Hunter Sports Magazine #3 July 2016 by Hunter Sports Magazine

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HUNTER

sports juLY 2016

One day at a time Community rallies for Jobson

Hall of Fame honours Hunterâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s high achievers

Uni Games quest Students seek success

h u n t e r s p o r t s m a g . c o m . a u

contents rev up for racing at milbrodale......31 news.................................................................................. 3 health & fitness...................................................8 jets.................................................................................... 9

hockey

knights............................................................................ 11 feature.........................................................................12 kitted out................................................................ 15 hall of fame..........................................................16

in pictures

A show of support If there’s one thing that a tragic accident on the sporting field shows is that sport supports its own.

crossfit games.................................................. 20 cliff diving...............................................................21 uni games & awards........................................ 22 road to rio............................................................24 afl.................................................................................... 25

netball

indoor cricket................................................... 27 community.............................................................. 28 golf............................................................................... 29

In the Hunter - unfortunately - in recent years, we’ve had a number of situations where someone has run onto the field as they would on any other weekend, before something goes wrong and they are carried off on a stretcher. In many cases, thankfully, the injuries are short-lived, but in some terrible cases, what happened on the field will impact the rest of their lives off it. Most recently the Hunter was left reeling after Windale Eagles back-rower Damian Jobson went in for a tackle – and came out the other side a quadriplegic.

junior sport.......................................................... 33

It was a tragic accident that has changed his and his family’s lives forever.

Website: www.huntersportsmag.com.au

But while they were dealing with

events.......................................................................... 30

Editor: Michelle Meehan, 0438 325 303, editor@huntersportsmag.com.au Advertising inquiries: advertise@huntersportsmag.com.au

Contributors: Valentine Sports Photography, Hunter Healthy Spines, Newcastle Knights, Newcastle Jets, Mossy & Robbo, Hunter Academy of Sport, Josh Sim, Silas Moss, PowerShots Photography,

Cover photography: Image courtesy of Tommy Larkin.

Red Bull.

Graphic Design: Jason Higgs

3358 Thornton NSW 2322

Publisher: Michelle Meehan Media, Po Box

July 2016 | huntersportsmag.com.au

the ramifications of the injury, the rest of the Hunter sporting and wider community went into overdrive, organising events and raising funds to help the Jobsons cope with the new reality of their lives. More than $50,000 has been donated in the past month, with plenty of opportunities coming up to help that total grow. We look at how you can get involved this month on page 28, while also helping to promote one of those events by donating our back page advertising space to the One Day at a Time charity ball. Every little bit counts - so make sure you dig deep next time you come across a fundraiser for one of the Hunter’s sportspeople who has been tragically injured simply doing what they love. Cheers, Michelle Meehan Published monthly by Michelle Meehan Media. All rights reserved. Permission to reprint or quote excerpt must be obtained by contacting the publisher. All efforts have been made to ensure the accuracy of the information presented however Hunter Sports Magazine and Michelle Meehan Media accept no liability for any damage or loss that has occurred or may occur as a result of any statement, information or advice contained within this magazine.

news & views

World first for Aussie students A trio of University of Newcastle (UON) students are set to take on the world this month when they represent Australia in rugby 7s. Sarah Halvorsen (pictured), Alanna Patison and Adrian Delore have been named in the Australian Uniroos teams to contest the World University Championship (WUC) – Rugby 7s, being held in Swansea, Wales from July 6-9. Halvorsen and Patison, who both play club rugby in the Hunter women’s competition for University, were among five NSW players selected in the 12-strong women’s squad, which was

completed by Queenslandbased students. NSW representatives including Southern Beaches halfback Adrian Delore dominated the men’s team, making up 10 of the positions, with just two Queensland students selected. The men’s team physiotherapist – Cameron Dyer – is also a UON graduate. Rugby 7s have been part of the WUC since 2004, with

image: Valentine Sports Photography

Hunter’s top two continue

journey towards Cup Lambton and Edgeworth are one step closer to FFA Cup glory after winning their way through to the final 32 teams. The clubs were confirmed as Northern NSW Football’s (NNSW) representatives at this

year’s Westfield FFA Cup Round of 32, after progressing through the Qualification weekend

159 rugby players from nine countries taking part in the inaugural edition. This will be the first year Australia has sent its squads to the event, with both the men and women taking part in 10‑team competitions. Australia has been drawn in Pool B of the women’s event alongside Canada, China, Spain and Portugal, while the men’s have drawn Great Britain, Namibia, Italy played at the Lake Macquarie Regional Football Facility last month. Lambton Jaffas dominated NEWFM First Division team Belmont Swansea to take a 4-2 victory on the Saturday before coming up against fellow PlayStation 4 National Premier League (NPL) giants Hamilton Olympic on the Sunday. While Olympic may be leading the way on the NPL ladder, the Jaffas proved too good when it counted, winning 3-2 to continue their journey in the Cup competition.

huntersportsmag.com.au | July 2016

and the Czech Republic in their Pool B. For more information about the event including the draw and results, visit wucrugby2016.com Edgeworth meanwhile had an easy passage through the weekend, brushing past Urunga 3-0 on Saturday before dominating the Singleton Strikers in a 7-0 victory on Sunday. This is the second consecutive year Edgeworth have made the Round of 32, with the Eagles keen to fly higher into the top 16 this time around. However history is against them, as no Northern NSW Football club has made the Round of 16 since the inception of the Westfield FFA Cup in 2014.

news & views

Locker commercial alongside a lifesized papier-mâché version of NBA star Karl Anthony Towns.

Simmons’ star on rise on and off court Just hours after this issue of Hunter Sports Magazine went to print, the question of whether Newcastle product Ben Simmons would go No.1 pick in the NBA draft would have been answered. But even before he had been picked up by a NBA team, the highly feted college basketball star had already entered the world of sports endorsements, starring in two TV and digital spots for specialty athletic retailer Foot Locker. The 30-second commercials

featured the former Newcastle Hunters player, taking a humorous look at life before and after the draft, with Simmons seeking advice for his upcoming rookie season. In the first spot “It’s Not Real Yet” – set prior to the draft – Simmons produces his own, homemade Foot

The second spot, titled “It’s Real Now,” features additional NBA talent – Karl Anthony Towns, Devin Booker and D’Angelo Russell – giving Simmons some much-needed advice on life after the draft. The spots aired in the US on ESPN during the live broadcast of the NBA draft. “It’s awesome to get the chance to work with guys like Karl, D’Angelo and Devin, who just went through this process last year,” Simmons said. “It’s been fun to hear their experiences first-hand as NBA rookies, and even apply that humor to this campaign.” You can also check out the commercials on Foot Locker’s You Tube channel.

