Six Indigenous cricketers will feature in this summer's ninth instalment of the Women's Big Bash League.
They include Muruwari spin-bowling allrounder Ash Gardner, who enters her ninth WBBL campaign having been awarded Player of the Tournament last season.
The 26-year-old has already notched up 111 matches since the competition's inception in 2015-16, her experience set to be rewarded with interim captaincy in the Sixers' season opener against the Melbourne Stars on Thursday.
View this post on Instagram
Gardner will be looking to emulate her stellar WBBL|08 form - 339 runs at 28.25 and 23 wickets at 16.43 - in an attempt to help the Sixers go one better after they fell 10 runs short in last season's final against the Adelaide Strikers.
The Sixers' crosstown rivals, Sydney Thunder will feature two rising Indigenous stars in Hannah Darlington and Anika Learoyd.
After an injury-interrupted 2022-23 season, Darlington, who is of Kamilaroi heritage, will be looking to feature regularly in the Thunder's lineup throughout WBBL|09.
The 21-year-old bowling allrounder already possesses plenty of WBBL experience, having taken 58 wickets at an average of 19.43 across 47 appearances in lime green.
Joining Darlington at the Sydney Thunder is 21-year-old Gumbaynggirr batter Anika Learoyd.
Entering her fourth season, Learoyd has had limited opportunities to date in her four years with the Thunder, having batted 10 times in 16 matches for 137 runs at 17.12.
The right-handed batter and part-time leg-spinner will be looking to transfer her one-day domestic form - which saw her strike a maiden List A century for the NSW Breakers against the South Australian Scorpions in last season's Women's National Cricket League (WNCL) - into the T20 arena this summer.
Brisbane Heat's middle order will once again feature Kunja woman Mikayla Hinkley.
After previous stints at the Sydney Thunder, Perth Scorchers and Hobart Hurricanes, Hinkley has featured in Heat teal for the past four WBBL seasons.
Having made four contributions with the bat for the Queensland Fire in the WNCL so far this season, Hinkley will be looking to add to her 297 career WBBL runs after limited opportunities with the bat in a star-studded Heat batting lineup last season.
After re-signing with the Hurricanes following her second stint in purple, Emma Manix-Geeves enters her third WBBL campaign.
The Palawa wicketkeeper-batter featured in just two WBBL fixtures in 2022-23, however strong form in last season's WNCL and Cricket Tasmania Premier League with both bat and gloves will keep her name in front of the Hurricanes' selectors.
Manix-Geeves accumulated 298 runs at 37.25 and took 14 dismissals behind the stumps in last season's WNCL competition.
Jawoyn off-spinner Ella Hayward features in the Melbourne Renegades squad for the fourth time.
The 20-year-old enters the tournament in form with both bat and ball, having scored 40* and taken 2-16 in recent WNCL matches for Victoria.
In 30 WBBL appearances Hayward has taken 16 wickets at 35.62, however her low economy rate of 6.59 adds to her value as a member of the Renegades' attack.
Commencing Thursday evening with the Sydney Sixers hosting the Melbourne Stars, WBBL|09 will see each of the competition's eight franchises play 14 fixtures over a six-and-a-half-week period.
The final will be played at a venue yet to be determined on Saturday 2 December.
