Scotch College

Hawthorn triumphs in top division hockey

Words: Mr Charlie Tulloch

The Hawthorn State League One men’s team broke through in 2008 to beat Greensborough 2-1 to win its first top division premiership since Old Scotch triumphed in 1935.

After successive grand final defeats at the hand of Greensborough in 2006 and 2007, the reversal in fortunes in 2008 made this victory all the sweeter. So too did the huge pro-Hawthorn crowd at the State Hockey Centre.

After a consistent season in which the Hawks finished second on the ladder after the home-and-away rounds, they cemented a grand final berth after a hard-fought preliminary final against inner-eastern rivals Camberwell.

After three losses at the hands of Greensborough in 2008, Hawthorn entered the game as underdogs, particularly after a 4-1 defeat in the first semi-final. After going down a goal early in the game, Hawthorn settled and created several forward surges. One of these at around the 20-minute mark of the first half resulted in a spectacular back-stick goal from Hawthorn’s captain, Jonathan Stebbings.

Midway into the second half, Hawthorn built on the 1-1 half-time scoreline. A good interception led to John Feddersen weaving his way through three defenders in the circle before slamming what turned out to be the match-winning goal. The crowd erupted, but the game was far from won.

Hawthorn weathered a storm in the final 10 minutes. Its goalkeeper, George Bazeley, who is now playing in Ric Charlesworth’s Australian squad, expertly saved a penalty stroke, several penalty corners and other field shots. In the end, Hawthorn had triumphed over the premiership favourites Greensborough.

The Hawthorn team included former Scotch students Dylan Best, Paul and Charlie Tulloch, Tim Strapp and John Feddersen. It also included current Scotch player Tom Sinclair, who was a key part of the premiership at the young age of 16. It was a special day for Feddersen, who was playing his last game for Hawthorn before flying to England to begin his Rhodes Scholarship at Oxford University.

Hawthorn capped a fine weekend by winning the women’s State League One competition for the first time in the club’s history. This victory was sealed in the final 10 minutes of the game, when Claire Messent hit the winning goal to seal a 3-2 win. The women’s division also won premierships with its seconds and thirds teams.

The Hawthorn Hockey Club was established in 1923 as the Old Scotch Collegians’ Hockey Club, and maintains strong links with the Scotch Family. The club is currently the largest in Victoria, fielding around 45 teams. GS