Miners unearth golden gridiron run

At the time this magazine went to print the Miners, captained by league founder Lee Smith, had won all three of their matches this season, scoring an impressive 82 points along the way.

Hunter miners are used to digging for coal, but the gridiron team named in their honour seem instead to have struck gold in the Hunter Gridiron League.

Next in line were the Cannons (two wins), followed by the Bombers with a single victory to their name.

The Miners are one of four teams contesting the inaugural season of the Hunter-based competition,

established on the back of a growing interest in the sport in the region.

The Maurauders, unlike their namesakes, had so far failed to do much raiding across the opposition line, however with three matches still to be played in the regular season there was plenty of time to turn things around. The Hunter Gridiron League is based out of Walters Park at Speers Point, with nine-a-side hour-long matches played every Sunday. After all six rounds have been played, the top teams will play off for the right to be crowned champions of the inaugural Hunter Bowl. Check out the Hunter Gridiron League’s Facebook page to stay up-to-date with fixtures, results and the scheduling of the championship match.

July 2016 | huntersportsmag.com.au

news & views

Championship, which begins in January. “The AUS-X Open is a great opportunity for us to see where we’re at – motorcycle wise and team wise,” he said. “When we were here (last year), we figured out a lot of things with the bike, and that put us in a great position heading into Anaheim. So we’ll look at pushing it hard and learning some things again.”

Reed ready to rip into racing close to home Kurri Kurri supercross legend Chad Reed will be back on home soil this year, headlining the second AUS-X Open. Reed, who is Australia’s most successful supercross racer, competed during both nights of the event in 2015 and is excited to return to Sydney’s Qudos Bank Arena (formerly AllPhones) on

November 12-13. He said he will use the competition to help him iron out a few kinks before the 2017 Monster Energy AMA World Supercross

The AUS-X Open event combines an international supercross racing event with a Freestyle Motocross (FMX) ‘Best Trick’ competition and will feature some of the world’s best riders up against Australia’s best talent. This will include four-time AMA World Supercross champion Ryan Villopoto, from America, who will make his return to supercross racing at the event after retiring from the sport in 2015. Tickets are on sale now via Ticketek.

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news & views

Construction begins on new era Maitland rugby league stalwart Terry Pannowitz remembers a time when 8000 punters used to pack into Maitland Sportsground to watch the Pickers go round.

an enhanced view of the playing field for spectators, as well as new change rooms, public amenities and canteen.

It was an era of legends, when names like Pannowitz, Burke and McNab were household names across Maitland and beyond.

Maitland Sportsground was developed in the 1930s and has hosted a number of significant local events throughout its 80 year history.

But that era – and the grandstand named in Pannowitz’s honour – came crashing down last month when work to upgrade Maitland Sportsground officially began. While the current crop of Pickers players and their fans farewelled the venue in round seven of the Newcastle Rugby League competition - complete with

a retirement announcement by Maitland skipper PJ Ellis – Pannowitz was on hand early last month to see the excavator pull down the first bricks from the historic sporting facility. While he acknowledged it was sad to see the old grandstands go, he said the $8.6 million redevelopment would provide a huge boost for the city’s sporting community. The project includes the construction of a new 1100-seat grandstand, which will provide

These stories, as well as the existing facility’s plaques and signage honouring prominent local identities, will be included in heritage interpretation works within the new grandstand forecourt. Construction is expected to be completed by mid next year.

Online support for sports concussion Children who suffer a concussion should sit out of full-contact sport for at least two weeks according to two of Australia’s most trusted sport and medical bodies. The Australian Institute of Sport (AIS) and Australian Medical Association (AMA) have launched concussioninsport.gov.au – a Federal Government funded website providing advisory tools for athletes, parents, teachers, coaches and medical practitioners. The website provides toolkits, videos and the latest information to help ensure a quick response 6

to concussion – especially at grassroots level sport where knowledge of how to manage the injury is often limited. Children are particularly vulnerable to concussion because their brains are developing, with the AIS and AMA recommending children avoid full-contact training or sporting activity for at least 14 days after all symptoms of

July 2016 | huntersportsmag.com.au

concussion have cleared. Chief Medical Officer of the AIS, Dr David Hughes, said accurate rates of sport-related concussion are difficult to assess because the injury often goes unreported, although the number of people admitted to hospital for sportrelated concussion during the past decade has risen by about 60 per cent.

news & views

who took part this weekend,” he said.

Titleholders defend State crowns Newcastle Football teams have returned to the Hunter with the silverware they took to the tournament after defending their State 11 and 12 years titles. The teams were crowned winners after the final day of the Telstra State Championships for Boys, which were held in Coffs Harbour from June 11‑13.

to emerge on top, despite dropping just one match (losing 2-1 to Far North Coast) and recording one draw (1-1 against Macquarie) during the three‑day tournament.

The 11 Years squad cruised through to finish top of the table with a clean sweep of their opponents, including an impressive 7-0 drubbing of Northern Inland and a 6-0 defeat of Mid North Coast.

With the Emerging Jets teams also notching up the same win ratio the result came down to the overall goal difference, with the Novocastrians finishing seven ahead of their rivals.

Newcastle’s defence was also on show, conceding just two goals during their seven matches. But the 12 Years team found themselves doing it much tougher

Northern NSW Football Technical Director Michael Browne said regardless of the result, the long weekend delivered a tough couple of days that were beneficial to all. “I’d like to congratulate all the teams

“From my perspective it’s not important to which teams that win, I am more interested in the promising players and how they try to play. “Some teams that finished towards the bottom of the table had two or more promising players in the team, which was very pleasing to see.” Newcastle Football 11 Years Team List: Mitchell Connors (GK), Sam Jackson, Jack Knowles, Lachlan Graham, Matt Kacev, Matt Novak, Ryan Duchemin, Cameron Davies, Oscar Cathcart, Byron Bennett, Mason King, Bailey Newton, Dylan Christoffersen, (Coach) Brad Jones, (Manager) Dave Knowles, (Asst. Coach) Alex Delmoni, (Trainer) Niko Patsan. Newcastle Football 12 Years Team List: Killian McCarthy (GK), Ned Amidy, Daniel Kacev, Adrian Delmoni, Marco Baker, Tom O’Connor, Declan Hughes, Oscar Ward, Pat Farrell, Riley Parker, Jye Rodway, Zac McShane, Zaik Luck, (Coach) Doug West, (Manager) Mark O’Connor, (Asst. Coach) Richard Hartley, (Trainer) Dennis Pitt.

