Outgoing Western Australia coach Adam Voges will lead Seattle Orcas in next year’s Major League Cricket, stepping in after Matthew Mott was shown the door following five straight defeats at the start of the 2025 campaign.
“I am very excited to be joining the Seattle Orcas for the upcoming season,” Voges said. “The MLC competition continues to grow and I look forward to working with the owners, players and staff to help bring success both on and off the field.”
The move had been rumoured since Voges confirmed he would leave the WA post once the current domestic programme ends. His record in Perth is hard to ignore: three Sheffield Shield titles, a pair of one-day crowns and back-to-back Big Bash triumphs with the Scorchers. That consistency, allied to calm off-field management, has already prompted talk of him one day replacing Andrew McDonald as Australia men’s head coach when McDonald’s contract concludes in 2027.
For now, franchise work beckons. Voges is also on Trent Rockets’ staff in the Hundred, a tournament that delivers a slightly different tempo but similar tactical demands to T20 cricket. Such short-format roles, he believes, sharpen match-day decision-making. Previous stints with Australia A and occasional national-side duties add to the résumé.
Orcas chief executive Hemant Dua set out the board’s expectations in unmistakable terms. “We are thrilled to welcome Adam Voges to the Seattle Orcas family,” Dua said. “He brings a proven pedigree of winning, a distinctive ability to develop world-class talent, and a deep understanding of the nuances of T20 franchise cricket.
“His dominant run with Western Australia and the Perth Scorchers speaks to his expertise. We believe Adam’s calm demeanor, tactical intelligence, and commitment to building a high-performance culture will be pivotal as we aim for the Major League Cricket title.
“We are building something special in Seattle, and Adam is undoubtedly the right person to lead the charge.”
Seattle need the lift. After making the inaugural MLC final in 2023, they have managed just four victories from 17 outings across the last two seasons. Power-play struggles with the bat and an over-reliance on senior quicks have cost them; expect Voges to hunt balanced recruits at the draft and lean on data analysts to plug those gaps.
Back in Perth, WA Cricket must decide how to replace their quietly influential head coach. Assistants Beau Casson and Tim MacDonald are natural internal options, though an external applicant isn’t ruled out. Meanwhile, discussions continue about keeping Voges as Perth Scorchers coach in the Big Bash; franchise and state roles rarely clash in the calendar, but workloads do add up.
For the Orcas, the ownership group—GMR Group and JSW Sports sit alongside local investors—see Voges as a steadying hand rather than a headline-grabber. With the club’s Indian Premier League links (Delhi Capitals) providing scouting depth and financial muscle, the framework for a swift rebuild is already in place.
Voges’ playing numbers still raise eyebrows: 61.87 from 20 Tests, the second-highest average in history for anyone with that many caps. Yet it is coaching, not batting, that now defines him. Whether he can translate the Western Australian template to the Pacific Northwest will become clear when the 2026 season starts. For a side that has lost its way, a methodical organiser could be exactly what’s required—provided, of course, the wins follow.
