Mallet swung for state team run

LAST week was a big one for Alexandra Croquet Club member Mignon Johnston, who represented Ballarat for the second year in a row in one of Australia’s top croquet tournaments.

Johnston was part of the core Victorian team competing in the Eire Cup, which ran from Wednesday to Sunday last week at the Victorian Croquet Centre in Cairnlea.

She said it was an “honour” to be on the team again.

“The experience was challenging emotionally and skill-wise,” she said. “At that level, there’s a whole lot of different strategies that you don’t usually get at a club day level or regional tournament.

“For a second-time person at my level, because I’m at a handicap of five, I probably did fairly well.

“The last game we did really well in. My partner and I were level four so there were three levels of players before us and they swapped us and put us into the first place.

“We played the top players and we won. That was absolutely a highlight.”

The Victorian team took home the silver, missing the top place by a single hoop during the 99th game.

State players included Chris Grant as captain and Tricia Devlin as vice-captain, Stephen Forster coaching, and Christine Eiffert, Greg Hill, Lois Kirk, Kevin Beard, with Elaine Coverdale and Andrew Wootton in reserve.

Each team competed in 20 games throughout this year’s event.

Johnston took to the sport about 14 years ago, and has been a member of the Alexandra Croquet Club for nearly a decade.

Having recently taken part in the Ballarat and District Croquet Association’s open tournament, she’ll take part in the Australian Croquet Association’s regional club championships tomorrow and later the Rich River ANZAC Classic.

She said she hopes to be part of the Victorian Eire Cup team again next year.

“It was fabulous and highly strategic,” she said. “It’s been going since 1950 and is one of the prestigious and top tournaments of the calendar.

“You have to be a team player to take part, and you have to have the right attitude and you have to have really contributed to croquet.”