Parkes will become the first regional host ever for a Hockey One match this November with Parkes hockey stars in action.

The NSW Pride vs Canberra Chill hockey match will take place on the 12th of November at the McGlynn Sports Complex. The game is expected to bring over 1,000 visitors and spectators to town, providing a welcomed boost to the local tourism, hospitality and retail industries.

Parkes Shire Council has received an Australian Sports Commission grant of $50,000 to help host the match in conjunction with Parkes Hockey Inc, Hockey NSW and Hockey Australia.

The Sultana Bran Hockey One League is Australia’s new national hockey league, pitching seven state teams containing both men’s and women’s leagues, in a season of fast and exciting games.

“This event will provide a fantastic opportunity for the regional community to reconnect and celebrate through one of the most popular sports in the Parkes Shire,” said Parkes Shire Councillor Louise O’Leary.

“With a number of highly skilled athletes travelling here for the special clash, this will give local fans a rare opportunity to watch their idols play hockey live,” she said. The NSW Pride team will bring a superstar line-up of players from the Hockeyroos and Kookaburras, including Parkes’ very own Mariah Williams and Kurt Lovett. The Parkes game is one of three huge home matches for the NSW Pride teams. The other two will be played at Sydney Olympic Park Hockey Centre.

The event will be live streamed on Kayo, providing an international sporting audience for those unable to attend in person.

Council is also working with Parkes Hockey Incorporated to leverage this game within the region with planning underway for a coaching clinic on Saturday prior to the televised games, along with the potential for a sportspersons’ dinner that evening.

Tickets for the game are on sale now. Visit www.hockeyone.com.au for more information and to purchase your tickets.

You can say sport takes precedence in the Westcott family home and this year they reached a singular achievement with all four members representing NSW on the hockey field.

Ian and Mandy and their two sons Jack and Sam have all been selected for NSW this year, and next week three of them will be playing for their respective teams all over Australia. “It is pretty exciting for all of us,” said Mandy.

Jack took first honours playing for NSW at the 2022 Australian Under 18 Hockey Championships in Cairns in April. He has been selected in the NSW team every year since U13.

Both Ian and Mandy had been selected for NSW last year, but COVID put a stop to all tournaments and they had to go through the selection process again this year.

Next week Mandy will be playing for NSW 50s in Cairns at the 2022 Hockey Australia Women’s Masters Championships, while Ian is heading to the Gold Coast for the 2022 Hockey Australia Men’s Masters Championships playing for NSW over 45s.

The pressure was on Sam, the youngest, to complete the picture and he delivered making it into the NSW U13 team, his first selection for NSW. He is heading to Hobart, Tasmania next week for the Under 13 Boys National Championships.

Once all the action is over the hockey conversation in the Westcott household is sure to continue for much longer.

By Maggi Barnard

Parkes hockey will be very well represented at the 2022 Hockey Australia Women’s Masters Championships in Cairns next week with nine players selected in various teams. It is the biggest group of players to go to the Masters from Parkes and they are all very excited. “We have trained very hard and put in a lot of time and effort,” said Denise Gersbach. “We are looking forward to support each other, and catching up with hockey friends from all over the country,” said Maureen Massey. The Parkes players are (L-R) Sue McGrath (ACT 50s), Denise Gersbach (NSW 50s), Maureen Massey (NSW 65 Blues), Mandy Westcott (NSW 50s), Donna Payne (Manager NSW 65 Blues) and Louise Witherow (ACT 34s). (Absent: Jane Grosvenor (NSW 50s), Fran Dixon (NSW 65 Blues) and Lee Hodge (ACT 45s – withdrawn due to injury).

Spring Night Competitions

Forbes netball is back in full swing for the popular Spring Night Competitions starting on 7th September. The committee will also be organising a 17 and under mixed and ladies competition, and a men’s grade if there is enough interest.

All teams are asked to enter as soon as possible, as there are only two grading dates before the competitions starts. Email the secretary on secretary.forbesnetball@gmail.com if you’re looking for a team or players.

Players already registered with NNSW only need to pay the FNA competition fee of $50 per player per team. New 2022 registrations can take advantage of the reduced NNSW registrations from 1st September, plus the FNA competition fees. All registrations are done online, including the FNA competition fees. Like our Facebook posts, and get all the information as soon as it breaks, on the Forbes Netball Facebook page.

NetSetGo And Junior Mixed

Tomorrow, 27th August will see the last sessions for 2022 of Saturday NetSetGo and Junior skills and games. All players are invited to join us at 9:30am with a presentation and sausage sizzle at 10:30am, and junior skills and games at 10:30am with a presentation and sausage sizzle at 11:30am. NetSetGo ages start at 5 years, and are modified skills and games for the very young players wanting to learn basic skills.

Gala Day

The Forbes Netball Committee is planning a Junior Mixed Gala Day on 4th September – grades start at NetSetGo, to approximately 12/13 years. Players should email the secretary on secretary.forbesnetball@gmail.com to get into a team, or put their name down on Saturday. All the dads will receive a free sausage sandwich to celebrate Father’s Day at the gala day.

By Robyn Kenny

It was a glittering weekend for Parkes hockey with gold and silver medals for two players who shined on the national and international stage. 

Sixteen-year-old Parkes High student Toby Collins came home with gold from Hobart where he was vice-captain of the NSW All Schools Team winning the national title. NSW beat Queensland 2 – 1. 

Toby’s team won six from six round games and fought hard for the gold medal. Queensland went into the lead 1 – 0, but NSW equalised with a great field goal, and then took the lead with a successful penalty stroke. Toby played a brilliant game feeding the ball for attacking opportunities and some amazing defence moves, which caught the eye of the Australian selectors. 

