As the inaugural Barclay Cup gets underway on the Gold Coast this weekend, current Australian Emeralds and Victoria Aces player Morgan Doty is looking forward to her coaching debut.
Doty will serve as assistant coach to the Vic Dingoes, one of two Victorian teams playing in the brand new national tournament for youth girls aged 13-16 from 25 September to 1 October at Surfers Paradise Baseball Club.
The Dingoes will join the Vic Hornets and teams from Queensland, New South Wales, Western Australia, and South Australia in a big week of baseball honouring Jacinda Barclay, a standout Australian athlete and passionate baseballer who sadly passed away in 2020. Barclay, originally from Western Australia, once participated in summer baseball with Berwick’s women’s program and was well-known on the Australian women’s baseball scene for her athletic talent and infectious spirit.
Doty, a long-time friend and teammate of Barclay, is proud to be taking on her first coaching role, stepping up to the plate as an assistant coach to the Dingoes alongside fellow Emerald and Victoria Aces player Abbey McLellan and field manager Alan Sutherland.
Together they’ve been working with Samantha Hamilton, head coach of Victoria Aces, to prepare for the tournament and encourage players to pay tribute to Barclay’s fierce determination on the field and fun-loving nature off the field.
Doty says while coaching isn’t something she imagined doing a year ago, she couldn’t say no to this special opportunity, given her connection with Barclay as Emerald teammates.
“Barky was such a good friend of mine. As soon as this tournament was announced, I thought about it and changed my perspective a bit,” Doty said. “I wanted to be a part of it, and I know Barky would want me to as well. I can hear her telling me to go help and give back, driving me to do it.”
“I just think it’s a really good opportunity to honour her legacy. Especially with COVID, a lot of the girls haven’t gotten to play on a team of all girls before, let alone a tournament, so this is so cool for them and their development. It’s going to be very special.”
While the Barclay Cup marks Doty’s first coaching stint, she’s been a passionate baseballer for as long as she can remember. Starting her baseball journey on the West Coast, Doty represented WA for many years bringing home two National Championships alongside Barclay before making the move to Victoria.
She’s since played on numerous Victorian teams, most recently the side that finished second at the 2022 Australian Women’s Championship and the Victoria Aces that won the Australian Women’s Baseball Showcase in May. Doty has played for Newport, Footscray, and Melbourne Uni, too.
All of this experience has given her the insight she needs to coach the Dingoes, and so far, the transition from player to coach has been smoother than expected.
“I’m actually pleasantly surprised that I know more than I thought I knew or give myself credit for,” Doty said. “It’s been really cool to pass down a lot of high performance training we’ve been doing with the state team and development program in recent years. They’ve completely latched onto things like arm care and strength and conditioning.”
The teams’ dedication isn’t the only thing inspired by Barclay, as the Dingoes and Hornets are named in her honour. Barclay's first club in WA was the Hornets, while the Dingoes come from her self-appointed nickname "Barky Dingo”.
No matter what happens at the tournament, Doty is happy to honour her friend and looks forward to showcasing the bright future of women’s baseball in Victoria, with 25 players representing 23 clubs around the state. She hopes to help them become better players, with their motivation evident in every training session.
“I think we played really well in our scratch match,” Doty added. “Our pitchers all got a go, the girls got some good at-bats and I’m really impressed with the base running we’ve been working hard on. They’ve been doing really well and to see all the work they put in on the field, it’s really promising.”
Stay tuned to the Baseball Victoria Facebook page for the latest updates on the Barclay Cup.
To register for the upcoming Women & Girls Coaching Workshop, made possible by the Change Our Game Community Activation Grants Program, click here.
