From: tchristen01@cc.curtin.edu.au
Subject: Re: Uni hockey in Aust
Organization: Curtin University of Technology
Date: Tue, 15 Sep 1992 03:32:36 GMT

Regarding Richard's inquiry about University hockey in Australia,
here is some information about the Western Australian scene.

Hockey in Australia is a relatively popular participants sport,
although it tends to rank somewhat lowly in attracting large 
numbers of spectators.  It is represented quite well on most uni-
versity campuses, and usually caters for students social needs
particularly well, in the accustomed university sporting tradition.
However in Perth, as in other Australian cities, there is some vari-
ation in each hockey clubs capacity to cater for the competitiveness
and playing needs of enthusiastic hockey players.

Here is a brief summary for the pressed-for-time reader.
                                                                       
WESTERN AUSTRALIA
Uni of West Aust.       - powerful Mens and Womens Division 1 & 2 teams,
                          many recreational and junior teams and boasts
                          an enthusiastic calendar of social activities.
                          Facilities include its own sand-filled surface.
Curtin Uni              - lower middle ranking Mens Div 1 team, several
                          recreational mens and womens teams, has an 
                          promising and active junior coaching program in
                          action.  Regular club-oriented social functions.
                          Has extensive access to the WA Hockey Assoc.'s 
                          water-based turf sited at Curtin University.
Edith Cowan Uni         - low ranking Mens Div 2 team, Div 3 in 1993. 
                          A small hockey club catering mainly for current
                          & ex EC Uni students recreational playing needs.
Murdoch Uni             - offers a Mens Div 4 team and a successful social
                          atmosphere for club-members.

THE WESTERN AUSTRALIAN UNIVERSITY HOCKEY SCENE IN MORE DETAIL
Uni of West Aust
Playing Coach   Michael Nobbs (1988 Olympian)
Key Players     Damon Diletti(1992 Olympian)
                Mark Hagar (1988 Olympian, injured and withdrawn from
                        Aust team 2 days before the 1992 Olympics)
                Todd Williams (fringe Australian player)
                Geoff Bott (Australian indoor player)

University of WA are now one of the power clubs of West Aust hockey
following a clever recruiting program in recent years.  While few of the 
mens Div 1 team are UWA students or alumni, the Div 2 team is more 
representative of the archetypical university hockey team.  Both teams
play in grand finals this weekend (Sat/Sun 19/20 Sept).  Incidentally, the
Div 1 team plays my team North Coast Raiders, and are favoured to win as
they have won the three other trophies on offer during the season.  The
womens Div 1 team lost their preliminary final, and although boasting 
1988 & 1992 Olympian Sally Carbon must be content with 3rd place this year.
Uni of West Aust is a large hockey club with 12 mens, 10 womens and 6
junior teams.  Their social program usually hosts some of the most well
attended and successful events on the West Aust hockey calendar.

Curtin Uni
Coach        Graeme Worth (a West Austn, former Brunei national coach)
Ass Coach    Julian Pearce (1960, 1964, 1968 Olympian)   
Key Players  No international or current state/provincial players

Originally Curtin was a club with a struggling Div 3 mens team, which
catering mainly for the playing/social needs of Curtin students.  
But a clever administrative move saw them amalgamate with Trinity 
(Trinity College Old Scholars) in 1990, who at the time were being 
promoted to Div 1.  Although Curtin/Trinity have maintained Div 1 
status their successes have been few.  To their credit, since 
amalgamation, Curtin have been very active in bolstering the number
and playing standard of their junior teams.  Curtin is medium size 
club by Perth hockey standards, offering 10 mens, 6 womens and 7 
junior teams.

Edith Cowan Uni
Edith Cowan are a small club fielding only 3 mens and 1 womens teams
which are oriented towards offering opportunities for current and 
former students.  The senior mens team have often been placed in the
upper middle places of the Div 3 competition.  Although promoted to 
Div 2 for 1992, their last placing sees them relegated to Div 3 for 1993.

Murdoch Uni
Murdoch are a small hockey outfit fielding 1 mens team in Div 4, 
and 2 womens teams .  This club caters for the social hockey player.

I hope this is of some interest to readers of the net.

Steven Christensen
tchristen01@cc.curtin.edu.au
Newsgroups: rec.sport.hockey.field