Year in summary

With 2010 coming to a close, I thought it worthy to put together a summary of some of the highlights of the 2010, taken from the various competitions I have participated in.

The year started with my making a brave decision and changing clubs. Sydney Uni had provided me with 10 years of enjoyable hockey, both grade and veterans, and allowed me to win both state and national titles. However an offer from the guys at Macarthur was too good to turn down, and so the Blue and Gold was swapped for Green and Gold.

For the record, this will be the only team in Green and Gold I will support!

We had hoped that with the team we assembled would be a force to be reckoned with, and after a 4-0 drubbing of Sydney Uni early in the competition, it seemed so. However the team didn't continue to show the same form, and Macarthur failed to make the playoffs. UNSW continued their dominance, defeating Sydney Uni again for the title.

Better news was to be recorded on the representative front, with the Sydney Over 40/2's go9ing to Bathurst as defending state champions, the first time that had occurred in many years. With the core of the Sydney returning from 2009, hopes were high that back to back titles beckoned.

Making the final without dropping a match, including a very interesting semi-final against Nepean which was delayed owing to the turf being deemed an ice rink, the final against Central Coast was a tight tussle, but at the end, a one goal margin was enough for Sydney's name to be engraved on the trophy for the second year.

For many of the Sydney boys, selection in the state sides meant a chance to win a second, third or in one case, fourth successive national title. Travelling to Bunbury, the NSW Over 40/2's presented a strong side, and with the exception of a slight slip up against Queensland, made the final against Victoria Country.

Having already played a tense pool match, both sides had high expectations of taking the title, and it wasn't until late in the second half, that NSW were able to slot home the winning goal.

Special mention must be made of two players in this side - Scott Morrison (Ryde), who grabbed his fourth successive winners medal at a national level, and Glenn Turner (Macarthur), who has captained the last three NSW 40/2's teams to victory.

The season was tinged with some sadness, with the passing of three members of our community - players and umpires. While the term Veterans (or Masters as seems to be the preferred term) suggests an aging community, may we all continue to play the game we love long into the future.