Sport

Quick sticks Interservice state vs state competition Maj Brenda Sharp, ACT, flies over LACW Carrisa Boxsell, Queensland, 38 Sqn, in an attempt to steal the ball during the women’s grand final.   A NSW player battles the ball away from the Victoria team during the women’s semi-final.   SA-NT invaded the defence of Queensland players at any small opening.   Photos By Cpl Belinda Mepham, Army newspaper.   Sweet victory for the NSW mens grand final team. Photo by Wg-Cmdr Dave Freeman By Leut Stuart Cayzer THE ACT Women’s team completed a hard-fought and well-played 4-2 win against Queensland this year at the recent ADF Championships in Albury-Wodonga. The win demonstrated some of the highest hockey skill levels seen by ADF women in many years. With seven minutes remaining in the game, Qld gave one last effort to even the score through several penalty corners, but was unsuccessful because of scrambling defence by Cpl Kym Irvine combining with Midn Donna Douglass in the goals. Maj Brenda Sharp capped off ACT’s win with a goal from a short corner set play to make the final score. It has been a long time between drinks for the NSW Men’s team after winning the ADF Hockey championships for the first time in 10 years, but not for want of trying. The final result of 4-1 was a show of a good game where ACT stood up to fight against the skill and strength of NSW. ADF Hockey Chairman Wg-Cmdr Ken Millar said NSW had been the strongest squad all week and deserved to win the championship. It was a remarkable night after the conclusion of the ADF Hockey championships with several surprises. The biggest was the awarding of the Terry Turner Trophy for Best and Fairest Male player at the championship awarded to probably the youngest player of the week Smn Troy Holley, FIMA, Sydney. This was a remarkable event, as it was his first time at the championships – he is 18 and has only been playing hockey for about three years. Lt-Col Terry Turner (rtd), presented the trophy named after him to Smn Holley, saying it was great to see young raw talent continuing to come through each year and looked forward to seeing Smn Holley play more in the future, representing the ADF and higher. Maj Brenda Sharp was named women’s player of the tournament, after she consistently displayed a high level of skill and team-work throughout the tournament and took home the Helen Manhire Trophy. The goals scored during the week had been spread between several players in each team with 42 goals scored in eight games for the women and 43 in 10 games for the men. This highlighted the defensive strength of the top teams, with the champions (ACT women and NSW men) only letting in four goals each for the tournament, including the final. The women’s award for highest goal scorer was won by three key players of ADF hockey – WO1 Leanne Iseppi, 1JSU, Queensland; Maj Patricia Sharp, AHQ ACT; and Maj Brenda Sharp, Deakin, ACT; The men’s award for highest goal scorer was won by two players; Cpl John Godward, 33 Sqn, NSW, and Cpl Tim Colley, SA-NT, for four goals each. The trophy for umpiring excellence for the 2004 championship was awarded to Flt-Sgt Robert Webb, 1Sqn, Queensland who has been participating in ADF hockey as an umpire, player and administrator for more than 20 years.