Melissa Hickey to captain Geelong’s AFLW team in its inaugural season

The Hickey name is revered at Geelong and it’s set to be further etched in history with the Cats revealing their first AFLW captain.

Geelong will announce the clubÍs AFLW Captain for the 2019 season. Melissa Hickey (Captain) picture: Glenn Ferguson

Melissa Hickey will be the Cats’ first AFLW captain in what she admits was an emotional appointment.

The star — who is hopeful of playing in Round 1 after enduring a second knee reconstruction nine months ago — will lead Geelong in its first AFL Women’s season from February after it this year became one of two teams added to the burgeoning competition.

Hickey, 33, moved from Melbourne at the end of last season and has a strong family connection to Geelong with famous Cats figure Reg Hickey her grandfather’s cousin.

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Speaking under the stand emblazoned with the Hickey name, the midfielder said she couldn’t have been happier to be installed to responsibility by her teammates.

Geelong’s AFLW leadership group, from left, Aasta O'Connor, Anna Teague, Melissa Hickey (Captain), Rebecca Goring (Vice Captain), Renee Garing and Richelle Cranston. Pic: Glenn Ferguson

“It’s pretty special,” she said.

“It’s something that when you finish your career you’ll probably reflect on more, but even chatting to mum and dad and reflecting on wearing the Cats jumper as a kid and kicking the footy in the front yard and waiting from dad to come home from work so he could have a kick with me … it’s pretty cool.”

Hickey’s parents live in Mildura and she said there had been a few tears shed when she broke the news this week.

The Hickey name is revered at Geelong. Picture: Alison Wynd

She will be supported by vice-captain Bec Goring, Renee Garing, Rocky Cranston, Anna Teague and Aasta O’Connor in the club’s inaugural leadership group.

Hickey injured her ACL in Round 6 of AFLW02 and said that her rehabilitation should culminate in returning to full training as soon as next week.

“It’s a bit of an early Christmas present,” she said, with initial plans to hold off until the new year.

“It feels good. The physios and the strength and the conditioning staff are sick of me saying ‘is there anything else we need to be doing?’, ‘are we on track?’.

“(Round 1) is 100 per cent (in the picture).”