12 December 2025
24 hours for Barky: Behind the 24-hour baseball game in Australia for a great cause
by Jena Osman
Players stretched out they’re aching legs, as they waited for the next pitch, each step sweeping the dirt, feet barely lifting off the ground.
The only light came from floodlights that threw long shadows across the pitch. Exhaustion mixed with the dark sky, made it almost impossible to find the ball.
While the rest of Melbourne slept, while Springvale baseball club women were deep into a baseball game. A game with no finish line expect sunrise.
Yet no one complained, and no one thought to stop.
Because this wasn’t just a baseball marathon
This was for Barky.
Beyond Blue for Barky
Six years ago, Beyond Blue for Barky was born and has since become an annual event.
It came out of a place of tragedy. At just 29-years-old, five-time Emerald Jacinda Barclay passed away. She was both a legendary football and baseball player.
Jacinda ‘Barky’ Barclay left a huge mark on the sporting community, partially her friends and teammates at Springvale Baseball Club.
To honour her legacy and raise awareness for mental health, the club has partnered with Beyond Blue, turning November 15th into a signature day for the club.
Beyond Blue is a charity that provides support for people experiencing mental health challenges. The event promotes people to speak up, showing them that they are not alone.
Over the past six years the club has raised just over $22,000, with all proceeds going to Beyond Blue charity.
At the heart of it all is Simone Wearne, one of Australia’s great baseball players – a multiple time national champion and Emerald.
In previous yeas, the event featured anything Barky would have loved. Corn on the cob after their game as Barky and Wearne shared a love of corn.
Another year – it was ‘beers and beats’. You guessed it – the community enjoyed music and beers.
However, this year Wearne wanted to do something that truly reflected Barkys outrageous, Joyful personality.
Something a little crazier.
Something like a 24-hour baseball game.
That’s right, 24 continuous hours of straight baseball.
“It was a double whammy, I thought let’s do something outrageous because that’s what she would have loved and let’s raise way more only in the one day,” Wearne said.
The game was held at Melbourne Ballpark on November 15-16 and raised just over $22,000.
It’s the first 24-hour game that we know in Australia, and the second women’s game we can find since 2003 in Chicago (organised by Baseball Vic member Rob Novotny, nonetheless)
In one day, they raised more than what they had over 5 years.
After huge success, Wearne laughed that she’s already feeling the pressure for 2026.
“Next year I don’t know what we’re going to do, maybe we’ll play in water,” she joked.
Planning the impossible
To people like us, 24 hours of baseball sounds impossible, but to those who knew Barky, it just made sense.
The first person on Wearne call list was Barkys close friend and former teammate, Mandy.
“I told her [about the 24-hour game] and she said oh yeh… that’s crazy, but let’s do it because Barky would love it,” Wearne said.
Apart from the game, a lot of time went into planning, scheduling and rostering.
Rostering was organised via a google form which allowed players to pick a 2-hour time slot in the game. Barky was a huge advocate for women’s sport, so it was only fitting that the game welcomed any registered women’s player to play.
“More then 70 girls played, which she would have loved,” said Wearne. “We had people turn up just to play for 2:30am to 4:30am.”
People didn’t just show up to play, they showed up for each other. What started as a roster in a google form quickly turned into a steady stream of players, rivals, coaches, teammates, coming through the gates at all hours of the night.
“People brought caravans and slept in the carpark in case we needed a few fill ins,” said Wearne. “A player who retired 10 years ago came and pitched 11 innings; it was unbelievable.”
The community that never slept
By midnight, Melbourne Ballpark felt less like a stadium and more like a campfire refused to burn out.
Players shared stories of Barky on the field while friends shared coffee on the benches.
“Some of the girls were struggling to run or couldn’t throw well 10 or 12 hours in, but we just kept going because we knew we had to,” Wearne said.
Not only did Wearne lead the event, but she also played 17.5 of the 24 hours.
Players organised pledges from $10 an hour to $200.
Raising $2000 on her own, Wearne joked that she almost tricked people into pledging by the hour.
“When they saw 17.5 hours, they were abit worried” Wearne laughed, “but they all paid, it was awesome.”
Barky’s legacy lives on
When legs grew heavy and arms weak, Barky’s sprit remained stronger than ever.
Wearne’s face lights up the room when Barky is mentioned. She even still carries the nickname “Granny May,” which Barky had given her years ago.
About a month before the 24-hour game, Wearne and her teammates found themselves wrapped in memories of long flights, hotel hallways, traveling the world with Barky.
“She’d be up late running around the hallways before a game and id be in bed getting my rest,” Wearne laughed.
During the game, those memories didn’t feel distant at all, she was right there with them.
“We could kind of hear her talking to us, saying come on guys, you need to make this happen,” Wearne said.
When fatigued kicked in, Wearne could almost hear her checky voice, ‘you can’t do this Granny May, your too old.’
Adrenaline took over.
“We physically found a way.”
The sun finally rose over Melbourne Ballpark after a night that felt endless and electric.
Emotion overtook the girl exhausted girls.
“Everyone just sort of broke down and went oh my goodness did we just do that, how cool is that” Wearne said.
From close friends of Barky, to players from rival clubs to people who had never even heard her name. They were all brought together for the same cause.
“We honoured Barky and celebrated her but also people are learning about who she was and that’s even more important.”
Not only was money raised for Beyond Blue, but the day created a space for conversations that too often stay hidden. A space for people to feel safe, supported and reminded that they are never alone.
Barkys legacy now stretches far beyond the diamond. Its paving the way for people to ask for help and to speak up to say ‘I’m struggling’ without shame or stigma.
“In 2025 we have to really amplify that we want people to talk and not to be suffering in silence,” Wearne said.
OTHER STORIES BY JENA OSMAN
Why Allie Bebbere dropped everything to travel to the USA for a chance at the Big Leagues
The Making of a Strikeout King: Josh Bishopp’s unlikely rise
