WA Over 65's - 2014 Match Reports
WA vs ACT - Monday, September 29, 2014
The human body is a wonderful construction as evidenced by the casual visitor ambling his way through Perth suburbia where he chances upon a Hockey stadium and a bunch of players in their seventieth decade engaged in a duel on the hockey field. Not only are these ageing athletes the physically elite of their time, but after battle is done, their brains remember only the magic moments that they wish to recall and the rest is subjected to nature's cerebral rubbish bin after the delete button has been pressed. So you have to wonder why the hockey powers that be then call for a team scribe to record the minutiae of each game which nobody wants to read about anyway, as we have already selectively forgotten those parts of the day about which we do not wish to be reminded. My fellow scribes, if you are like me, you are sitting in the armchair sipping coffee trying to keep awake at one o'clock in the morning with little recollection of exactly what happened on the field of play earlier in the day and hoping that the brain of most of your readers will be as cognitively impaired as your own and that they won't remember any of your fabricated match report, or better still that they weren't at the match at all and have no way of distinguishing between fact or fiction. And so dear readers, if you have bothered to read on as far as this, you'd guess that one would not wish to dwell too long on a drawn game of hockey that should have been comprehensively won. The usual things happen, Manager Ashley dispenses show bags as if he had just come from the Royal Show, Coach Banksy dispenses the tactics, while Lunger dispenses the warmup medicine on a surface that challenges all players to avoid grassy humps and hollows and tree roots. We head to the dugout injury free where Huddy is seen to be spraying his head but we're not sure why as there can't be any nits for there's nowhere for them to hide. Hammy checks that each blade of hair is perfectly groomed for the TV cameras as he runs out on the ground. Chip and Ash both practice their gymnastic prowess with somersaults as the ball agonisingly runs away after some good early running by the Ledgend. Thommo and Stewie have quiet first quarters but I guess you do that when you are on the bench. Once Stewie does get out there he shows enough skill that he lets you know that he is not coming off in a hurry late in the game, while Thommo is playing like a prize fighter and is continually decked on the canvas but keeps coming up for more. Keallsey, Heath and the Cougar are bringing the ball out of defence and linking with Colonel Sanders, but the real playmakers are Pooley and Butch. And there's Kenny "the Seagull" Walter - he drifts silently across from the left wing and presents on the baseline for Lunger's pass off a long corner on the right wing and creates the penalty corner. And there is Terry "Boris" Parker, at the top of the circle, who strikes goalwards and deceives the diving goalie and we're one in front. The game is seemingly under control until the Territorians use their 'go to' play with the long ball out of defence in the third quarter and deliver the ball to their high striker who mishits - but somehow the trickling ball gets under the guard of the hapless Harps and the game is all tied up. Butch and Mal take them on as the clock runs down, the shots run wide, the drag flicks fade, the whistle goes and we leave the park with a drawn game and drawn faces - but tomorrow's another day.
Result: WA 1 – ACT 1
Goal scorers: Terry Parker
Best WA Player as voted by ACT: Butch Worth
Best ACT Player as voted by WA: Paul Griffin (GK)
WA vs NSW - Tuesday, September 30, 2014
As we wake from our slumbers on Day 2, a new day dawns. Hope springs eternal - perhaps King Canute has finally had his way and maybe the tide has turned as the troughs of yesterday disappear over the horizon.
We arrive at the stadium to find 'Sir Walter' Tyrrell in a more relaxed frame of mind, having today remembered to bring his playing gear in preference to leaving it back at his castle in Fremantle. He is ready to shoot his arrows at the deer and wild boars from New South Wales. No wonder we find Rufus (alias the Cougar) a little edgy with the prospect of playing alongside him and wondering which of the Tyrrell shots might deflect his way.
With a game under his belt Ham is looking more relaxed by the minute as the Defibrillator and CPR team have not yet been required.
Mal arrives sporting new shoes which he hopes will give him extra speed as they are the same brand and colour as Lunger's. The tread on his old shoes look like they were bought in 1983 and might still be good for sliding on the red clay at Roland Garros but guaranteeing you to slip on your butt on the stadium turf.
The whistle blows and we're off and running, with the opening minutes closely contested, but all round the ground the traps are made, the lay-offs and passing is looking slick and, with Mal and Butch dominating the midfield, the attacks are coming - it's all looking like a different team to twenty-four hours ago.
