConnell, who describes herself as a “cricket lover’’ and is on the Premier Cricket Operations Advisory Group.

Two years ago she joined the board of Frankston Peninsula, where her son Lucas plays.

She’d previously been associated with the Mt Waverley, Heatherton, Baxter, Carrum Downs and La Trobe cricket clubs.

“It was put to me earlier in the year if it was something I’d ever be interested in doing, and I’ve been involved in cricket for over 20 years in terms of administration and volunteering,’’ McConnell said.

“To me it seemed like that next step, a natural progression moving into a cricket-related director’s role.

“I’m also the managing director of my own company (MelSafe Audit & Compliance Services) and I’ve had it on my to-do list to get on to a board at some stage. I actually thought with Cricket Victoria it might be five years away but the opportunity has presented now. So I thought, well, I might as well have a go at it.

“Just with me being hands-on at the moment I may be able to bring something to the table, some strengths that they may need. I love the game, I follow the game, I want to protect and grow it.’’

McConnell said her involvement in community and Premier cricket gave her an understanding and appreciation of the game.

She has served as secretary, treasurer, team manager, junior co-ordinator and committee member.

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McConnell said she understood the challenges clubs faced to put out teams every week, finding and keeping volunteers, maintaining facilities, and accessing funding.

McConnell said she had no issues with the way Cricket Victoria was operating.

“They (CV) have been presented with lots of challenges, like most businesses, having to navigate through an ever-changing world with Covid,’’ she said.

In a letter seeking support from clubs, McConnell said she saw the benefit cricket provided to local communities, “by connecting individuals from diverse backgrounds’’ and wanted to see the game “grow and evolve’’.

She listed player retention, the strengthening of the pathway programs, the transition of young female and male players into senior ranks, and continuing to raise the profile of the WBBL and BBL competitions as areas of focus.

“Through both my cricket and business experience, I feel that I would be able to make an integral contribution to the Cricket Victoria board…’’ she said.

David Talalla, the MCC competitions convener and a Cricket Australia match referee, and former Premier and Sub-District batsman Shaun Richardson are also standing for the board.