Hall of Fame a home run for Dragons’ duo

by JOSH HUNTLY
9th June 2025

DONCASTER Baseball Club stalwarts Amy McCann and Samantha Hamilton were immortalised by Baseball Victoria (BV) after their induction into the organisation’s Hall of Fame.
Their remarkable decades-long commitment to baseball culminated in joining 28 BV luminaries at an event at Albert Park on May 21.

“The Inaugural Baseball Victoria Hall of Fame Presentation will recognise outstanding on-field performances and celebrate Victorian baseball trailblazers who have achieved impressive, inspiring success at the state, national, and international level,” said BV CEO Chet Gray.
“Our 2025 inductees have made amazing contributions to baseball in Victoria over the years and are very deserving of such recognition.
“We invite our Victorian baseball community to join us for a fantastic night celebrating the past and sharing excitement in the future.”

Amy McCann said there were many amazing stories in the room that night.

“It was just ridiculous; the quality, the history of the people in the room… and it just made you feel even more amazed that you were in it.
“You don’t do it for any of this, but I guess years after retiring, you actually get to sit back and go, I did a bit.
“It’s nice that it was recognised.”

Samantha Hamilton shared a similar perspective on the proceedings, describing it as a “humbling” experience and a good opportunity to reflect on her journey.

“I think that it’s an amazing recognition of our service to the sport and the time that we spent as athletes.
“It’s very humbling as well to be around the 28 people that got inducted the first time.
“I think the biggest thing is that it really does hit you how much you’ve done over the span of your career.
“I genuinely think each one of us thought it was the most amazing night ever.”

Inductees were included with the requisite of “trailblazers who have achieved impressive, inspiring success at the state, national, and international level”, and a look at Amy and Samantha’s achievements, on and off the field, shows they excelled in all three areas.
Over their decade-long tenure with the Australian Emeralds, of which Samantha was an inaugural member, they have showcased their exceptional skills in a total of 11 World Cups.
Their talent didn’t go unnoticed, earning them numerous individual honours at both state and national levels, including coveted MVP titles and spots on All-Star teams.
They were key members of a historic moment in time for the Emeralds, which yielded two World Cup podiums, including the nation’s historic first silver medal in Venezuela in 2010, and a bronze four years later in Japan.

“I think if you ask any of the players and coaching staff that were a part of the 2010 Silver medal-winning team, I think you won’t get any of them saying that that wasn’t the moment of their career,” Amy said.
“It was our best-ever performance on the international stage, and finally breaking through, I think it was more than just a medal.
“And it was kind of cool because no one knew who we were and where we’d been battling.”

Success was born of humble beginnings for Amy, who is also prominent in baseball media, hosting her podcast Women’s Baseball: The Inside Pitch, and serving as a commentator.
Her wish to play baseball around the turn of the century was scuppered somewhat by the lower profile of the women’s game at the time.

“We’ve got girls (nowadays) that are playing baseball, two types of football, whereas back in the 90s, you pretty much played softball or netball… and that was it.
“My Dad rang so many clubs before finally, someone went yes to baseball, most of them said you have to play softball.
“I was the only girl in my whole league, but I had a really good club in Sydney.
“I only started back up in Melbourne as a social thing; I had no friends because I moved from Canberra to Melbourne, and then I was like, oh, I’m going to start playing baseball to find friends.
“It changed my whole life,” she said.

At Deep Creek Reserve, they have made their mark as both players and coaches.
Samantha has headed the Doncaster Dragons women’s baseball program since 2006, transforming it into one of the most successful programs in the area.
The Women’s MVP award at the Dragons is named in her honour, and Amy described Samantha’s work as “second to none” for good reason, with the program producing a wealth of state and national talent of its own.
For Samantha, who has held roles as assistant coach of the Emeralds, Victorian High-Performance Manager, and Head Coach, it has been a beautiful association.

“The club couldn’t have been more supportive if they tried.”
She said, regardless of what the Dragons offer in terms of programs or where her career takes her, the bond nourished at Deep Creek Reserve will stay with her.
“I’ll be a Doncaster player forever — I just love the community.”