Sport
4 March, 2026
DeFrancesco named Cricketer of the Year
STAR Simpson all-rounder Shae DeFrancesco has taken out the Cricketer of the Year award for the Colac District Cricket Association women’s competition at its awards night in Colac on Monday.
“It's kinda hard to put into words, the competition was so close” DeFrancesco said.
“There’s Jess (Pomborneit’s Jess Moulden) winning it last year, and she was very close again, as well as (Pomborneit’s) Tayla Reynolds, a few Birregurra girls in there and some of my own teammates who did really well throughout the season.”
DeFrancesco, who made 235 runs and took 26 wickets in the home and away season, relishes working on her game.
“Personally, there was a few things that I wanted to knuckle down on this season.
“I tried my best not to go out playing silly shots and all that kind of stuff.”
DeFrancesco has played a lot of men’s cricket over the years, including a stint as Simpson’s division three men’s captain in the 2024/25 season.
“I know my bowling in particular has definitely progressed through the years,
playing men's has helped that.”
“And Tom (partner Tom Marshall) being a bowler himself makes my life a little bit easier.”
After mostly playing men’s cricket the past few years, DeFrancesco returned to full time women’s cricket this season.
“Coming back to women's cricket has been fantastic, the girls have welcomed me with open arms.
“They’ve been trying to get me across for a couple of years and just with my work commitments, it's been quite difficult to play two games every weekend.”
Advertisement
DeFrancesco is happy to focus on women’s cricket for now.
“Now that I've made the commitment this season to come back to the women's game, I'm just concentrating on that specifically.
“It has helped not trying to vary between the two.”
The talented sports star could have gone down another path.
“As a kid I started out with dancing.
“And I hated it and I hated netball” she laughed.
“So once I’d transitioned out of dance I started playing footy with the boys.”
A lot of the young DeFrancesco’s friends who were the boys playing football were playing cricket as well, prompting her to take to take it up.
“I did Milo cricket, then under 13s, under 16s and then a senior men’s senior debut with with the Mortlake Cricket Club.”
“I don't think I've missed a season since I started playing cricket, actually.”
DeFrancesco was also named as Simpson’s sole representative in the CDCA women’s team of the year on Monday night, and took out the bowling aggregate with her 26 wickets coming at the stunning average of just 2.38 runs per wicket.
Read More: Simpson