Young guns earn maiden WA deals as Aussie star returns home

Teenage sensation Ines McKeon has scored her maiden state deal as Western Australia confirmed their women's contract list for next season.

The 18-year-old big-hitting opener is one of five new faces for WA in 2025-26 as they set their sights on climbing back up the Women's National Cricket League table after finishing last in 2024-25.

As revealed earlier this week, Cricket Australia-contracted allrounder Heather Graham returns home after four seasons with Tasmania, with WA also luring Perth Scorchers fast bowler Ebony Hoskin from NSW.

WA women's squad for 2025-26: Chloe Ainsworth, Charis Bekker, Zoe Britcliffe, Mathilda Carmichael, Piepa Cleary , Maddy Darke, Amy Edgar, Heather Graham (CA), Mikayla Hinkley, Ebony Hoskin, Alana King (CA), Shay Manolini, Rebecca McGrath, Ines McKeon, Lilly Mills, Beth Mooney (CA), Taneale Peschel, Chloe Piparo. Rookie: Maddie White

 

Ins: Heather Graham (Tasmania), Ebony Hoskin (NSW), Rebecca McGrath, Ines McKeon, Maddie White

 

Outs: Lisa Griffith (retired), Bhavi Devchand

Hoskin, who enjoyed a breakout Weber WBBL|10 campaign in her first season with the Scorchers, is no doubt searching for greater opportunity after featuring just once for reigning champions NSW last season.

The state deal sees her all in on the switch to WA after also signing a two-year extension with the Scorchers.

McKeon headlines the next generation of stars added to the WA list, joined by 20-year-old allrounder Rebecca McGrath and 21-year-old seamer Maddie White, who becomes the state's first ever rookie signed to their female program.

Right-armer White, who hails from Victoria and played 70 first grade matches for Prahran before moving to Perth last year to seek new opportunities, is also one of the first female rookies in Australian domestic cricket alongside Australia Under-19's seamer Maggie Clark, who signed with South Australia earlier this month.

Tasmania also announced their first female rookie today with Launceston-born allrounder Ava Curtis joining the squad for 2025-26.

McKeon, an U19 teammate of Clark's, shot to prominence with a stunning 42-ball 50 on WBBL debut last October, with the then 17-year-old upstaging former national captain and Melbourne Stars opening partner Meg Lanning who was bowled for nine.

The wicketkeeper-batter made her debut for WA aged 16 in January last year and has also played 16 T20 internationals for France, the country of her mum's birth.

Though she couldn't reach the same heights during the U19 T20 World Cup campaign in January, failing to pass 15 in six innings for the tournament as Australia were knocked out by South Africa in the semi-finals, her potential has been recognised by her native state with a full contract for next season.

McKeon and McGrath are both graduates for WA Cricket's Kay Leverington Scholarship program, with the latter also earning a full contract after being crowned the Karen Read Medallist as WA Premier Cricket's best last season.

The right-hander hit 450 runs and took 30 wickets for club side Melville in both the one-day and T20 competitions to win the award by two votes, with her form throughout the summer leading to a WNCL debut in October followed by her Scorchers debut in the T20 Spring Challenge the same month.

The off-spin bowling allrounder will benefit from the experience of Graham, who has represented the country in one ODI and five T20 internationals and is returning to the state she first debuted for aged 15 in 2011 and won a WNCL title with in 2019-20.

"Heather is clearly a quality player, but we believe the experience and competitiveness she brings will help the group just as much," head coach Becky Grundy said today.

"Seeing players like Ines, Rebecca and Maddie earn their opportunity is testament to their hard work, as well as our female pathways program.

"Overall, we're excited about the list we've built and the group is hungry to take another step forward in 2025-26. We know we're capable, we're prepared to do the work, and we're eager to get the preseason underway."

Along with Graham, star wicketkeeper-batter Beth Mooney and leg-spinner Alana King are the three WA players to hold national contracts next season.

Allrounder Bhavi Devchand drops off the list from last year while veteran batter Lisa Griffith has retired.