Sport
28 March, 2024
Leaders in community sport honoured
MORTLAKE cricketing export Georgia Wareham and current Mortlake Cats women’s captain/coach Shae De Francesco were two of more than a dozen recipients at this year’s South West Community Sports Awards.
During a night of celebrations in Warrnambool last weekend, the team at South West Sport were proud to announce this year’s award winners, celebrating the people, clubs and organisations that bring community sport to life in the south west.
Among the award winners was Mortlake export and Australian women’s cricketer Georgia Wareham, who was announced winner of the Keith Wilson Chair Person Award.
Having burst onto the Australian cricket scene in 2018, Georgia suffered a major injury in 2021 that ruled her out of action the following year.
Despite the setback, she persevered and returned to international cricket last year, adding to her already impressive resume representing Australia at international level in both the 50 and over and 20 and over formats.
She also represented the Gujarat Giants and Royal Challengers Bangalore in the Women’s Premier League in India.
Georgia also played in the Hundred Women’s competition in England with the Northern Superchargers, and played domestically with the Melbourne Renegades and the Victorian women’s team.
Having played her junior cricket at Mortlake before progressing through the talent identification pathway, Georgia has now represented Australia on over 90 occasions – proving that growing up in a rural community is no barrier to playing at an elite level.
Mortlake’s Shae De Francesco added to her recent list of accomplishments with this year’s ‘Emerging Leader in Sport’ award.
Despite growing up playing in traditionally male-dominated sports, Shae has always pioneered for female representation.
She played a pivotal role in the establishment of women’s cricket at Mortlake, becoming the club’s inaugural coach of the Cats’ first all-female side this season at the age of 20.
Her leadership both on and off the field saw the side finish fifth in its first season.
Shae was also the league’s leading wicket taker, and was selected as part of the Warrnambool and District association’s Women’s Challenge representative side.