A passion for hockey behind the newsdesk

TENS of thousands of people in the Ballarat region would likely recognise Jeff Sly, and his voice, for having delivered the nightly news on WIN television for many years.

But behind the newsreader, journalist, author, former chief of staff, news manager, and now Channel Ten producer, is a man dedicated to Australia’s hockey community.

He first picked up a hockey stick as a teenager, and has been passionate about the game for 40 years since.

For service to the sport, and to the broader community, Mr Sly has been awarded a Medal of the Order of Australia in the King’s Birthday Honours.

He has been Hockey Australia’s manager of the Men’s U21 Australian Country Representative Squad since 2017, Hockey Victoria’s manager of the Country Men’s Team since 2017, and coaches Ballarat’s representative teams.

“The under-21 national team is just a hoot,” he said. “We get people from all over country Australia – places as diverse as Kalgoorlie, Cairns and Ballarat – and take a team away usually to South-East Asia.

“They’re really impressive young people playing a really high level of hockey, and I’m able to give them a direction to take their hockey a bit further. I’m inspired by the young people.

“But I also manage two Ballarat Masters teams. I’ve got a 72-year-old who’s playing, for example. We’re bringing guys back to the game… and that’s a great thing.

“It’s a sport you can play all your life.”

With Eureka and Golden City Hockey Club, Mr Sly is a player, junior and senior coach, a life member, and was Best and Fairest in 2002.

He is a former club president and committee member, and Hockey Ballarat’s former Senior Competition Committee chair.

Mr Sly umpires games, and is a life member of the Riddoch Strikers Hockey Club, Mount Gambier.

Reflecting on his professional career in news, Mr Sly said it remains a privilege to be invited to tell the stories of everyday people.

He and his wife Fiona have three children who attended Ballarat North Primary School, where he was on school council for six years.

Their youngest son, 18-year-old Joshua, is a premier league hockey player.

“My family were just as excited as me [to hear about the OAM],” he said.