Perry signals move to put family first
ELLYSE Perry is firming for a shock move to Melbourne with cricket’s pin- up girl admitting she will consider leaving Sydney to be with husband Matt Toomua.
Wallabies star Toomua is reportedly close to signing with Super Rugby outfit the Melbourne Rebels after several years based in the UK, and Perry is now heavily linked with a landmark shift to Victoria.
Perry is off contract at the NSW Breakers after this season and, with Toomua expected to be in Rebels colours by this time next year, the planets are aligning for a massive change to the women’s cricket landscape in the 2019- 20 season.
Australia’s biggest- name female cricketer made her debut for NSW in 2007 and has been synonymous with the Breakers’ era of dominance.
Perry is contracted at the Sydney Sixers until the end of the 2019- 20 season and the club’s 27- year- old captain insists she would be honouring that deal no matter what happens.
But Perry said she wanted to put family first after several years of longdistance relationship with Toomua.
“Look, ( Toomua’s situation) definitely would potentially change where I play my cricket,” she said.
“For me family is always the most important. There’s nothing set in stone yet and I don’t really know what we’re going to do just yet. But if Matt was to play somewhere else in Australia that would definitely influence where I was based and it would be about working out where is best for me as well.
“At this stage our situation hasn’t changed so I haven’t really had to deal with it yet. Particularly from a Sixers point of view, I’m contracted until 2020 and I definitely wouldn’t move before then. Certainly the next couple of years I’ll be playing for the Sixers. I guess such is the way with life and family.”
Perry says she has already decided not to travel to the UK this month for England’s T20 Super League to spend more time with family.
“It’s probably just timing- wise this year for me,” she said. “The need to be home a bit more with family. I’ve loved my time over in England … but it’s just a really nice opportunity to spend a bit more time at home.”
The women’s game has already had one bombshell move in recent times after Australian captain Meg Lanning’s shock decision to leave the Melbourne Stars for the Perth Scorchers in the WBBL.
Perry is one of Australian sport’s most marketable figures and biggest drawcards and the Sydney Sixers will undoubtedly fight to sign her for life.
It would be possible for her to live in Melbourne and still be based in Sydney for the six weeks of the WBBL.
However, it would appear as though NSW’s chances of keeping Perry may rest on where Toomua ends up from next season.
The Rebels have tabled an offer to reportedly take Toomua, 28, through to the end of 2021.