Huddy, the General, is calling the lines at the back, the ball comes out of defence to Mal who throws a diagonal pass out to Lunger on the right wing. He traps, swings the ball back inside and sprints to the circle as Pooley throws the pass left to the running Ham, eliminating the defence. He closes in on the goalie, looks as if he might lay off to the unmarked Lunger on the spot, faints as if to shoot, the goalie makes his move, Hammy eyes the spot and nails the shot.
The crowd are on their feet in the stands as the West go one ahead.
Into the second quarter, back in attack, the earlier short corners have been repelled with New South's goalie dropping to the deck. The ball comes out, it's trapped, this is the moment. Butch steps up, the ball is drag flicked high into the net and it's two zip.
As we go into the half-time break, Lunger has departed the field after the other fetlock goes, and we are left to speculate as to whether he has already exhausted the local supplies of rock-tape and that this was indeed his "Achilles heel".
Into the third quarter and strikers Ash, Kenny, the Legend and the Colonel are taking on the opposition defence and creating half chances. As well as making a great run into the attacking circle, Chip is running down the New South forwards back in the left defensive zone and Terry "Boris" Parker is also back to help the defence but is unable to stop opponent Dougie Truman from turning on him at the top of the circle and smashing the ball past the diving Harps.
NSW are back in the game and the tempo lifts.
As New South Wales scramble for a second goal, Harps is on the deck with Keallsie assisting and trying to work the ball free, but he is unceremoniously spear tackled out of the way and to add insult to injury the opposition are awarded a penalty corner.
Harps saves the strike on goal and the ball is cleared by a powerful hit down the ground by Poolie to the right corner flag.
As our defensive unit presses forward to the halfway line, it's now NSW's turn for the long ball out of defence, leaving Huddy to do the running back. Like the Queen Mary 2, he makes a wide turning circle and his portly outline is seen breaking into a canter. Is this reminiscent of the bull that has escaped from the Perth Royal show and is seen loping along through the local suburbs bowling over anything in its pathway?
Rumour has it that the said animal may have been an exhibit of Len Blyth who should of course be shouldering responsibility.
Meanwhile, back in the play, Pooley has something to say to the umpire who generously awards him a green card, making him the team's inaugural recipient.
Simon "Thommo" is in the play with his usual high work rate while the Cougar is swung into a striking role and comes close to scoring.
Keallsie, who has dominated the right half position all day with some great defensive work, is again in the play working the ball out of the defensive zone to Stewie - he faints to go left and make a pass in-field but goes right, eliminates the player and crosses to the top of the circle. Boris traps, is about to shoot, but he drags the ball left, casually takes three or four strides and, seemingly effortlessly, sublimely strikes the ball on the backstick from forty-five degrees leaving the goalie as a helpless spectator.
We're 3 - 1 ahead and the clock is running down. Huddy, the Cougar, Butch, Heath and Mal are playing a possession game denying New South Wales any ball as the seconds run away, and the first win is in the bag.