To cap off a massive week for Toby, he was selected in the U/16 Australian All Schools team with several of his teammates. 

“I felt excited and proud of myself and our team that we had continued to work hard to achieve our ultimate goal of the gold medal,” said Toby, who started playing hockey when he was four years old. 

He did not expect to be selected for the Australian side and said being named was a huge achievement. He has certainly taken a step closer to the honour of playing for Australia one day. 

When he is not playing for the Central West Premier League Competition for Parkes United, and in the local A grade for the Crows, the Year 11 student will be preparing for the All Australian team’s European tour next year. “We will be playing in Holland, Germany and Belgium against other national teams in a four nations tournament.” 

Toby said he was able to catch up with another Parkes hockey legend and ex-Olympian player Stephen Davies in Hobart last week. “He inspires me to strive to do my best.” 

He was also following the Australian teams at the Commonwealth Games with the Kookaburras winning their seventh straight gold medal, and Parkes Hockeyroos star Mariah Williams claiming the silver medal with her team. 

Parkes Hockey Star Mariah Williams scored a goal for Australia in the opening match of the Hockeyroos against Japan at the FIH Women’s World Cup in Spain. In her 98th international appearance Mariah struck in the 56th minute with her 19th goal to ensure a 2-0 victory over Japan after Rosie Malone scored another goal in the final minute. 

On Wednesday Mariah played her 99th game against Belgium when the Hockeyroos again scored twice within 90 seconds to give them a 2-0 victory over Belgium and shot them to the top of Pool D. 

They were back only 24 hours later for their final pool match against South Africa, with Mariah playing her 100th international game! Results of this game were not available yet at the time of going to print. 

Plenty of Parkes hockey players have been selected for NSW State teams recently. The 2022 NSW masters teams: 34s: Louise Witherow (shadow); 50s: Denise Gersbach (LT), Jane Rodgers, Mandy Westcott and Sue McGrath (shadow); 65 Blues: Fran Dixon, Maureen Massey and Donna Payne (manager). NSW Country team: Will Searl after his performance at the Men’s Open State Championships last weekend.Congratulations to you all!

Parkes hockey star Mariah Williams will make her debut at the Commonwealth Games in Birmingham in July this year.

Despite having 93 caps for Australia, Mariah has never played at the Commonwealth Games. She was recently also selected for the Women’s Hockey World Cup squad. Mariah is one of 12 debutants picked for the Games with the Hockeyroos aiming to return to their golden ways. They have won gold in four of the six Commonwealth Games where hockey has been played. The Hockeyroos will come up against New Zealand, South Africa, Scotland and Kenya in their group stage.

Parkes hockey star Mariah Williams is well on her way to her 100th test cap for Australia after being selected for the 2022 Women’s Hockey World Cup squad last week. Mariah, who received her first international cap at the age of just 17 in April 2013, is now one of the most experienced players in the squad with 93 caps. 

The Hockeyroos open their World Cup campaign against Japan on 2nd July, and will play Belgium on 5th July and South Africa on 6th July. The 2022 World Cup takes place in Terrassa, Spain and Amstelveen, the Netherlands from 1st to 17th July. Sixteen teams will compete in four pools with the final series from 9th July. 

The hockey action continues for the Hockeyroos from 28th July with the Commonwealth Games in Birmingham, England. The Hockeyroos will play their first pool match on 30th July. 

State Selection For Junior Players 

Three local players were selected for the U15 Girls Squad after their performances at the NSW Under 15 Girls State Championships hosted by Parkes last weekend. Congratulations to Chloe Brown, Lily Collins and Juliette Mills on their selection. 

It was a massive weekend for Parkes hockey and was very well received by the many hockey associations from across NSW in attendance. 

The winning teams in Parkes were: Division 1: Goulburn District Hockey Association; Division 2: Hockey New England; Division 3: Hockey Coffs Coast; Division 4: Hunter Hockey Association 

Parkes hockey talents keeps on growing with another ten players selected in the 2022/23 AAP Squad. They are Toby Collins, Chloe Carty, Ted Murray, Jazlyn Greenwood, Kane McFarlane, Molly Orr, Tom Searl, Cody Kirk, Ryan Dunford and Nathan Marshall. The Athelete Acceleration Program (AAP) is aimed at talented athletes. 

The hockey season in Parkes got off to a great start with the Under 18 team coming home with gold from the state championships last weekend. 

The Parkes U18 team won Division 2 of the 2022 Junior State Championship in Moorebank, Sydney. The grand final was an all Central West affair with Parkes beating Bathurst 3 – 1. 

First time coach for the U18 team, and former Australian player, Will Searl said: “It is a great feeling, there is nothing better. The boys played out of their skins, and to go undefeated in the championship was a big effort.” 

The Parkes team played four round games on Friday and Saturday beating Manning Valley 5 – 0, Northern Sydney Beaches 4 – 0, Bathurst 4 – 2 and Port Macquarie 3 – 0 finishing first in their pool. In the semi-final at 8:30am on Sunday morning they beat Far North Coast 4 – 1 for a place in the grand final at 12:15pm when they beat Bathurst again to become the State U18 champions. 

The win also means that the team moves up to Division 1, which is where every hockey player would like to be according to Will. As most of the players, except three, are still 16 or 17 years old, the team would be able to compete again in next year’s championship. 

Will said three months of hard work and preparation paid off for an amazing result. He paid tribute to first time manager Jordan Grosvenor for ‘managing a tight ship and keeping the boys in line”, and gave a shout out to the parents for their contribution to get the boys to training and travelling with them. 

Will thanked the team’s sponsors: Dean Uptin’s Water Services, Railway Hotel, Kitson Manufacturing, Geoff Rice and TSG. 

By Maggi Barnard