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health & fitness

postures, which are constantly changing and adapting to our environment when we play sport. The sensory system sends messages to the brain, the brain interprets these messages and relays messages back to the body through the nerves. This motor system creates and controls tension in the muscles, making subtle adjustments as we go.

The science of

movement

‘Motion is life’ - Hippocrates, Greek physician 460-377 BC What is good movement? Consider the shot putter or pole vaulter. How does the body know exactly how much muscle tension is needed to allow explosive and powerful, yet controlled and stable movement?

Your sensorimotor system controls successful movement and is comprised of three parts:

• The vestibular system of the inner ear. • The visual system (the eyes). • Proprioceptors (nerve Article courtesy of Gary Smith, Hunter endings) associated with the Healthy Spines. For more information spine and joints. These provide on sensorimotor control or a information about movement sensorimotor evaluation, contact Hunter of the body segments on and Healthy Spines on 02 49 330588 or visit around each other. hunterhealthyspines.com.au These three systems are intimately connected, communicating constantly and are involved in the production of our movement

When this system is working well we have the foundation for highly successful participation in sport and exercise. Sport places a continual demand on our nervous system to be moving in a co-ordinated way. Running is a perfect example. The alternate movement of the arms and legs counterbalance the body so that very little spinal movement occurs. The spine and core provide the stable base and continually redistribute forces, transferring energy to create efficient, rhythmic movement. However, when the system breaks down things can start to go wrong. Evaluation of sensorimotor control allows identification of problems, faulty patterns can be identified and a plan can be developed to retrain the system over time.

Matilda’s Bounty Shake Hunter gridiron star Matilda Quist knows all about the importance of providing the right fuel for your body to ensure you get the most out of your training.

After all the Kurri Kurri woman, who we profiled in last month’s issue, is working out six days a week as she aims towards selection in the Australian Outback women’s gridiron team. Quist has created a series of protein shake recipes for a local café and has kindly shared one of her favourites with Hunter Sports Magazine. Enjoy!

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July 2016 | huntersportsmag.com.au

jets

Ledman Group chairman Martin Lee with FFA boss David Gallop.

The 18-year-old, who has appearances for Australia under 20 to his credit, will be one of the club’s designated U20 players next season.

Jets kicking goals with

sale and sIGNIngs There has been a trifecta of good news for the Jets in June, with confirmation of the club’s sale capped off by a pair of player signings. A new era for Newcastle began on June 14 when Football Federation Australia (FFA) announced it had completed a 100 per cent sale of the club to Ledman Group (Ledman), a leading high-tech LED signage manufacturer, operator and integrated sports business headquartered in Shenzhen, China.

of the top professional leagues in the region,” he said. “The investment aligns with Ledman’s activities in several sectors of the sports industry and I’m excited by the potential of the club. “Most of all, I understand that the Newcastle Jets are a very important part of the Newcastle community.

The news comes just over a year after the FFA took ownership of the Jets from beleaguered businessman Nathan Tinkler, allowing the club to stablise its on and offfield operations and re-establish or make new connections with Newcastle’s business, football and community sectors.

“I want to work closely with everyone in Newcastle, the members, fans and the local football community, to make this club the best it can be.” Former Central Coast Mariners Head Coach and Executive, Lawrie McKinna, was named the Jets’ new Chief Executive Officer, while the club’s board, which will feature at least two local directors, will be announced in coming months.

Martin Lee, who is the major shareholder and chairman of Ledman - a business valued at more than one billion Australian dollars - said his company was excited by the opportunity to invest in the Hyundai A-League with the Newcastle Jets.

This was followed on June 21 by the news locally born and bred attacking ace Andrew Hoole will return to the Jets from Sydney FC for the 2016/17 Hyundai A-League season. The former Broadmeadow Magic Football Club player recorded 50 Hyundai A-League appearances for the Jets between 2013 and 2015, earning the club’s Player of the Year prize in 2015. The 22-year-old swapped the Hunter for Allianz Stadium last season, but will return to his hometown club this year on a oneseason contract. The addition of Hoole to the club’s first team squad for the Hyundai A-League 2016/17 season adds to the strong local flavour within the Jets’ professional ranks, with a third of their current Hyundai A-League contracted players hailing from the Hunter.

The Jets welcome Daniel Alessi to the squad.

News of the sale was bookended by a pair of solid player acquisitions for the Jets, with versatile Western Sydney Wanderers defender Daniel Alessi inking a two-season deal on June 1.

“We see a bright future for football across Asia and the Hyundai A-League is at the forefront as one

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hockey

Hunter’s hidden

sporting rivalry In many ways, rivalries are what make local sport. The build up to that round of matches can last for weeks and if you ask any player, these are the wins you By Silas Moss have to have. For past and current players, beating a rival can be as big as winning a grand final and the Hunter has a hidden rivalry you’ve probably never heard of.

matches played with high intensity and desire to win. On the pitch there is plenty of passion, with mateship getting cast aside once it’s red v blue.”

When Souths and Norths take to the field in the local men’s hockey, history tells you that it’s going to be a battle to the dying minutes. It’s a rivalry fueled by 20 years of supremacy by both clubs from the late 90s till now.

Fernance has highlighted one of the most interesting factors and a common denominator in some of the biggest sporting rivalries: it’s in the colours.

