Hockey masters play a key role in club's success

STARS of the future and a growing number of veterans at Casuarina Hockey Club have been called up for state and national selection during a highly successful representative campaign this season.

Anthony Carney, Brad Croker, Shannon Johnston and Mick Fahy will represent Queensland masters’ teams at the national championships in Newcastle later this year.

The quartet were selected with Kingscliff’s Kelvin Jordan and Troy Nunan after the Tweed Hockey Association hosted the Queensland state championships at Murwillumbah earlier this month.

“It was the first time the Tweed association has held an event like that for a long time and all the clubs pulled together to make it a really good tournament,” Croker said.

“To get six players in is a fantastic result, some of us have represented at that level before and others were part of junior teams growing up.”

Croker is also the club president at Casuarina and said the club has put a lot of work into its junior development.

The club is in a unique position where it plays in the Tweed competition and fields teams on the Gold Coast as well as a joint competition with clubs based at Ballina and Goonellabah on the Far North Coast.

Casuarina product Coco Robinson representing Queensland at under-16 level. She has also been named in the Australian under-16 squad. Photo: SUPPLIED.

A host of Casuarina junior players have already represented at state or national level this season.

Kendra Fitzpatrick is in the Australia A senior team along with former junior Jesse Reid who is now based in Western Australia.

Eliza Berrick and Kalani Franklin were selected for the NSW under-18 and under-21 teams with Eliza also in the Australian Futures Squad.

Eliza Fahy, Caitlyn Halliday, Jake Hamilton, Trey Jelacic and Coco Robinson played in Queensland under-16 teams.

Robinson has also been named in the Australian under-16 squad.

“All the clubs in the Tweed, Far North Coast and Gold Coast have a similar amount of juniors who make representative teams, which is pretty impressive for the entire region,” Croker said.

“We have Olympians and former Australian players at our club, we’re lucky we can call on them to help foster the talent coming through.

“We also benefit from kids coming up from the Far North Coast competition that play in our open age teams.

“It’s been a good way for us to help move our kids into senior competition.”