Fifty up for hockey
The MCC Hockey Section marked its 50th year of competition with a gala dinner for 250 in the Members Dining Room on May 29, and there was much to celebrate.
The section, which started with just two teams in 1961, now has a staggering 29 teams of men, women, juniors and veterans taking the field with nearly 400 players donning the MCC colours each week.
Men’s chair, senior team captain and principal organiser of the dinner, Anthony Traill, reported satisfaction on two fronts. “It was great to see a cross-section of our hockey people enjoying the evening and reinforcing the culture of the section,” he said.
“And our top team, playing in State League 1, is only a game off top spot at the half-way mark of a very competitive season.”
After half a century it was pleasing that co-founding members in Lew Jenkins, Frank Hill, Mal Hull, Ian Huntington, Ian “Doc” McDonald and Ron Coventry were able to enjoy the celebrations.
Doc McDonald recalled the early days when hockey supremo Charlie Morley, a keen MCC member and VHA executive who represented Australia at the 1956 Olympics, pressed vice-president Hans Ebeling to form an MCC hockey club.
Hans put the suggestion to the committee, which agreed to support the initiative and promptly charged second-year MCC committeeman McDonald with overseeing the section’s foundation.
They were well prepared when they put two teams on the field in 1961, competing in B and C Grade. Charlie Morley’s influence helped them secure three Victorian players and a Tasmanian representative, plus Olympians Geoff Bennett and Ken Clarke. Morley was inaugural coach.
So they were competitive from the outset and won successive flags to land in A Grade after just two years of competition, an outstanding result for the fledgling section.
Fifty years on, it’s high time we had a victory at the highest level. As keynote speaker at the dinner, Dr McDonald enjoined: “I want to die happy with a grand old high-flying flag from the men’s ones.” Now there’s a challenge!
------------------------------------------------------------------------
Young Demons selected in Junior State Championship squads
Congratulations to the following MCC Hockey Section players on being selected in teams for the Junior State Championships to be held from June 30-July 6 at the State Netball and Hockey Centre in Melbourne:
Eastern Hotshots
Lucy Mowat, Caitlin Symon (Under 13 girls), Ben Symon (Under 13 boys), Mitchell Hope (Under 14 boys) and Kip Davey (Under 15 boys).
Goulburn Valley
James Thomson (Under 13 boys)
------------------------------------------------------------------------