The two clubs have played in a record 15 of the past 20 first grade deciders. While Souths had the early measure, Norths have edged back and the tally stands at 9-6 to the Blues. One player who has seen them all is current Souths premier league captain John Fernance. He played his first grand final in a loss to Norths in 1996 as a teenager. “Without a doubt, it’s the biggest rivalry in Newcastle hockey,” he said. “They’re always great

In the English Premier League there’s Manchester United against Manchester City and Liverpool taking on Everton – red against blue. On local shores, as Queensland and New South Wales take to the arena on the NRL’s biggest stage, the colours are the same (give or take a shade of difference for the Maroons). Just like these derbies, when Souths in red take on Norths in blue, there is plenty of

feeling in the heat of the battle. “My earliest memory of the rivalry is losing my first two grand finals to Norths in first grade,” Fernance said. “Playing against the likes of Dave Willott and Greg Charlton, who were as tough as they come, as a 16-year-old was a daunting challenge.” Winning these matches is about more than just a win on the weekend. It’s about club pride and sitting atop of the pecking order in Newcastle Hockey. Norths Hockey Club legend Dave Willott has been at the helm as captain and now coach of the premier league side for nearly three decades. He still plays on the odd occasion in the top

grade and in his prime was the most dominant player in the competition by a long shot. “As a hockey player you want to prove yourself against the best team in the competition,” Willott said. “History shows we’ve both been the benchmark for the past 20 years. “I remember one grand final, it was really wet and we won it 1-0. “We were defending like you wouldn’t believe and if you looked at it on paper we had no right to win with our team. That was a memorable one.” The two clubs have decided to honour the longstanding rivalry with an inaugural derby set down for July. Official names for these things usually come over time, but it seems only appropriate to call it the Red and Blue Derby. This recognises the two powerhouses of Newcastle hockey, and if you look at the colours of the Newcastle representative team, red and blue, it would be a fitting title. Fixtures will be played across four grades on Saturday, July 2 at the Newcastle International Hockey Centre.

July 2016 | huntersportsmag.com.au

newcastle knights

Newcastle Knights mid-season recruits Mitch Barnett (left) and Brendan Elliott (right). Picture courtesy of newcastleknights.com.au

Solid start

for new signings The centre notched up his first try for Newcastle after making it into the starting line-up for their round 14 NRL match against New Zealand on June 11. While there were not many happy tales to tell out of the Knights’ 5014 drubbing at the hands on the Warriors at Hunter Stadium, Elliot was certainly one of the few walking away with some good memories from the match. He lined up in number 18 - replacing the injured Nathan Ross (calf) - and 27 minutes in crossed over for the Knights’ second try of the match, helping bring them within four points of the Warriors. Unfortunately the visitors ran away with it from there, piling on 34 more points before the full-time siren sounded. “It was tough, we went out there and I was excited to play,” Elliot said.

He put in a solid showing in the second row for the Knights, recording 29 tackles and making 80m from 10 hit-ups. “Even though it wasn’t the result we wanted, it was good to get out there with all these boys,” Barnett said. “I thought we competed hard. In patches there, we went set-for-set with them, and then a little error or something would set us back. “So there’s plenty to like here, I enjoyed my first run and hopefully I’ll get better week to week for us.” Barnett had previously played two NRL games for the Canberra Raiders and won the NSW Cup Player of the Year in 2015. He previously played in the Knights’ lower grades before linking with the Canberra Raiders in 2013.

“I thought we gave it our all but it was tough and unfortunately we didn’t come away with the win.”

Elliot moved to the Knights from the Sydney Roosters, and at 22-years of age, has played 14 NRL games.

Fellow new recruit Mitch Barnett also made his debut against the Warriors, coming in for the injured Tariq Sims (groin).

Both were signed for the rest of the season as well as 2017 after being granted a release by their clubs last month.

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Brendan Elliott Date of Birth: 01/01/1994 Height: 186cm Weight: 90kg Position: Wing, Centre, Fullback Rep. Honours: Queensland U20s (2014) Junior Clubs: Runaway Bay Seagulls Previous Clubs: Sydney Roosters First Grade Debut: Sydney Roosters v Cronulla Sharks, Round 17, 2014 Mitch barnett Date of Birth: 15/04/1994 Height: 188cm Weight: 100kg Position: Second Row Rep. Honours: NSW Country 18s, NSW Residents Junior Clubs: Wingham Tigers Previous Clubs: Canberra Raiders First Grade Debut: Canberra v Wests Tigers, GIO Stadium Round 22, 2015

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huntersportsmag.com.au | July 2016

Cover Feature

There’s a quiet revolution going on around the Hunter. Every week, thousands of people of all ages and fitness levels are lacing up their joggers and heading out the door to go for a run.

rise of the

runner They’re pounding the parks and pavements across the region or gathering at the starting line for any one of the multitude of running events that have made their home in the Hunter.

In a region known for its love of sport and the variety of sporting activities on offer, running is becoming the pursuit of choice for many, especially among those for whom exercise and activity hadn’t been a regular part of their lives. parkrun phenomenom The rise of the runner wasn’t just something that exploded out of the starting blocks in an instant – it has been a gradual process nurtured by a variety of factors in the Hunter and nationwide. But there’s little doubt that in this region, one of the reasons the pursuit has really taken hold in the past few years has been the establishment of the weekly parkrun events.

parkrun kicking off on June 9, 2012 at Throsby Creek, Carrington.

about 77 people came to the first one at Carrington.

The local version was started by physiotherapist and running enthusiast Dave Robertson – a man on a mission to get more people moving.

“But it picked up and the word got around and it was a quite organic sort of growth.”

“This running boom, particularly in Newcastle, has been brewing for a while,” he said. “I’d heard about parkrun, I’d lived in the UK for a few years and that’s where it originated. “I saw that it had started up on the Gold Coast in 2011. I met with the organiser up there, I did one of the events and before even finishing I thought this is fantastic, Newcastle desperately needs one of these.

It was launched in Australia on the Gold Coast on April 2, 2011 with 108 runners taking part.

“We had no idea what the response would be, what that would do in terms of getting people involved but we knew it was a very simple offering and a very appealing way of having people do some regular exercise but almost not having it feel like exercise because it’s a very social thing as well.

Just over a year later it found its way to the Hunter, with the first Newy

“It started off with pretty humble beginnings,

A concept founded in 2004 by Paul Sinton-Hewitt in the United Kingdom, parkrun is a weekly volunteer-organised 5km run that is free for people to participate in.

That growth has seen numbers increase to around 400 each week in winter and 500 every Saturday during the warmer months, making it consistently the largest parkrun in Australia. Interest also spread to other parts of

Olympian Scott Westcott with his new course marker at Newy parkrun. Pic courtesy of Newy parkrun.

