Network partnerships fuel captaincy aspirations for Alyssa Healy

Alyssa Healy, a favourite to become Australian cricket captain, has opened up about her leadership ambitions.

Former Australia cricket captain, Rachael Haynes, Suncorp chair and Minerva founder Christine McLoughlin and Alyssa Healy at the SCG. Picture: John Feder.

Alyssa Healy, a favourite to become Australian cricket captain, has opened up about her leadership ambitions and how she believes the national women’s team can go to another level.

Healy, who was at the SCG this week to promote Sunday’s first stand-alone women’s Big Bash game at the ground and to celebrate the booming growth of the women’s sports network Minerva, has never hidden her desire to take up the role one day.

While over the last 18 months she has had a “taste” of captaining Australia, when then captain Meg Lanning was taking time out, Healy does have hopes of leading the country permanently.

“Meg (Lanning) retiring leaves a big gap that needs to be filled,” Healy said.

“I think I’d be silly not to, to put my hand up and say that I’d be interested because I would be interested in doing that.”

“I think the group’s got an amazing opportunity to sort of evolve and take our game to another level. And whether that’s me or whether that’s somebody else within the squad that’s going to lead the evolution.

“I think it’s a really exciting opportunity for whoever does get the nod at the end of the day, and I’ve got my own thoughts on it, and there’s obviously a process that needs to take place to appoint a full-time captain, but I’m happy to go through all those processes and see if I’m the right candidate.

“And if not, then yeah, I’ll be completely supportive of whoever does get the gig.”

This week her ambitions were backed in by long time Australian teammate Ellyse Perry and rising star Thunder batter Phoebe Litchfield. Healy is also supported by her long term Minerva Network mentor Christine McLoughlin, the Suncorp chair.

McLouglin, who co-founded the Minerva Network in 2016, said she thought it was “brilliant” that Healy had put her hat in the ring for the role. She believes if Healy was given the chance she would be a strong leader.

“At the same time as excelling and breaking world records on the pitch and in recent years Alyssa has applied the same deep focus in becoming the best leader, the best captain,” McLoughlin said.

“It may surprise you but many of the challenges she addresses are similar to those I tackle as a business leader. So it’s a win-win when we share experiences and make plans. Alyssa is resilient, tenacious, ambitious and has a wicked sense of fun”

Healy, who’s husband Australian cricketer Mitchell Starc recently became a Minerva ambassador, says McLoughlin’s network has aided her career and leadership in many ways.

“The mentoring part of it has been a really useful sort of exploration for me and the fact that I can, you know, pick the brains of Raelene Castle and Christine McLoughlin who have done some amazing things in the corporate scene,” Healy said.

“I’ve also really enjoyed the fact that I can mingle in with other athletes, as well as some amazing women in the corporate world and sort of share some stories – some war stories at times – but also share a laugh and a joke about, you know, how things are going and how we can help one another, I think has been, you know, one of the coolest part of the network for me.”

While Healy has been sidelined, she is currently recovering from a hand injury following a dog bite, she set should be fit to play Test cricket in December.

Another cricketer, who is a part of the Minerva Network is Rachael Haynes, who since retiring the former Australian vice-captain has become the ‘Head of the Sixers’ overseeing the operations of the BBL and WBBL teams.

“I think the Minerva Network helped me go for it with my eyes open. I think, you know, and I probably didn’t get too wrapped up in, I suppose, my identity being built around just a cricketer and yeah, an athlete and those sorts of things that made me consider all different aspects of my life and having that balance.”

McLoughlin, who also mentors Haynes, said her transition from player to holding a management role in cricket was a great achievement.

“Rachael is also an extraordinary record breaking cricket player who retired last year, and we started talking about her transition plan from player to an off the field career a couple of years ago, neither of us knew the landing,” McLoughlin said.

“But Rachael was a determined professional who followed up on every experience offered and every door opened before she landed.

“And now in her role off the field in overseeing the BBL and WBBL operations of the Sydney Sixers she is determined to be a respected leader but also seeking to harness the ‘Matilda effect’ and get greater support for women’s sport.

“So she is starting with the game on November 26 where she is aiming to get a sell out crowd.”

Minerva, which was started by just a small group led by McLoughlin and Sam Mostyn, has now become a booming network. They now have nearly 700 athletes involved and nearly 400 women leaders helping them but are still looking for more backers and funding as it grows.

“It’s a proven formula,” McLouglin said. “We’ve proven we can do it. We can do much more. And ... we’re looking to get funding to enable us to do that.”

McLoughlin says it just makes good business sense to connect women and create opportunities.

“As well articulated by Sam Mostyn, who’s also chair of the Women’s Economic Equality Taskforce, in her recently released report, there is extraordinary economic value to Australia in addressing systemic barriers and creating opportunities, and what we are doing at Minerva is addressing that for Australia’s professional women athletes by supporting them off the field,” McLoughlin said. “Whether that be through mentoring, development programs, networking with business leaders or helping build better sports governance in their sports.”