VICTORIA’S U15 and U19 state underwater hockey teams trained in Wonthaggi over the weekend ahead of the national titles on the Gold Coast in January.
“The U15s have a good chance of bringing home a medal,” said Wonthaggi Underwater Hockey Club president and Victorian U19 coach Tim Ogden.
U15 coach Emma Le Mar has just returned to Wonthaggi with a silver medal after representing Australia in the Elite Women’s International Championship held in Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia.
Emma has represented Great Britain as well as Australia in underwater hockey and is co-coaching the U15s with Victorian Underwater Hockey junior development officer Michael Milnes, who works hard to engage and develop young players throughout the state.
Although at least half of the state junior competitors came from South Gippsland and the Bass Coast for the weekend training camp at the Wonthaggi Aquatic Centre, many also travelled from Geelong and Melbourne.
Wonthaggi club member 16-year-old Devlin Rowe has played twice for the U19 team and came away with a bronze medal from the State Championships as a junior in Ballarat.
Tamsyn Walsh is also a key player and captained the U15 squad.
“The U15s have been training hard and are a good chance at winning gold,” said Tim.
A 20-year veteran of underwater hockey, Tim represented Victoria as both a junior and in the elite men’s competition for Australia in the U24s.
Currently boasting 50 members, the Wonthaggi Underwater Hockey Club was established 45 years ago and took their first team to the nationals in the 1980s.
The club has enjoyed considerable success, including a U19 gold medal in 2010.
The Wonthaggi Underwater Hockey Club trains on Thursday nights during school terms with players coming from as far as Foster, Phillip Island, Leongatha and Korumburra.
“It’s a lot more demanding than people expect,” said Tim.
“We’re often compared to a school of piranhas in a feeding frenzy,” said Tim.
As a boy, Tim found underwater hockey inclusive and welcoming.
“And that tradition continues today.”
To learn more, go to wonthaggiunderwaterhockey.com or look for Wonthaggi Underwater Hockey Club on Facebook.