July 2016 | huntersportsmag.com.au

Cover Feature

the Hunter, with 12 separate parkrun events now established and around 2500 people on average taking part from 8am each Saturday across the region. Newy parkrun celebrated its fourth anniversary last month, erecting a series of course markers around Throsby Creek in what Robertson said cements its place as a real hub for runners in the region. One of the markers was named Westcott Way for Hunter Olympian Scott Westcott, a parkrun stalwart who set the record for the fastest parkrun time in Australia (14:23) at the Newy event on October 5, 2013. Robertson said he is both amazed and proud by the way parkrun has taken hold in the Hunter. “To me I think runners in Newcastle and the Hunter with or without parkrun would have continued to find groups to run with or races to run in, so the running community as it was would have been ok,” he said. “But the single biggest thing that I’m most proud of is the people that have made running a part of their lifestyle to the point where they’re almost addicted to it and can’t live without their parkrun fix. “They’re improving their lives in a number of ways, not only physically but their mental health as well.

Runners taking part in the iconic Hill to Harbour race.

“There’s no shortage of stories of people losing a large amount of weight, a friend of mine that runs at parkrun in Newy has lost over 50kg and he’s a real champion of it, he lives on the course. “I remember the day he crossed the finish line and burst into tears because he completed his first one … he was just so overcome with emotion that he had proven to himself that he could do this. “Stories like this really remind you of the power of parkrun, it’s grown to be a huge beast and way more than I’d imagined. “To me I think it’s got immense public health benefit around getting people who have never run before and do very little exercise, getting them off the couch and actually coming along and walking 5kms. “Then they start to run little bits of it and the single biggest achievement a new parkrunner will ever experience is that day they can actually run the whole 5km without stopping to walk. “Once they get that they’re like ‘righto, now I’m a runner’ and then they get hooked and they start looking for the next 10km that’s coming up with the Hill to Harbour or the half marathon. “parkrun’s had a way of bringing a lot of people together and then it’s sent them back out again in running groups or motivated them to do even more running.” Fun runs and festivals

Hunter running enthusiasts, the Naked Runners Silas Moss and Dave Robertson.

Aside from the proliferation of parkruns, the Hunter has also

seen a rapid rise in the number of multisport and running events being held in the region in recent times. Every month there are a host of different fun runs, colour runs and running festivals to choose from, offering a range of distances to suit all ages and fitness levels. One person who has been there from the beginning of this growth is East Maitland man Paul Humphreys. He has been organising sporting events in the Hunter for more than a decade through his specialist event management company H Events, including everything from the iconic Hill to Harbour in Newcastle to the first event his company created from scratch – the Winery Running Festival. It will celebrate its 11th anniversary this month, with around 2000 people from throughout the region and beyond expected to descend on Pokolbin for the event. “When we started 10 years ago there was only the Lake Macquarie Running Festival and the Foreshore Fun Run around this area in terms of fun runs,” Humphreys said. “We thought there was the potential for events to take off, it was one of those gut feelings, although I had been running the Sparke Helmore Triathlon for six years by this time and we’d seen there was certainly an appetite for participation in sports events. “So we created the Winery Running Festival and to our surprise we got 500 people to it in the first year. “And the next year all the events grew substantially, then they grew again.”

huntersportsmag.com.au | July 2016

cover feature

These days H Events put on up to 10 different running and multisport events each year, including the Maitland River Run in May, the Winery Running Festival (July 24) and the upcoming Fernleigh 15 on October 23. But they are now far from alone in the Hunter marketplace, with everything from the Color Run, Run Newcastle and iStadium Run to the Walka Water Works Ultra Marathon that was held for the first time this year. “In the last few years there’s been a massive supply of events in the Hunter, there’s a massive appetite for it in the Hunter,” Humphreys said. “The appeal of all these things is that they’re open to the public – you don’t have to be a member of any club to take part and it’s a periodic commitment, you don’t have to go to training or to club meetings. “It also gives people a chance to be in a situation where they can compare themselves to their peers and once you’ve done it you get a big sense of achievement. “Because I’m a competitor myself I totally get why people do it … on race day if you’ve done a bit of training there’s a lot of excitement to it, it’s palpable.” But it’s far from just serious runners taking part in these events. Like parkrun, running events like those put on by H Events attract and cater to people of all ages and fitness levels, with distances ranging from 2km events for kids, 5km, 10km and 21km courses for those working their way up to longer events, through to the grueling marathon and ultra marathons. A bumper crowd at the fourth anniversary of Newy parkrun.

Maitland River Run proves popular.

“Once upon a time in pure running event circles you could never put something as a half marathon run/ walk, but we get plenty of people that walk our half marathon,” Humphreys said. “We try and encourage people to just have a crack, no matter their standard of fitness, although we also have all the medical support on hand just in case it is needed. “And we find that 60 per cent of the people doing these events are not regular runners, but might go in five or six events a year because there’s so many now they can choose from. “There’s a definite growth in people being active in general, people understand that you’ve got to have this active lifestyle to have a better life.” Getting fit but staying healthy While the upside of this rise in running is the health benefits it brings, there are a few things runners, and especially those who have been inactive, need to focus on to avoid picking up an injury. East Maitland-based chiropractor Gary Smith has a passion for exercise movement and running and will work as part of Australia’s Health Services at the Rio Olympic Games. He has spoken at a number of running forums in the Hunter in recent years with the aim of empowering runners of all

July 2016 | huntersportsmag.com.au

levels to run with less injury and improved performance. “Whenever a runner arrives at my practice door, irrespective of whether they’re a complete novice or a seasoned performer looking to improve on their next marathon time, there are certain biomechanical principles that apply no matter what,” Smith said. These include: • Upright posture, symmetry of movement, strong core and hip strength, driving from the hips through the glutes - a strong backside is a key to running bliss! • Cadence: studies show that taking around 180-200 steps per minute is most efficient, and by motoring around at this pace, foot stride and a lot of other insufficiencies will often improve. • Open your shoulders, aim for an upright posture with a slight lean forward and drive straight back with your arms. Ensuring you don’t do too much, too soon is one of the keys to remaining injury free, as is ensuring that when injuries do arise that you take the time to let them properly heal. “At the 2015 Australian Runners Convention in Melbourne it was stressed the body needs time to adapt to training,” Smith said. “For example, it can take two years in some cases to prepare for a marathon. For a half marathon in May, a January 1st New Year’s resolution for a person who has never run 5km is not enough time. “And in all situations, it is advisable to build core/ hip strength along the way with specific exercises designed to suit your needs.”

kitted out

and trail running modes and more. SUUNTO SPARTAN ULTRA SERIES The Suunto Spartan Ultra series of GPS multisport watches offers guided route navigation, barometric altitude, a digital compass, heart rate measurement, inbuilt accelerometer and is

water resistant to 100m. The watch includes dozens of preset training and racing modes specific to sports such as triathlon, swimming, cycling and adventure racing and is perfect for runners who can choose between basic, interval

It also provides visual overviews of your training load, rest and recovery status, will keep you up-to-date on your PBs by sport and links with an online sports service and mobile apps. The Suunto Spartan Ultra collection includes four models: All Black

Titanium, Stealth Titanium (both $1029.99 RRP), White and Black ($929.99 RRP each). Each is also available with the Suunto Smart Sensor for heart rate monitoring for an additional $79. The watches will hit the stores in August. Visit www.suunto. com/spartan for more information.