Match Result: WA 3 - NSW 1
Goal Scorers: D'Souza, Worth, Parker
Best WA player as voted by NSW: Mal Poole
Best NSW player as voted by WA: Doug Truman
Cards : Poole (green)
WA vs WAC - Thursday, October 2, 2014
Hockey is a wonderful game. As a team sport it brings together people with a common interest but all sorts of different people from different walks of life and this team is no exception. For example, when you make a decision to eat out at a restaurant you have to choose middle of the road restaurants to satisfy the average tastes, that might be Ham and Chips at one end of the spectrum to Lord Simon Thomson's aristocratic palate at the other. And then of course if you mix up the names on the starting line up we have prominent people on the team - there's "Don" Campbell who arrives in his Bluebird sports car, Sir Walter Tyrrell and Rufus the Red have already mentioned in previous dispatches. Sir Jimmy Banks looks so ancient, he must have been on one of those early ships to Oz, fossicking around looking for botanical species that he could name after himself and send back to Kew Gardens. As for Parker, he probably produced all those pens and could be Worth a squillion, for all we know. "Don Doug" Sanders we recall missing the shortest putt to win the Open championship while his identical twin "Don Jon" Sanders no doubt went sailing on Poole harbour, but apparently became claustrophobic so took off round the globe three times - he may have had Kealls on his boat but no other sailors with him - he was a loner, that's for sure. The news bulletins of that era were likely read by one John Harper-Nelson. And talking of the Globe, we have none other than Heath / Ledger to perform on stage. But the Academy Award of the Day surely must go to Mr Kenneth Walter today. On the biggest of stages at Stadium Hale, we are back on the turf after the halftime break with twelve players taking to the field. On being asked to leave the playing arena, our Kenny spits the dummy and his hockey stick is thrown unceremoniously along the touchline and past the Tech Bench in a fit of pique !!! In fact we didn't quite get our numbers right all day long, as Lunger rotated on and off the ground in little more than it takes for Usain Bolt to run the hundred, leaving only ten on the ground for another minute or so before Chip fathomed what was going on and filled the gap. But we did manage to achieve only ten on the field on another three occasions as there was a constant flow of players queuing up for the naughty chair. This, coupled with an innate inability to make any sort of reasonable trap or pass in the first two quarters, allows the scribe to withdraw any written contribution that he might otherwise have proffered. Coach Banksy is seen tearing his hair out at the half-time break. We re-focus. Thommo is starting to put in one of his lion-hearted performances in the central midfield position. He tackles strongly , wins the ball, arrives at the top of the circle and fires the ball like an Exocet missile, it hits the inside of the left post, but it flies across the face of goal and the WAC defence is still alive. After a series of short corners that fail to produce a score on the board, Ash, who has been injecting the ball, makes a play on the next corner that is reminiscent of that very short putt missed from two feet, with the ball going nowhere. He is pulled from the ground by the ropeable Banksy, although in truth it was probably time for his next rotation off the ground anyway. However, from Chip to Chip we go, and on the next short corner, it is Brother Graham who injects the ball. On this occasion, Butch decides it is not Worth passing the ball off to his Poole of strikers, and fires a tracer bullet of a shot which the W.A.C. goalie is not Speedy enough to block. We're one ahead and the tempo lifts but as Country sends the long ball down the ground behind our defence, Huddy turns around and breaks into another canter to chase the ball down but suddenly pulls up lame with a hammy. Into the last and it's Hammy time again, but this time it's the d'Souza version. He gathers the ball in attack, passes left to find the running Stewart, he feints to the right but sways left, eliminating the WAC defender, makes the backstick pass to the spot where Hammy is there again to sweep the ball home. Our Country cousins have been sent back from whence they came, we have three more points in the bag and this places us in top position.
Match Result: WA 2 - WAC 0
Goal Scorers:
Best WAC player as voted by WA: Rod Sims
Best WA player as voted by WAC: Simon Thomson
Cards :
WA vs VIC - Friday, October 3, 2014
How different is a State Championship held in your own State from a tournament hosted in another Australian city?
Well, it's true that there's a cost saving as there are no airfares or accomodation.
But one does miss out on those daytime touristy excursions when there are no scheduled hockey matches which gives the team scribe something more interesting about which to write, other than the boredom of a description of who passed to whom and in what hockey pitch.
So it doesn't leave much else, when you think about it - I mean, reporting that the Tap Doctor has fixed somebody's plumbing on the lay day, or that Hud has stealthily snuck into the local corner store under the radar, and purchased six Mars bars, does not actually make riveting reading !
No one can be bothered to look at the points table during a hockey championship if your team has been underperforming but if you're up there and you're lucky enough to jag some wins, you'd like to have a sneaky look on the website and see if your team is up near the top.
The only problem here is that if you try to access the nationalmastershockey.org website you are asked to key in your user name and password. I always thought that once you passed the age of sixty-five and couldn't remember your passwords to get the work-based computer up and running, then it was time to call it a day and go quietly without a fuss, and let someone with a younger brain take over.
Anyway the ratio of serum vin rouge to serum cafe noir was clearly no longer in the sub-therapeutic range and thus precluded any positive attempts at entering the correct passwords. Now comes the interesting part: having obtained a new username, the next step is to apply for a new password which is then emailed - all ok so far until you open the email to find that your new password is a mere thirty- two characters long, 24 numbers and 8 letters, all jumbled up !!!
Just imagine the number of permutations and combinations that you'd need to try to make a random access 'hit' by pure chance.
