The Hickey family’s proud connection with the Geelong Cats will continue in 2019 with Melissa Hickey appointed captain of the club’s inaugural AFLW team.
The 33-year-old follows in the footsteps of her grandfather’s cousin, former Geelong captain Reg Hickey, who has a grandstand named in his honour.
Mel has come a long way since growing up in Mildura watching her great uncle Pat and father Peter star on the football field.
It is that strong connection and passion for football which made her appointment as captain an extra ‘special’ moment.
“I got the call from Simone (Bellears) yesterday morning and obviously the group found out last night as well and I think I am still getting my head around it, but it is pretty special,” Hickey said.
“I called mum and had a few tears with her and then called back later and got dad - so that was a pretty special moment as well.”
“I feel this special family connection to this club. My grandfather instilled a lot of things in me about what it is to be a Hickey.”
“I think that family legacy just adds that extra special touch to it. Reminiscing with dad on the phone yesterday about wearing the Cats jumper as a kid and going for kicks with him was again another special moment.”
Hickey will be joined in the leadership group by Rebecca Goring as vice-captain, with Richelle Cranston, Renee Garing, Aasta O’Connor and Anna Teague rounding out the group.
Hickey has long held hopes of captaining this club and plans to let her actions do the talking.
“I always like to be the hardest worker out there and also try to empower the girls,” she said.
“I am not the biggest speaker in front of a group and it is more of those one-on-one relationships and trying to build girls up and challenge them to be the best that they can be and backed up by a really awesome leadership group.”
“There is also another four or five girls who could have been in that group as well. We are pretty lucky to have quite a bit of experience within the group and we are just going to keep driving those standards.”
Official Club Announcement
