Emma Pritchard

After taking home the bronze medal in the event last year, the Grafton Public School hockey team have returned to the Clarence Valley as gold medallists and state champions after winning the 2024 NSW PSSA State Knockout Competition.

Held at the Newcastle International Hockey Stadium in the Hunter Valley last month, the mixed team of boys and girls from Years 5 and 6 demonstrated their undeniable speed, skills, and agility on the field to defeat students from Timbumburi Public School 3-0 in the grand final and claim the title.

Speaking with the Clarence Valley Independent on November 22, proud coach Sue Buckley said she was extremely pleased to see the boys and girls work so impressively together as a team and support each other during the game.

“They’d been training really hard throughout the year, and they were really focused and mentally prepared ahead of their last match,” she recalled.

“Having spent so much time together (in recent months) their teamwork was definitely one of their strengths.

“They all know each other pretty well, and I told them if they played together as a team and supported one another as a team, they’d have a good chance of winning.

“They just wanted to win, and there was a lot of determination amongst them.

“As a coach, that’s what you want to see, and you also want them to have fun and enjoy the experience.”

Having coached hockey teams for 20 years, Ms Buckley said its always rewarding to see students achieve outstanding accolades on the field.

Describing the Grafton Public School hockey team as a really good group of kids who possess a superb assortment of talents from goal defence, shooting, passing, and stickhandling, Ms Buckley said they were very deserving winners of the 2024 NSW PSSA State Knockout Competition.

To qualify for the grand final, the boys and girls had to play against and subsequently defeat a team from Parkes earlier that day, and after emerging victorious following a hard fought game, Ms Buckley said they were ready to give it their all while competing for the top prize.

“It was a great game of hockey,” she said.

“And there was a lot of celebrating following the competition.”

While she has been working with the Grafton Public School hockey team for the past two years, Ms Buckley said a special mention has to go to co-coach Sean Waite for his ongoing assistance and support throughout the past 12 months.

Principal of Grafton Public School Nick Campbell congratulated the students and accompanying staff on their recent success, and said it was a great accomplishment to be gold medallists and state champions.