Train smarter

with next generation watch The rise of the runner has also seen the rise of the running accessory and chief among those is the fitness watch.

GARMIN FORERUNNER 735XT The Forerunner 735XT is a GPS running watch featuring built-in activities including cycling, swimming, multisport, hiking, XC skiing, strength training, paddle sports and cardio. Its sleek design features soft, comfortable silicone bands with a large display, while the Connect IQ compatible watch is Garmin’s first device to come with the Strava Live Suffer Score app pre-installed so users can track how hard they have been working based on heart rate data. Track the metrics that matter with the Elevate wrist heart rate technology, offering 24/7 heart rate monitoring without the need for an additional strap.

Athletes – both recreational and competitive – want to know more about their run: how far did they go, how long did it take, how many hills did they climb and how high did they push their heart rate. Thankfully for the data-hungry, there is a new breed of running and multisport watches on the market to satisfy their appetite at every price point.

For advanced running dynamics and other detailed measurements, users can add a chest strap during training to monitor stride length, ground contact time balance, vertical ratio and more. The watch automatically syncs with Garmin Connect online and will be available soon in Australia for $699 (RRP) in black and grey or midnight blue and frost blue, with run bundle or tri-bundle options at an additional cost.

FITBIT SURGE The most advanced model in Fitbit’s arsenal, the Surge multisport watch can record running, cross training and cardio workouts, then deliver comprehensive workout summaries that include tailored metrics, workout intensity and calories burned. Runners can utilise the built-in GPS tracking to view distance, pace, and elevation climbed before reviewing routes and split times. Purepulse provides continuous, automatic wrist-based heart rate monitoring with no need for an uncomfortable chest strap. As expected from a Fitbit, the Suge

huntersportsmag.com.au | July 2016

tracks steps taken, distance travelled, calories burned, floors climbed and active minutes, syncing the stats wirelessly and automatically to your computer or device. It can also monitor your sleep and allow you to set a silent, vibrating alarm to wake you up for that early morning run. Available in black, blue and tangerine, Fitbit Surge retails for $399.95 (RRP). Visit www.fitbit.com/au for more information. 15

hall of fame

Games glory leads to

Hall of Fame The representative success of an Olympian and two Paralympians has earned them another accolade closer to home after the trio were inducted into the Hunter Sporting Hall of Fame. With the Rio Olympics and Paralympics ready to begin in coming months it seems fitting Olympic swimmer Angie Bainbridge, Paralympic swimmer Alicia Jenkins and Paralympic wheelchair basketballer and sailor Liesl Tesch were among those honoured for their achievements in sport during a special ceremony on June 30. The trio were among eight new inductees added to the Hunter Sporting Hall of Fame, joining a 340-strong list that includes everyone from Maitland boxing icon Les Darcy to rugby league Immortal Clive Churchill.

Orienteering Championship in 1981, 1983, 1985, 1987 and 1989 and represented Australian Universities at the 1982 World University Orienteering Championships in Czechoslovakia where he placed 11th out of 84 starters from 19 countries.

The Hall of Fame is co-ordinated by the Hunter Academy of Sport and a voluntary organising committee consisting of prominent sports administrators. The 2016 inductees are: the Order of Australia “for service to sport as a gold medallist at the Beijing 2008 Olympic Games”.

Alicia Jenkins DOB: 22/04/1972 Place of Birth: Newcastle, NSW Sport: Swimming AWD Angie Bainbridge DOB: 16/10/1989 Place of Birth: Newcastle, NSW Sport: Swimming

Terry Farrell

Bainbridge qualified for the 2008 Beijing Olympics as a member of the 4×100m and 4×200m freestyle relay squads after placing sixth and third in her respective individual events at the 2008 Australian Swimming Championships. While she was not chosen to swim in the heats or finals of the shorter event, in which Australia won bronze, Bainbridge did take to the pool for the preliminary heats of the 4x200m relay, and later collected gold when the first-choice quartet won the final in a world record time. In 2009 she received the Medal of 16

DOB: 22/06/1958 Place of Birth: Medina, WA Sport: Orienteering Farrell has a strong international record in his sport, winning the 1981 Orienteering M21A ANZ Challenge in New Zealand and finishing first in M21A at Scottish 6-days event in 1983. He placed second in the Asia-Pacific Orienteering Championships in 1984 and represented Australia in the Open Men’s relay team at every World Orienteering Championship between 1979 and 1989. Farrell competed in the men’s elite individual race at the World

July 2016 | huntersportsmag.com.au

Jenkins represented Australia at the 1996 Paralympic Games in Atlanta and in the 2000 Paralympic Games in Sydney, competing in the SB5 100m breaststroke, S6 50m butterfly and SM6 200m individual medley. She competed in the 1994 FESPIC Games, 1995 British Nationals and 1995 Atlanta Trials, as well as the International Paralympic Committee 2nd World Swimming Championships, which were held in Christchurch, New Zealand in October 1998. In the mid-90s she set a number of Australian and World short course records for freestyle and butterfly in her classification, as well as the Australian multi-class long course records for the 50m and 100m breaststroke, several of which still stand today.

hall of fame

also made a name for himself designing and constructing John Pyne Racecars for some of the most decorated drivers in the country, including himself.

William Roy Paddock DOB: 22/10/1930 (died 12/03/1996) Place of Birth: Dudley, NSW Sport: Football (soccer) Paddock joined the Hunter’s prestigious list of Socceroos when made his debut playing for Australia in a match against South Africa in October, 1955. Prior to that he was on the game roster as a reserve but did not play when Australia took on Austria in July 1955, but competed in match that same month between NSW and South China. He also played in the curtain-raiser for Australia’s clash with Austria in August 1955.