Make no mistake, this is top level security. But the other problem is actually accessing the website at all, as even if you do know your 32-character password, most of us cackhanded keyboard novices invariably will accidentally hit an adjacent key when we are trying to type. Now it is true that national security has been recently raised to a higher level, but policing the access to a hockey magazine is as incomprehensible as it is with the policing by some of the umpires out on the pitch.
For some reason that Pooley is still trying to fathom out, he is the recipient of a yellow card in today's game and is invited to take a ten minute rest.
Joining Lunger on the bench today is Huddy who is expanding the injury list.
The West Aussies are controlling the play, moving the ball forward and camped in opposition territory but unable to pass goalkeeper Neil Cosi Coster.
The Vics break out with a couple of long balls but the 'Fiery' Harps senses the danger and comes out of the circle on the defending left and extinguishes the danger.
An element of physicality enters the game as Paicey, the flying Vic, runs into a solid brick wall in the form of Keallsey and falls heavily onto his shoulder with blood streaming from his nose, and exhibiting metronomic rolling from side to side.
Recognising a bizarre clinical presentation, the lame Doc Lunger seizes his chance to actually get some extra minutes on the turf, where he views the injured player (as well as the attending physiotherapist), orchestrates the resolution of Paicey's haemorrhagic nose, and assists Baz from the pitch.
Meanwhile, Stewie makes some darting runs down the right, the ball comes across into a congested circle where Terry "Boris" Parker gets the touch, deflecting the ball into the goal to break the deadlock.
Paicey returns, is floored again before leaving the field with another flaw, but this time in the groin.
One is left to ponder whether he is looking for some further physiotherapy time.
The gold and blacks from the West again dominate the play with ninety percent field possession but zero percent result today from the penalty corner stats.
But, as the final whistle blows, if you have score one more than the opposition, it's another three points in the bag.
Match Result: WA 1 - VIC 0
Goal Scorers: Terry Parker
Best WA player as voted by VIC: Mal Poole
Best VIC player as voted by WA: Neil Coster
Cards :
WA vs SA - Sunday, October 5, 2014
I suppose that when you sit down to write a match report and are totally bereft of anything new to say and record, you should not lose too much sleep about it. After all, it's not as if you are having to write in order to earn enough to buy the daily bread. And anyway, since the average daily 'hit' into the website is unlikely to reach double figures, it probably doesn't much matter what you write!
Just imagine being a writer like Shakespeare who has written 37 plays, Agatha Christie with 69 novels, and RL Stine with hundreds of published story books - they just seem to be never short of ideas - well maybe Shakespeare was momentarily stumped when he started Hamlet Act 3 with 'To be, or not to be, that is the question'.
Now this, too, proves to be the same dilemma facing the Hud prior to the start of today's game - To play, or not to play? It is rumoured that there is some record breaking on his agenda, but I'm not sure what that's about. Well, he probably did break some records in his working day, but the 78's weren't as durable as the 45 EP's or the LP's at 33rpm!!!
Whether 'tis nobler in the mind to suffer the slings and arrows of outrageous South Australian hockey players, I know not, but in Huddy's mind it was a case of 'To be', to test out the two day old hammy injury. But the long face says it all as he departs from the field of play inside the first quarter which is dominated by the West Aussies with only a couple of forays at goal by the South Australians.
Butch and Mal are throwing the overheads, Ash is darting down the right, makes a great cross to the spot but the fast-closing Chip narrowly fails to get the touch. Kealls is like a brick wall in the defensive midfield, repelling wave after wave of the South Aussie invaders, and setting up the attacks.
Don "Gough" Sanders, appropriately from the left centre, is taking the play into the circle where the shot on goal is repelled. Stewie is more liberally minded and plays down the right where he finds The Legend on the right baseline. Some intricate stickwork earns the short corner, and from the set play Butch strikes towards the left post where the closing Ash "the Flash" gets the touch and we're one in front.
At the other end , the South Australians go close, but the diving Harps saves the day as he is stick-checked resulting in the ensuing goal being disallowed.
"Irish" and the Cougar remain solid at the back, Kenny is seen to sprint to close down an opponent, while Mal is master-minding the play. Boris and Stewie are making some deft touches up front but never quite enough to achieve another score. Simon "Thommo" Thomson is strong over the ball but clashes with South Aussie playmaker "Boonz" with both players decked but Thommo earning the umpires displeasure and a yellow card.
