Melissa McGie earned the Kath Correll a phenomenal four times as SA’s most outstanding player.
A graduate of Taperoo High and the daughter of a VFL and SANFL father, Lindsay McGie, and with Keiran Perkins as her favourite athlete, Melissa McGie almost unavoidably grew up inside a sporting culture.
It’s not surprising either that her choice of university major was Physical Education, achieved from the University of Hawaii on a four-year softball scholarship.
The softball grounding came from West Torrens, a prolific softball club at both junior and senior levels, winning the club’s most outstanding player three times in the 1990s and 2000s.
She led West Torrens to State titles in 1993 and 1994. Clearly, Melissa was scouted at an early age, selected for South Australia in the Under-16 Nationals.
In 1995, although early in her career still, an especially memorable highlight unfolded. Selected to the Australian Under-19 team for the World Softball Championships, the Aussies brought home the bronze medal.
Perhaps on reflection now, Melissa McGie earning the Kath Correll a phenomenal four times for being SA’s most outstanding player, might equal that youthful highlight.
Even in her Freshman year at the University of Hawaii, she had made an impact – starting at third base in 49 of her 52 games. In her second year, within a highly competitive Western Athletic Conference, she found her power stroke with a team best six Home Runs and 38 Runs Batted In.
The progress continued as she became the most pivotal player in her final year.
On her return to SA, Mel McGie was selected to SA Open teams and then completed a full circle by, in 2021, being selected as head coach of the State Open team. This was the beginning of the rise of SA softball.