John Pyne DOB: 2/12/1950 Place of Birth: Cedar Creek, Cessnock, NSW Sport: Speedway Driver A legend of the Super Sedan series, the Kurri Kurri driver’s highly decorated career included seven NSW State Titles and 10 Newcastle Motordrome/Speedway Track Championships. He secured the Australian Super Sedan title in 1990 and 1996 before retiring from competition following a frightening crash at the national titles in 2003 where he was seriously injured. Outside of the driver’s seat, Pyne

Anthony Stuart DOB: 02/01/1970 Place of Birth: Newcastle, NSW Sport: Cricket Stuart is one of only a handful of cricketers from the Hunter to represent Australia at the highest level, picking up a hat-trick against Pakistan at the MCG in 1996-97 in what was just his third one-day international match.

basketball in Barcelona (1992); Atlanta (1996); Sydney (2000) as team vice-captain where the Gliders won silver; Athens (2004, silver medal); and at Beijing (2008) as team captain where the team won bronze. She represented Australia in various international competitions including the Gold Cup (previously known as the World Wheelchair Basketball Championships) and the IWBF Wheelchair Basketball World Championships and was the first woman in the world to play wheelchair basketball professionally among the top men’s teams in Europe. More recently she swapped basketball for sailing and brought home gold from the London 2012 Paralympic Games in the twoperson SKUD 18 competition with partner Daniel Fitzgibbon.

The Newcastle-born paceman, who played in the Newcastle District Cricket Association competition for Charlestown, represented NSW at first class level between 1994 and 1999. After retiring, he returned to NSW in an administration capacity before moving into coaching, including taking the reins of the NSW team for several years until 2012. Liesl Tesch DOB: 17/05/1969 Place of Birth: Brisbane, QLD Sport: Wheelchair Basketball Tesch represented Australia at the Paralympic Games in wheelchair

Allison Yeoland (nee Lippey) DOB: 10/02/1972 Place of Birth: Sydney, NSW Sport: Hockey Yeoland moved to Redhead at the age of four and began playing hockey with the Newcastle Hockey Club from age five. She represented both Newcastle and the Hunter Region at every age level from primary school through to the senior Open team before going on to higher representative honours. She wore the green and gold in the Australian Under-16, Under-18 and Women’s Under-21 hockey team before representing her country in Open Women’s Hockey at the Five Nations Tournament held in Buenos Aires, Argentina in April 1994.

huntersportsmag.com.au | July 2016

in pictures

In Pictures:

Black Diamond Cup

Cardiff’s mascot may be a hawk but they were far from flying high in their round 9 match-up against Newcastle City in the 2016 BLK Black Diamond Cup. The mid-table team were instead left with a solid case of the Blues on June 11 when the ladder-leading Newcastle outfit swooped in to deliver a crushing 148-17 defeat at Tulkaba Park.

Cardiff potted just two six-pointers during the entire match, while Newcastle’s goal-kicking gun Mitchell Crawford added three more to his impressive 2016 tally of 47 and high-flying Harry

The action was captured by Valentine Sports Photography snapper John Valentine. To check out more of his great shots visit valentinesportsphotography.zenfolio.com or find him on Facebook.

July 2016 | huntersportsmag.com.au

Keast (have you seen his 60” box jump video doing the rounds on Facebook? Check out www. facebook.com/huntersports1 if you haven’t) snatched his first five goals of the season in one sitting!

in pictures

huntersportsmag.com.au | July 2016

crossfit games

Fittest put to the test in

global Games There’s no doubt Madeline Sturt is among the fittest women in the CrossFit world. But just how well the Adamstown Heights woman stacks up alongside her global counterparts will be put to the test this month when the 19-yearold takes part in her first world CrossFit Games. Sturt won the right to compete at the international event following a strong showing against the best CrossFit athletes from Australia, New Zealand, the Pacific Islands and Asia at the Pacific Regional round, which was held in Wollongong during May. The top five men, women and teams were selected to progress to the final stage of the 2016 competition, which will be held in California, USA on July 19-24 and include 35 other competitors in each category from across the world. It is a dream come true for Sturt who, after four years of competing from her Blue Mountains base, made the move to Newcastle in January to work more closely with her coach Darren Coughlin at CrossFit Newcastle. But it was far from an easy ride for the former Australian representative weightlifter. A poor performance in the first event at regionals saw Sturt sitting in almost last place. But rather than let the bad start dictate the rest of her weekend, Sturt 20

simply refocused and got on with the job of qualifying. Two top 10 finishes in the next three events enabled her to climb through the ranks before a blistering effort during the GHD sit-up and deadlift components of event five saw her place 4th in that round and jump into eight position overall. Another top 10 finish in the sixth event, which included everything from a 30m handstand walk to 50 burpee box jump overs, moved her within one position of qualification with a single event to go – a fact Sturt learned moments before she moved onto the competition arena. “The whole weekend I wasn’t allowed to look at the leaderboard,” she said. “I didn’t know where I was until my coach told me as I was warming up for the last event. “I wasn’t expecting to be sitting in sixth, but I still needed to beat a fair few people in the last event to get into fifth. “I remember finishing the workout and looking down the lanes – a fair few people had finished before me so I didn’t think I’d beaten enough girls to get there. “But then I looked up at my family and friends and they were hanging over the rail crying … I couldn’t believe it.” While Sturt has overcome one major challenge, she knows her biggest is yet to come – although just what that

July 2016 | huntersportsmag.com.au

will be is anyone’s guess. The workouts used for the eight regional competitions are released one or two weeks before the first one takes place, giving competitors time to prepare for the specific components. But Sturt said competitors will be “thrown in the deep end” at this month’s CrossFit Games, with the individual events kept under wraps right up until the competition itself. Last year’s Games included both swimming and long distance running so Sturt has been working those aspects into her training regime, which sees her workout for two to three hours per day, seven days a week. While maintaining such a grueling schedule may seem tough, Sturt said the secret to staying focused is simple. “Everyone loses some motivation at some point along the way, but at the end of the day you’ve got to remember why you’re doing it,” she said. “I just think about how far I‘ve come and what I’ve done and the challenges and sacrifices I’ve made along the way. “Making it to the CrossFit Games has always been a goal of mine and I want to be there for the next 10 years. “And while making the podium (at the Games) would be awesome – let’s just see if I can survive it first!”

cliff diving

Rhiannan Iffland was flying high in Texas. Picture courtesy of Red Bull.

It’s a long way from the diving platforms of Lambton Pool to the cliffs of Texas.

