Grafton High School Girls Open Hockey team have created a moment of history, winning the NSW CHS Open Knockout title for the first time since the competition started 51 years ago in 1972.
Both the Grafton High School girls and boys team travelled to Moorebank in Sydney recently, to contest the final 8 of this competition. The boys unfortunately went down to Farrer in the quarter final, 2-1 (with Farrar being the eventual tournament winners).
The Grafton girls defeated Hunter Sports High School 2-1 in a fast paced and hard-fought final. The team had previously beaten Bellingen, Armidale, Mackellar Girls and Crookwell High School to progress to this final match.
The Grafton girls were on the board early in the first quarter with a brilliant solo goal scored by striker, Martina. She intercepted on the fifty-yard line and beat the opposition with skill and pace, finally dragging around the keeper to score.
Hunter equalised in the second quarter, with the next 30 minutes of fast-paced play being evenly shared.
Martina scored again midway through the last quarter, again showing sheer determination following a solid build-up of team play. The Grafton girls scrambled and defended well in the remaining 7 minutes to keep out the Hunter girls.
The Grafton team played solidly as a team, defending and attacking well together. Every one of the 15 players contributed greatly to this win as did the off-field support of Mackenna (outgoing year 12 student and NSW representative player), unfortunately unable to play still recovering from an injury sustained in Grafton’s loss to Mulwaree High School, in the final of the Knockout last year.
Coaches Keats and Baker are extremely proud of all the girls who range from year 7 to year 12 at school. The many parents who travelled to Sydney to support this team also deserve thanks and recognition for their encouragement of this group throughout each of these knock out matches.
Brenda Baker, Grafton High School Deputy Principal and co-coach of the girls’ hockey team said the school was pleased to hear Federal Member for Page, Kevin Hogan mention these teams in Parliament just prior to the girls’ final being played.
She added, State Member for Clarence, Ritchie Willams has also announced he intends mentioning the teams in the NSW Parliament.