The South Aussies press with ten to go on the clock and only ten opponents to play against on the field for the next five minutes, but Harps and the defence clear the ball.
Thommo is back on and it's three more points to the tally which keeps us clear at the top.
Match Result: WA 1 - SA 0
Goal Scorers: Ash Challenor
Best WA player as voted by SA: Alan Stewart
Best SA player as voted by WA: Rob McNeil
Cards : Thomson - yellow
WA vs QLD - Monday, October 6, 2014
The rain showers and cold wind of Sunday has given way to sunshine as we arrive at the stadium for the late game.
The sun is low in the western sky and as the players take up their positions on the far side of the ground, their vision is blinded looking into the dazzlingly bright light.
Queensland has been the nemesis of Western Australian teams in this age group for as long as most of us can remember, and today they line up with a star-studded cast.
For them it is a 'must-win' game as they are trailing on the points table and they come off the starting grid like the Mercedes F1 cars of Hamilton and Rosberg.
The defence is under the hammer and the Maroons are camped in our territory for the first ten minutes.
Harps is solid at the back, the attacks are repelled and "Gough" is the go-to man as we come out of defence, but he is like a yacht with a jammed rudder and is going round and round in circles looking for the lay off but the ball is turned over and the opposition are back pressing the circle.
From an attack down the right, the ball is crossed to the far post, the green lights are flashing for Queensland but the ball goes agonisingly wide and they still have nothing to show for their attacking efforts.
It's time for Butch, Mal and Heath to throw to go for the aerial attacks to relieve the siege at the back and move into the attacking half for the first time in the game.
Suddenly this releases Chip down the right, he eliminates the opposing half-back, crosses to the top of the circle and there is Boris with the first-time strike and the ball goes like a tracer bullet inside the left post.
This is like a dagger to the Queensland heart who have had ninety percent of the play and are one behind.
The momentum of the game has now changed. Keallsey is at it again, strong in his low to the ground tackles, turns the ball over and Chip is off and running down the right wing, eliminating the left-half in a replica move but this time finds the Ledgend who traps, turns and is infringed but from the free-hit on the five yard line the opposing defenders this time shut us down.
It's the last minute of the opening term and Queensland is trying to level the scoresheet. Playmaker Keith Chay produces some dazzling stickwork, the ball seemingly superglued to the end of his stick as he enters the circle and does a three-sixty to win the penalty corner.
Neil "Chopper" Sue-See has the direct hit, Harps saves again and we're into the first break.
Back on the turf, the Queenslanders are playing some skilful hockey but all round the ground it's solid defence exemplified by Ledge who is seen working back , making a diving tackle, picks himself up and works forward again.
Bill "the Cougar" Campbell wins the ball on half way, passes right, back through Kealls to Butch, his probing pass left to Hammie who makes a great run to the circle, is decked and the penalty corner results.
As the ball comes out, there's alLedgedly a break by one of the forwards who is summarily sent on his way to the halfway line - nobody knew that Al was so quick off the mark !!!
The ball is re-set, comes to the top where Butch comes up with the drag flick but the ball sails over the top.
The hard-working Mal Poole hampered by an intercostal muscle injury, is forever in the play, making himself available and delivering pinpoint passes to find a loose player to release the ball from the defensive zone and then setting up the attacks.
He passes to Goal-scoring "Boris" who makes another great strike but this time it eludes the right hand post.
As we leave the field at the long break we are boosted by the larger than life figure of Huddy who floats in from the physio and instantly heightens the level of wit in the dug-out.
As the Maroons come out strongly in the third quarter, it is the Cougar who constantly has his claws into the Maroon forwards and repeatedly cuts off the danger.
His pass links to Al the Legend who hustles past two players and reaches the right corner-post. His cross, just back of the spot finds left striker Chip - he sweeps in the backstick but the ball hasn't moved.
The defence are mesmerised as for a fleeting moment time stands still - he backstick sweeps again but the ball goes just past the right post.
And now it's time for the three card trick - Pooley first, he's pinged for being involved within five metres of the free hit and departs quietly to keep the colour green.
