AFTER more than 30 years’ involvement in cricket as a player, volunteer and administrator, Julie Allan has gone one better than any other woman. Cricket Victoria has appointed her Barwon Regional Cricket Manager, the first female in the RCM role.
For Julie, it all started back on the family farm at Foster. The daughter of Robbie and Jeanette Allan, she grew up playing backyard cricket with her brother, and watching Test match cricket on ABC television.
She is now only the second life member of Edinburgh Cricket Club in Brunswick.
Julie acknowledged there could be some small challenges about being the first female in the RCM role. “What do I know about cricket? That sort of thing. However, I’ve been around the game long enough and know that it’s been a boys’ club in some areas for such a long time. I’m pretty sure I can talk the talk just as much as they can.”
“I’m super excited to get the opportunity to be in this role,” she said. “I don’t see it as a trailblazer or anything like that. I see it as a fantastic opportunity to grow women’s cricket in the Geelong and Barwon area.
“That’s just not what I’m about. I want to help grow all areas of cricket and support as many people as I can in playing cricket, not just girls.”
Julie said she would like to see boys and girls begin their cricketing careers at an early age and continue with cricket all the way through their teenage years.
“Higher participation rates, particularly from juniors, but higher participation rates that follow all the way through,” she said of her long-term goals.
She said she was thrilled with how the professionalism of women’s cricket has evolved and delighted to have got a few of her friends onto watching women’s cricket, especially at an international level on television.
“Even my uncle says he prefers to watch the women rather than the men now.
“I’m rapt! I know some girls who have achieved such great heights at women’s cricket and I think it’s just amazing and it’s great to see them getting more recognition.”
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