2016 WA Masters Hockey Mens O55 State Team

His work complete the BD rests with a nice bottle of red!

FINALS: WA v QLD
Scores: 3-0
Scored: Jimmy - Deflections (1), Trotty - Short Corner (1) and Norm - Field Goal (1)
Green Cards: Too many to count
Overall result: 20 Goals in 6 games and 0 against us.
Highest Goal Scorers overall in the 55’s Div One: JIMMY MILLER (5) and some other dude in the QLD Team.
Best Player for the 55’s Div One: BOL (WA)

Who says it doesn’t matter! It's just old fat men running around making fools of themselves!

We want to win! I mean we really want it! So what if our best sporting years are behind us, we run, we train we tape, we try!
Today we had an opportunity afforded to few of our age. We played in a game of note, we played for a National Championship! Big at any age!

I am sharing a room with two guys who both sustained tournament ending injuries, no I didn’t do it. They both could have gone home to get nursed back to health, but no they stayed and cared! We need to remember, if we just played, we were lucky!

With those thoughts in mind let me talk about the game. Pesty, our coach seemed a little jumpy. It turns out his heart was playing up again! Apparently nothing major in Masters Hockey!
So the game started with a pensive Pesty, a rollicking Rups and room fully of anxious players. BR said it will be hard, they are tough and they want it. Well he wasn’t talking horse s**t was he! We got greeted by a wall, a barrier made of muscle and a little flab, but mainly muscle. We attacked in waves, wave after wave was washed back but still Pesty cried “stick to the plan” although his voice was getting a little more shrill!

The entire first half was completed without a score for the good guys. Man did the fun side of Pesty take a back seat! As they say it was a game of two halves. Finally our goalie Marty the Magnificent was called upon to show us his magic, he far from disappointed! Best save of the tournament by anyone!!!! It was a game changer, lucky Trotty woke him up!

We then quietly slotted 3 sweet, sweet goals there by completing one the best fairy tales ever written.

A big thank you to Penny, Astrid and of course Pesty! It was the most enjoyable tournament this scribe has had the pleasure of participating in.

Thank you to all.

WA v NSW
Score: 2-0
Scored: Bunny (1), Rups (1)
Green Card: B.R.
Best Player from our Team: Jimmy
Best Player from the opposition Team: Bunny

They beat us last year, the only team to do so, in the grand final no less! It seems to this uneducated scribe that this is the grudge match, the one that matters, the big one, the raison d’etre! So where to start, should I wax lyrically about their total lack of attack, their version of the maginot line, or their total lack of any forward movement? These questions and many others have perplexed me for days! But now it is clear. I now can see how to sum up the game! WE WON! Rupps scored a powerful full blooded shot in to the top corner, a superb shot in a crowded D. Large Bunny pulled an unbelievable reverse out of his ...... incredible bag of skills. NSW didn’t even have to disturb Martin's intra game picnic with even the weakest attempt!

Semi Finals WA v WAC
Score: Bol (2), Kelpie (1)

This game started in the best possible way, NSW lost the game before! That may sound a little shallow but if the sandal fits wear it!

Our country cousins had come to play, they had played a great tournament. In fact, they were the giant killers, we needed to be very very careful! Remember the game plan? Hold our structure, patience, work the ball around and most importantly trust each other! WAC had their own plan, just as detailed, just as clearly thought out. But there was a difference in the teams, we executed!

Man in the first 15 minutes we were just damn pretty. Bol, remember Bol? Well he silk wormed his way through Country slithering his way to the D, not once but twice to put us 2 nil up.

James then had a lovely little scoop over the goalie, which according to a certain seagull "was missing". In 15 minutes we had ripped country's still beating heart from their collective chests! What do they say about the best laid plans of mice and men?

The grand final calls, a call we will indeed heed! Bring on the mighty Qld!

Sorry in case you can't work it out we won 3 nil.

WA v NSW
Score: 2-0
Scored: Bunny (1), Rups (1)
Green Card: B.R.
Best Player from our Team: Jimmy
Best Player from the opposition Team: Bunny

They beat us last year, the only team to do so, in the grand final no less! It seems to this uneducated scribe that this is the grudge match, the one that matters, the big one, the raison d’etre! So where to start, should I wax lyrically about their total lack of attack, their version of the maginot line, or their total lack of any forward movement? These questions and many others have perplexed me for days! But now it is clear. I now can see how to sum up the game! WE WON! Rupps scored a powerful full blooded shot in to the top corner, a superb shot in a crowded D. Large Bunny pulled an unbelievable reverse out of his ...... incredible bag of skills. NSW didn’t even have to disturb Martin's intra game picnic with even the weakest attempt!

The Dream Team

Anyone who has followed the Olympics has heard of the fabled “ Dream Team” well Adelaide has it's own version. Yes indeed the WA 55 1’s has it all: the defensive line known only as the " wall" Trotty, Dave, BR and of course None shall pass Marty!

We have a half line the Kookaburras can only dream of, Rover, Bunny ,JP and Rupps.

Then of course the forwards! To just call them strikers would be a crime they dart, they dive, they pe*****te and they score!

Yes my friends we have it all. The team of the century ! But last night in Adelaide, the City of Churches it wasn’t enough! Yes the good lord threw hell from the sky's and unleashed his demons! The game, in fact not the just the game was called off but the entire state was closed down just to protect the SA team!

The Kelpie Report

This year I have been instructed to make it factual and accurate, so here goes. The game started at precisely 9.31am and 15 seconds. We were to play a standard 5, 3, 2 and a big 1. The opposition were our country cousins all the way from WA (big shout out to them)

Before we start I have to warn you this report is to be very unlike previous Kelpie Reports, no more going for cheap laughs at the expense of others, just hard hitting facts and details. And so it begins. Where do I start? From the line up and the umpires checking our numbers? Or do I start in the tunnel with the games controller checking our sticks? Or do I go right back to getting on the team bus? Man I didn't realise the pressure of factual reporting! What do I leave out what do I put in? OK trying again. They started with the ball, they passed it 3 times or maybe 4, damn it could have been 2, I’m just not sure. Let's settle for 3. We then tackled, actually not really we, I think it was JP, but I checked with a couple of others and they think it was Trotty. Anyway, JP or Trotty passed to Burgo on the wing who gave the ball to Norm on his fore stick, just on the right hand side of his left hip. Norm then put most of his weight on to his left leg and angled his pelvis just slightly forward, thereby enabling him to pivot in a clock wise direction, opening up his view of the whole pitch. Unfortunately, he missed the trap! Look, I ‘m not sure that I am the right sort of person to write factual reports. I feel they could become a little long winded, so let me give you the readers digest version. We played with great skill and benefited from great leadership both on and off the field (Astrid and Penny you know who you are). We won 2 - 0. Goals to our new fantastic coach Steve who I think is just amazing and one to Burgo . There see! It was just like being there, job done!

Regards
The Kelpie
Reporter to the Stars