By Chris Porter.
Due to the European hockey season running at the opposite time of year to the Australian leagues, teams in the Southern hemisphere often pick up a few ‘internationals’ to help them throughout the year. Here at Altona we have been lucky to have had some quality overseas players over the last few years with Mediterranean hunk, Nil Mari Garcia, arguably being the pick of the bunch.
While this reporter has come back for a second season in the sun, he has been joined by two new internationals in the form of Tom Pinnegar and Niels de Jong. Tom is a goalkeeper who has left England’s green and pleasant land to try his hand here in the Victorian Premier League, and Niels originates from the Netherlands.
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Read on to find out more about our new arrivals for 2014…
What has been your favourite moment since you’ve been at Altona?
Niels: I’ve really enjoyed my first month as a whole, but the best part has to be the atmosphere from the crowd during the Footscray game. They were really supportive and loud.
Tom: Hearing the final whistle blown against Hawthorn (round 2) was a great feeling, knowing that we had won our first two games of the season.
What is the biggest difference between Altona HC and your club back home?
Niels: The noise from the sidelines during the games. Back in Holland it’s much quieter with more people just spectating, but at the Snake Pit the crowd are always behind you.
Tom: On the pitch the intensity is higher here which means training and games are played at a much higher pace, and teams have more desire to attack all game.
Have you watched any AFL matches and have you picked a team yet?
Niels: Yes, I chose Carlton and my host family (the Colemans) bought me a jersey for my birthday earlier in the month. I was at the Etihad when they destroyed the Western Bulldogs on Sunday, which was great!
Tom: I’ve got really into the footy and have picked Essendon as my team. I’m a big fan of Michael Hurley’s lid (hair) and am thinking of doing something similar with mine as the season progresses.
Do you have any strange pre-match routines?
Niels: I wouldn’t say it’s that strange, but I always put my right shinpad on before my left, and I make sure that I have a few minutes on the pitch alone with the ball to get focused and clear my mind.
Tom: I always have to do exactly the same warm up before every match and if I miss something out I have to go back and make sure I do it. I also wear the same skins for a game at the weekend if I have trained well in them during the week. Obviously I do wash them in between..!
And finally…
What is your favourite Aussie phrase you have heard since being down under?
Niels: I can’t understand most of what the guys are saying so can’t really answer that one truthfully, but I did hear something like, “Don’t come the raw prawn with me, mate”? Do you know what that means? (No, Niels, we don’t!)
Tom: ‘Too easy’. I’ll be taking that one back to the motherland!
If you see either of these guys around the club, go ahead and introduce yourself! They can be found training with the mens’ PL and PLR teams on Tuesday and Thursday nights, as well as coaching the lower grade teams on Wednesday nights.
We hope they settle in well with their host families and have a successful season on the field.