Queensland's Robbo falls for the same trick from a sideline ball, and when Terry stick checks just outside the defensive circle and falls for a yellow, it's becomes a musical chairs game for the naughty seat.
Simon Thommo comes on to hold the midfield and plays with his usual fervour and high work rate, Kenny "Red Gull" Walter is attacking down the left, while Alan "the Sting" Stewart is weaving his way forward through traffic.
But Queensland seem to have all the answers and are playing some top hockey, attacking to try to level the scoresheet.
Butch remains immovable at the back despite close attention with resultant hand injuries on two occasions from Robbo (for which he is later to cop the mongrel award), and when Butch clears to Boris there is suddenly an open channel down the middle. Boris pinpoints his pass to front bencher Don "Gough" Sanders who against his natural instinct elects to go right where his weighted measured pass is picked up by the unmarked Ledge. He's running the angles, hits the top of the D, momentarily pauses as goalie Seboa comes out, then the Legend fires a missile perfectly into the left corner of the goal and the men from the Sunshine State are decimated.
The lionhearted West Aussie defence holds firm in the last ten minutes to record the second victory over this Queensland side in a decade of State Hockey. Tonight is a very big night !!!
Match Result: WA 2 - QLD 0
Goal Scorers: Parker, Ledger
Best WA player as voted by QLD: Alan Ledger
Best QLD player as voted by WA: Keith Chay
Cards : Poole (green), Parker (yellow)
WA vs TAS - Wednesday, October 8, 2014
As we line up for today's game some of the team will have past memories of Hobart two years ago when the team was down to 9 fit players for the final against Queensland, requiring Coach Banksy to appear on the paddock as a player.
And Launceston a decade ago produced some pleasurable days meandering past the wineries of the Tamar Valley.
For our final pool game, the outcome will not affect our position at the top of the ladder but the Queenslanders, coming back with a four zip winning game against A.C.T. earlier today, now have a vested interest in our result.
It is rumoured that the sports bookies in India have been offering the odds.
Today some West Aussie players take their place on the bench never to move all afternoon.
Thommo clearly decides that the position of team captain gives him certain privileges, one being to have the day off if he so chooses.
Poolie apparently claims that he has some sort of Mal-ady, something to do with being given a rib tickler in Monday's game, so he is taking a rest.
And Boris thinks he has earned a rest having scored more goals than anyone else.
Now, you could draw your own conclusions as to whether there is more than a coincidence that these three players are each carrying a yellow card !
Meanwhile Lunger takes the plunge on his dodgy calf and graces the field on the starting line-up.
Three minutes in and the cross from the right finds Chip at the far post to sweep the ball into the net and we're on our way and one in front.
Further forays forward are a frigging failure as far as goal scoring is concerned as we switch off in the second term, allowing the Tassies to come into attack and win a penalty corner.
Chip, coming out from the left defending post, senses the danger of the shot, moves to block the shot.
His deflection catches the wrong side of the stick leaving the helpless Harps flailing in the wrong direction and Chip has the dubious honour of scoring both goals, one for each team.
At the half-time break, assistant coach Frank 'Q' Quaresimin, dynamic in the pre-tournament practice sessions as well as during the games at the quarter time breaks, questions our desire to win the game.
He revs us up for the second-half, and 'Q' arms us with the necessary weaponry to eliminate the infiltrating agents from Van Diemen Land's.
We inwardly ponder as to whether there will be a sudden rush of phone calls to the bookies of Bangalore as the team takes the field for the second half. The tempo lifts, the ball moves across the forward line with some slick passing and, from near the post, it's crossed again to the top of the circle where Alan "the Legend" Ledger's strike for goal leaves the Tassie goalie stranded.
We're soon back in attack, penalty corner, Butch moves to go right, dragging the defence, then the perfectly weighted pass to Ash "the Flash " Challenor coming from the left - there's a gaping hole inside the left post, he shoots, striking a defender on the leg and, from the ensuing penalty stroke, Butch nonchalantly slots the third goal from the spot.
The Tassies are tiring and Alan "the Sting " Stewart frequently finds himself in the open spaces, is taking on the defence and linking well with Ken "Red Gull" Walter. The ball moves back to the top of the circle and out to the right. The canny Don "Gough" Sanders is seven metres off the right post on a tight angle as he receives the ball.
