The La Trobe University Hockey Club was well represented at the recent Hockey Victoria Country Championships. Eight players were selected to represent their home regions, of which five came away with medals at the end of the long weekend. An additional four players from the University’s Intervarsity team also competed over the weekend.
The Division 2 Grand Final, contested by Sunraysia and Ballarat, featured five of the Club’s players and provided the crowd with an amazing spectacle, going down to strokes. Ballarat born and bred player Phil Nguyen (pictured far left) was extremely proud to represent his home region.
“Melbourne may be my home, but my heart is always with Ballarat. It was an extreme privilege to represent my home region” said Mr Nguyen.
The competition show cased some of Victoria’s finest country hockey players including Zach Nelson and Matt Bretherton, both of whom play in the University’s Intervarsity team, excelled in the tournament and have been selected to represent Victoria in the National Country Championships in Bendigo in August.
Over the past 45 years, the La Trobe University Hockey Club has had a proud history of fostering country players who have come to Melbourne to complete tertiary studies, to work or to further their hockey career.
Congratulations to the following Gunners!
Sunraysia (Division 2 Premiers)
Josh Pike
Ballarat (Division 2 Runners Up)
Phil Nguyen
Flo Burkhardt
Jackson Davis
Sean Walsh
East Gippsland
Daniel McMahon
Robert Diffey
Bendigo
Stuart McCleary