Wonthaggi Underwater hockey club have done it again

NOT content with winning the state championships in Geelong a few weeks back, a core of Wonthaggi players teamed up with some Monash University players, called themselves “WONASH” and headed off to the Gold Coast to find the best club teams in Australia at the “Kings Cup”.

With five players 18 or under, a few young blokes and another three “grey beards” it was decided “B” grade was the right spot to send a competitive team for the weekend.

Day one saw ‘Wonash’ have a convincing win over Morayfield and Toowoomba and a draw against Maribyrnong in the round robin.

Day two saw a draw against the Gold Coast, with a good win against the Barras and a slightly controversial draw against Wollongong. 

But never fear, that wasn’t to be the last time Wollongong and Wonash crossed paths that day.

The semi-Final between Wonash and Maribyrnong was a bit of a grudge match with both teams determined to be the only Victorian team left standing, but Wonash prevailed in the end winning comfortably and booking themselves a spot in the Grand Final.

All weekend the Wonash back line players of Caden Milnes, Kev Chisholm and Michael Milnes worked hard to defend the goals and set up attacking drives for all the forwards. 

Particularly they set up their other Wonthaggi teammates in Hamish Scothern, Jack Borelli and Ryan and Maddi Maund who all had a field day scoring multiple goals and leaving many in doubt that they are all still kids still learning the skills. 

Kev Chisholm has obviously given up on breathing and has found an alternative way to oxygenate going by the amount of time he spent on the bottom of the pool repelling attacks with Caden dashing out of half back almost becoming another forward and collecting a few goals himself.

The Grand final was a grudge match against Wollongong and after numerous fouls in the first five minutes the referees were heard telling the players “You’re not meant to try and kill each other”.
This was a spirited bunch though and with a very fancy trophy on the line and the ability to call yourself the national B grade champions of Australia, the result was an even harder attack on the puck with one goal going to Wollongong at the half time break. 

Coming into the second half the Wonash crew stepped it up another gear with most of the play happening in their attacking half, both Maddi and Jack were playing superbly and were plain unlucky that the puck just didn’t quite drop into the tray for them. 

After one attacking play and with bodies everywhere in front of the tray the referee signaled a goal to Wonash and we had a draw.
 
Whilst Wonash kept attacking they just couldn’t score another goal before full time which took us once again into Golden Goal, a place the Wonthaggi players knew only too well.

Wollongong came out hard and almost had it done in the first two minutes but once again Kev said ‘NO’ and saved multiple goals before the forwards were able to link up and start their own attack. 

As had happened multiple times already that weekend Caden received the pass, decided he was a forward, went around opposition players like they were witches’ hats, flicked a no look pass to Hamish who still had the full back to get past, which he did in superb style and flicked the winning goal into the tray for a Wonash win. 

Wonthaggi are lucky to have some amazing senior players with a lot of them having either played for Australia or Victoria helping bring through the new wave of youngsters.
With Jack Borelli and Caden Milnes heading off for the Australian U19 Mens training camps this week and Maddy Maund heading to the Gold coast for the U19 Women’s training camp in the next few weeks, there’s more exciting times ahead for the Wonthaggi Underwater Hockey club and their players.

As always new and old players are all welcome to the Wonthaggi YMCA on Thursday nights, juniors from 7-8pm and adults from 8-9pm. 
Bring your bathers and they’ll supply the rest even if you’ve never used a mask and snorkel.