Jarrad Loughman appointed Melbourne Stars, Victoria Head Coach

“We’re fortunate to have some of the best players in the world in our Victorian squad and they’ll be terrific assets not just in-game, but in what they can provide to our younger players off the field to support their development,” said Loughman after his appointment.

“It’s a fantastic honour to be appointed Victorian coach and I’m humbled by the faith Cricket Victoria has shown in me. We’ve got a proud history of producing great female players in this state and I’m looking forward to playing a part in another successful period in our history.”

Loughman comes in after Lachlan Stevens stepped down as the Victoria Head Coach, while Trent Woodhill relinquished his role as the Head Coach of Stars.

“The Melbourne Stars have been a fantastic part of my life for a number of years now and I’m honoured by the opportunity to lead our WBBL team,” said Loughman who had been the fielding coach of Stars (men) in the Big Bash League last season.

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“Trent did a great job with the squad last season and I’m looking forward to building upon the progress we made in WBBL06. We’ve got a great mix of established senior players, led by our captain Meg Lanning, and also an emerging group of young players that are improving every day. I can’t wait to work with all of them and give the Stars fans plenty to cheer about in the coming seasons.”

While Stars finished runners-up in the Women’s Big Bash League, Victoria also fell short of the Women’s National Cricket League title, going down to Queensland. Loughman will work with Meg Lanning, who leads both Victoria as well as the Stars.

“With hard work and dedication Jarrad has advanced through our coaching pathway to earn the key role of Head Coach of our Women’s team,” said Shaun Graf, Cricket Victoria’s General Manager of Cricket.

“Jarrad is passionate about player development, skill acquisition and ensuring young players reach their full potential. We’re proud of what he has achieved to this point, it’s a great illustration of the opportunities available if you’re prepared to put in the time and hard work, and we look forward to continuing to support his professional coaching journey.”

Victoria will be without the leading run-scorer from the last season, Elyse Villani, for 2021-22 after she opted out of the contracts. Molly Strano, too, will not be available.