There was a huge Altona representation at the recent Junior State championships, read the reports below to see how they went;
U13 Girls
With 4 strong Altona players and 2 excellent Altona coaches, the under 13 girls Western Wildcats were always going to be a force to be reckoned with in this years Junior State Championships. After weeks of training and preparation, the killer gameplan of Aiden Hicks game to life. One of the key elements of their success was the unstoppable defense outlets of vice captain Rahda Butler, often straight to the sticks of midfielders. From here the stick skills of Sophie Martin and Ashleigh Brooker tore up oppositions, created endless scoring opportunities as well as goals to their own names. And when the other teams did get on top of our attack, the determination of Leah Polacsek in goals ensured that nothing was conceded easily, at one point even using her head to save the game for her team! Unfortunately the length of the 9 game tournament caught up with the team. However to finish 4th in a strong competition was a mean feat and we are very proud of the efforts of the wildcats, particularly our Altona girls of course!
U13 Boys
by Naish McDonald
The Altona boys Joe Roberts (captain), Jesse Coulson, Naish McDonald, Connar Otterbach, Cooper Burns and Nye Roberts all had a great tournament working hard over 4 days and 10 games to finish 3rd. We had a great time meeting people from other clubs and experiencing a fantastic grade of hockey.
Nye was a fantastic hard working winger that won frees very easily and played awesome through the whole tournament.
Cooper and Connar both stormed in on the ball and putting enormous pressure to get sneaky turn overs and goals.
Naish and Jesse both played very well in the back line hardly letting in any goals and Joe was a hard working centre half that also scored and set up goals, as well as being a fantastic captain and leader on the field.
U15 Girls
The U15 girls had another huge tournament, finishing as the U15 Junior State Champions. The Wildcats have a particularly strong age group with these girls, and they definitely have a bright future ahead.
Well done to Altona players; Ellen Polacsek, Stacey Brooker, Sarah Haslam and Paris Rafferty (pictured below), who all made great contributions in the win.
Congratulations!
U15 Boys
by Harry Dolenc
Congratulations to Will Harris, Heath McDonald, Thomas Myyrylainen, Nick Vlassis and Reece Jakobi on their performances at the Junior State Championships during the last week. The boys represented Altona as members of the U15 Western Metro Wildcats side in a huge 10 games of hockey over 4 days.
Throughout the tournament the team played some of the most impressive hockey on show, with big wins on day 2 putting them in a great position to achieve a grand final berth as outright favorites (through the eyes of a supporter). Unfortunately however the campaign took a hit on day 3 with a combination of quality opposition and ailing bodies following the long days resulting in a frustrating sixth place finish though not for lack of effort on the boys’ behalf.
Congratulations again to all involved in what was definately a successful and enjoyable week of hockey.
U17 Boys
by Jacob Patterson
A slow start to the Under 17 Junior State Championships saw the Wildcat boys lose and draw their opening two games. Despite controlling most of the play in both matches, the Wildcats struggled to find the net, which ultimately cost them dearly. Determined to put the disappointing results of day 1 behind them, the boys came out firing on the second and final day of pool games, managing to score 13 goals whilst conceding just two in their final two games. Despite this tremendous effort, the boys were unable to qualify for the semi-finals and had to settle for fifth place overall.
Thanks to coach Cam Whyatt, the boys quickly gelled, and became accustomed to each other’s playing styles seamlessly- a difficult thing to do when playing with boys from multiple clubs across the West.
AHC was well represented by Cynan Baugh and Jacob Patterson, both of whom managed to score crucial goals and performed exceptionally throughout the three days.
Although the Wildcats didn’t come away with a shield, they did come away with some fantastic memories and great new friendships.
U17 Girls
by Greg Drake
The U17 Girls Wildcats were coached by Taylah Brennan and Greg Drake.
The team featured a great mix of Wildcats ‘veterans’ and players new to the system. It also contained 7 Altona girls who all contributed positively to the success of the team.
Sam Brown
Courtney Fox
Ainslie Kennedy
Megan Prentice
Ebony Pugh
Chelsea Pugh
Natasha Sutton
The competition was very tight between the top 4 teams with any capable of beating the other on their day. The Wildcats managed to finish top of its pool winning all four of its games without conceding a goal. In the semi-final they were very unluckily defeated 0-1 by the Red Devils to finish 3rd overall.
All players showed fantastic willingness to learn and eagerness to improve throughout training and the tournament. In addition to this, they were inclusive, team oriented and social. I, as coach, really enjoyed the whole process and hope that the players did too.
by Ainslie Kennedy
Seven Altona players made their club proud last week, representing Western Wildcats in the three day Under 17’s Junior State Championships. Coached by the always positive Taylah Brennan, who was the mastermind behind our penalty corners and Greg Drake, who, due to a broken thumb, was able to fit us into his amazingly busy schedule (thanks guys). The team played all their pool games without having a single goal scored against them, a result from the awesome tackles and consistent work of Megan Prentice and Courtney Fox in the back line and the amazing saves from the two Altona goalkeepers Sam Brown and Ebony Pugh. Taking control through the inner channels was the strength and skills of one of the team’s vic-captains, Ainslie Kennedy. Some fantastic opportunities were created from two of the team’s top age players, when a ball from the midfield by Tash Sutton was received by Chelsea Pugh on the forward line. The well-suited structure and game plans saw the team move on to the semi finals, but unfortunately lost to Devils. A big thanks to Greg and Taz for all their time in what was a very successful but more importantly fun tournament.