Clare Warwick batting for the Australian Softball Team. Photo: Supplied.
The ACT Open women’s softball team had a golden run in the prestigious Gilley’s Shield from 1978 to 1980, winning the title three years in a row.
The Gilley’s Shield, donated by the former President of the Queensland Softball Association, is awarded to the winners of the National Open Women’s Softball Championships.
The shield is akin to the Ashes cricket urn in terms of relevance to the sport.
From 9-14 January, the 2024 National Championships will take place at the Softball ACT facility at Hawker. It’s the first time Canberra has hosted the tournament since 2010.
The only time the ACT has won the title at their home field was back in 1979. In 1978, the ACT side won in Hobart, and in 1980 the team won the championship in Brisbane.
The current ACT side, with six rookies, boasts the Australian captain Clare Warwick, who made her debut in the Canberra Open women’s team in 2003.
Clare continues a strong tradition of ACT representation in the national team, which over the years has featured the likes of Sally McCreedy and Joanne Brown.
Sally with her daughters, Samantha and Caitlin, both representative softballers. Photo: Supplied.
Sally played 356 games for Australia including two Olympics, the first in 1996 in Atlanta and the second in 2000 in Sydney. On both occasions the Australian team won bronze.
She played in five World Championships matching the record at the time for the most number of appearances at the worlds. Sally remains involved in the sport and is an assistant coach with the ACT side for the 2024 nationals.
Joanne Brown also represented Australia at the 1996 and 2000 Olympic Games and played 244 games for her country.
She was also named in the American All Star team while on scholarship at the University of California.
The 2024 Gilley’s Shield will feature players of similar stature with two of the world’s leading pitchers bolstering the Tasmanian and Victorian teams.
Team USA’s Olympic Gold medal winning pitcher Megan Faraimo will turn out for Tasmania, while Softball America’s 2022 pitcher of the year Georgina Corrick will be in the Victorian team.
Clare Warrick in action. Photo: File.
Both pitch in excess of 110km/h, giving batters just 0.35 seconds to react.
Apart from the shield, there is plenty to play for.
Selectors will be using the tournament to assess form before naming the Australian team for the upcoming world titles in Italy.
Women’s softball has returned to an upward trajectory after being confirmed in the program for the 2028 Los Angeles Olympics.
The national titles in Canberra will be the start of the journey to 2028 for a number of the players in action in January.
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