The goalie comes off the line. ...... and Goughie comes up with a top spin lob, reminiscent of the artistry of Rafa on Court Philippe Chartrier, and the goalie is history.
Meanwhile, Gluteus "the Hud" Maximus is the on-field troop commander calling the orders from the back, albeit a little hamstrung in his movements. His lieutenants, Keallsie, Heath and the Cougar, are repelling the invaders, turning defence into attack - from the short corner, Butch lays it right and Gough calmly slots in number five.
Tassie bow out of the Championship with a late consolation goal as we head off for a celebratory drink at the W.A. Teams' Dinner where Bill "Cougar" Campbell is applauded for his efforts as Chairman of the Tournament Organising Committee, although he is absent on the night.
(P.S. The cougar is of course a secretive and largely solitary animal by nature, and is presumed to have taken cover somewhere in the dense undergrowth of Bullcreek)
Match Result: WA 5 - TAS 2
Goal Scorers: G.Challenor, A. Ledger, Butch Worth, D. Sanders (2)
Best WA player as voted by TAS: Buth Worth
Best TAS player as voted by WA: Brenton Peck
Cards : None that can be recalled...
SemiFinal: WA vs QLD - Friday, October 10, 2014
There's no tomorrow when you reach the business end of the tournament. Today is like a grand final as the top-rated Queensland team scrape into fourth place with the winner today likely to prevail in tomorrow's final. Huddy and Lunger declare themselves "fit" giving us a full bench for rotations. It's an even contest for the opening few minutes but the Maroons work their way into the circle where the ball is not cleared over the baseline and the loose ball is picked by the Queensland striker for a soft goal.
The West Aussies hit back in the second quarter when Simon "Thommo" Thomson hits a bullet into the circle, goalie goes to ground, the ball runs loose and the ever alert "Gough" joins the lungeing club and dives full length and goals for the equaliser.
There's a momentum shift as we start to control the play and with twenty minutes to go we mount an attack deep, into enemy territory. In the chase for the ball Don "Gough" Sanders falls heavily and hits his head on the canvas with a thud. He is in an unconscious state for an agonisingly long time before he flickers his eyes open - his first words "I'm OK". But he is far from that and, with heavy concussion, is stretchered from the field and via ambulance to hospital for head scans.
There is another momentum shift as our superior fitness is nullified by the twenty minute break allowing the Queenslanders time to rest their tiring legs. As they go into attack Goalie Harps, who magnificently saved a penalty flick in the Tasmanian game, comes up with a spectacular diving save at full stretch, worthy of Mark Schwarzer, tipping the ball outside the left attacking post.
As Alan "the Legend" Ledger's tackling incurs the umpires displeasure and he departs the field to do 'time', Terry "Boris" Parker nearly scores with a shot whistling past the right post. Meanwhile, Harps is soon back in the action again as our defence is spreadeagled and he is faced with a two-on-one situation. The ball is moved right at which precise moment Harps picks the danger, comes out to the edge of the circle, taking on and eliminating the attacking forward.
With the scoreboard still all tied up, the Queenslanders come again as the Hud is found hopping on one leg and still not in the same parish as the ball. Maroons' playmaker Keith Chay comes in on the right from the twenty-five, sways as if to pass left, and suddenly the hole opens up. He unloads firmly and the shot somehow eludes goalie Harps and we're again chasing from behind.
We're trying to press forward but the opposition defence snuffs out our attacks.
Two minutes left on the clock, and Coach Banksy consults Q Branch - they draw the joker from the pack and play their last card - Goalie Harps is dragged from the pitch allowing an eleventh field player on the turf.
But the foray forward is turned over and the Maroons swing back into attack. As they enter the circle they are suddenly aware that there's no one home in goal and the green lights are flashing. But two desperate saves off the line from Kealls and, for a fleeting moment, there's still an outside chance. The last seconds tick by, the siren goes, and we are assigned to the bronze medal position.
At the end of the day, it's just another game of hockey as our minds focus on fellow player Don who remains in a daze in a hospital bed, with all of us hoping and praying that his cerebral hemispheres will recover from the trauma to which he has been subjected.
Match Result: WA 1 - QLD 2
Goal Scorers: D. Sanders
Cards : A. Ledger (yellow)