Hockey on tour
03 May 2017
An invitation to the 2017 Melbourne Grammar School International Hockey Cup competition proved a great start to the season for the College 1st XI: they won every game, coming home with the trophy.
The team enjoyed comfortable wins in the four pool play matches; had a tougher time, but still prevailed, in the semi-final; and put in a great effort to win the final 3–1, vs Hale School from Western Australia. Teacher Warren Lidstone says the boys played very structured and deliberate hockey, which was very different from the Australian style.
“It was a great experience for the boys to play against a different style and learn to overcome it. They played good hockey, and showed tenacity and calmness to win the final.”
Year 13 student and team captain Llewey Heale says they improved a lot during the competition. “We scored some pretty good team goals, with all of us contributing, passing and working together to make it happen.”
Apart from hockey, highlights of the trip included watching a couple of AFL games at MCG and Etihad stadiums, and a tour of the MCG.
“It was a great experience and a fantastic way to start my final season of College hockey,” says Llewey. “It was fun to stay in the backpackers, travel everywhere by train, explore Melbourne … and just be with my mates overseas.”
The tournament took place in the first week of the school holidays, from Sunday 9–Saturday 15 April.
The squad was composed of Llewey Heale (captain), Liam Adams, Toby Beale, Louis Beckert, Sam Blake, Tim Cross, Lars Dalley, Will Duston, Ben Epton, Henry Foster, Kyle Houston, Alastair Keleghan, Ollie King, Nicholas Lidstone, Tom Macfarlane, Zach May and Henry Phelps. They were accompanied by teachers Darrell Thatcher and Warren Lidstone.
