Tornadoes sweep opposition away

THE Torquay Tornadoes Hockey Club has bounced back from the coronavirus-affected 2020 season, with seven of their nine sides winning in round 2.\

The club, which plays in the Hockey Geelong competition, chalked up victories in Under 10, Under 12, Under 17 Women’s Division 1 and 2 and Men’s Division 1 and 2 matches.

To round off the clean sweep, the Under 8 competition is unscored, and the Under 14s had a bye.

“It was an outstanding result,” Tornadoes president Andrew Crowley said.

He said the Tornadoes had rebuilt the club after a difficult year for community sport in 2020, with nine teams and more than 130 members registered in 2021.

“The average age of the club is 22 years old with the highest number of players in the 10 to 13 age group,” Crowley said.

He said there were many great community stories from round 2, played over May 1 and 2.

“Some examples are Maddie Burt scoring four goals in Division 1 Women’s in her first game since the 2019 Grand Final win,” Crowley said.

“Another great story is founding Men’s member Michael Nelson playing his first ever game with his son Angus in Division 2 Men’s,” he said.

“Angus scored a goal in an 8-2 win, and the Division 2 Men’s team had five players under 17 years of age.”

Formed in 2010, the Torquay Tornadoes train at the Banyul-Warri Fields in Torquay North and at the Geelong Hockey Complex at Stead Park, Corio.