Debut dive sees Hunter woman

hit new heights But Rhiannan Iffland proved she was just as comfortable somersaulting her way into the waters of Possum Kingdom Lake as she is twisting and turning into the chlorinated depths of the Hunter pool after taking out the Red Bull Cliff Diving World Series opener. Called in as a wildcard just a month prior to the event being held in Texas, USA on June 4, the Nords Wharf woman stunned her rivals by taking victory on debut with three high quality and consistent dives. Plunging into the water at the completion of her third dive – a back triple somersault finished with a twist that has a 3.6 degree of difficulty – Iffland knew she had executed it well. But it wasn’t until her head popped back above the surface of the lake and she heard the 12,000-strong crowd cheering that she knew she had achieved one of her long-held goals – to make it onto the podium of the Red Bull event. Iffland finished 10.40 points ahead of Texan Cesilie Carlton, with fellow Australian, 21-year-old Helena Merten, placing third in what was her first competition as a permanent diver. “I was blown away and really proud of myself,” Iffland told Hunter Sports Magazine after returning home from the US to prepare for her next event.

“It was my first Red Bull competition and actually I only found out a month prior that I’d be competing because someone else had pulled out. “Obviously I was very nervous (going into the event), I didn’t know what to expect but I couldn’t have asked for it to go any better.” But it was far from a straight journey from the top of the 10m diving tower at Lambton Pool to the 20m platform built into the side of a cliff at Hell’s Gate in Texas for the 24‑year‑old daredevil. The former NSW Institute of Sport (NSWIS) athlete has spent the past few years travelling the world thanks to her skills in the sport, working as a diver and entertainer on cruise ships and as a high diving sensation at a theme park in France. It was there she appeared alongside renowned German high diver and Red Bull Cliff Diving competitor Anna Bader, who took Iffland to an event as her guest in 2015 and encouraged her to apply to become a wildcard entrant. “The Red Bull series was something I’d seen on the internet and it’s been a dream of mine these past few years to be involved,” Iffland said. “Last year it was a big goal of mine just to get here and then to get a podium. “I guess my next goal would be to

become a permanent diver (in the series), so hopefully I can hold up and continue my form in the next few events and maybe I can be there permanently next year.” The nine-round Red Bull Cliff Diving World Series sees the female competitors ascend to a platform located 20m from the water’s surface – twice the height of an Olympic diving tower. Competitors hit speeds of around 60kph (or more than 85kph for the men, who dive from 28m) before entering the water feet first for safety reasons. Iffland said it was a daunting - but addictive - sport. “You have to be stronger mentally, tell yourself nothing is going to go wrong because you’re hitting the water at close to 60kph at 20m - the impact on your body is a lot greater and the room for error is too,” she said. “When you’re standing up above the platform and you look down you can get overwhelmed with the height and fear. “But then you look up and realise where you are … the flight for me and the adrenaline is quite addictive.” Iffland is preparing to head to Portugal this month for her next wildcard appearance on the series.

huntersportsmag.com.au | July 2016

university games

Former Hockeyroo Jade Warrender (middle) in action with the women’s hockey team in 2014.

Uni out to

dominate at Games The University of Newcastle (UON) will be looking to go one better at the 2016 Eastern University Games (EUG) after falling agonisingly short of defending their 2014 title with a second place showing last year. The event will see more than 3000 university and TAFE students from across NSW and the ACT descend on Wollongong from July 3-7 to battle it out for supremacy across 19 sports. UON has a strong record at the Games, winning 10 pennants to take the overall title in 2014 when the event was held in Newcastle. They fell one pennant short in 2015 to finish second overall behind the University of Technology Sydney (UTS), but will be looking to reclaim their former glory this month when they send 21 teams made up of 240 students to compete in 12 sports. Several of the teams have dominated their events in recent years, with others looking to atone for narrowly missing the medals in 2015.

Ricky Bush and Michael Clancy return for another shot at glory and will be joined by Pacific Dunes Pro Eli Richardson in a major boost the team.

UON’s Alicia Martin runs the ball in 2015 when the mixed touch team claimed second place.

uni’s longest current championship streak and will be looking for four straight EUG Champion titles in Wollongong.

players to step up against tough opposition including University of Wollongong, Macquarie University and Sydney University.

They appear to have the goods too, with team manager Chris McPherson putting together a side combining NSW Junior Chris Ninness, the strength of Ryland O’Connell and Ryan Lecchi, and last year’s gold medal shoot-out hero Tom Peacocke, with former Australian Country goalkeeper Nick Holman a possible inclusion at the back.

The final team looking to defend their 2015 title will be the women’s tennis squad, however with their 2015 gold medallist Tara Hamilton and bronze medallist Michelle Eastcott missing from the line-up, the girls may find it a challenge to go back-to-back for UON in 2016.

The Mixed Oztag have been EUG Champions two years running and will go into the event sporting the core group from their previous victories, boosted by the addition of Australian Barbarian Karlie Robards.

• the AFL9s – men (2015 result: n/a); • men’s (15th) and women’s (8th) basketball; • men’s (4th) and women’s (3rd) football; • women’s hockey (n/a); • mixed (3rd) and women’s (7th) netball; • men’s Oztag (3rd); • men’s squash (n/a); • men’s tennis (2nd); • men’s (2nd), women’s (n/a) and mixed (2nd) touch; and • men’s (5th) and women’s (6th) volleyball. For more information about the Games visit www.easternunigames.com.au

But they will have to watch out for Macquarie Uni, who provided a scare in the gold medal match last year, with hosts University of Wollongong also likely to be tough opposition.

UON’s golfers will be gunning to secure their third straight title this year but with a squad of just three, the boys will need to be on their game all week as every round will count.

The men’s hockey team hold the

Matthew Barter (Men’s Football) in action for UON.

UON’s run of winning streaks continues with the Ultimate squad, which will also be seeking an EUG three-peat in 2016. Elite players Chris Hill, Ryan Davey and Bree Edgar are missing this year so it will be up to the developing

July 2016 | huntersportsmag.com.au

Other teams wearing the University’s colours in 2016 will be:

university awards

Students in spotlight for

sporting suCcess The cream of that crop will be recognised at Newcastle City Hall next month when the annual University of Newcastle Sports Awards ceremony is held. The August 19 event will see the prestigious University Blues awarded to sports stars Chris Boyko (Water Polo), Bree Edgar (Ultimate), Jessica Foyster (Taekwondo), Emily Grellman (Water Polo), Sarah Halvorsen (Rugby 7s) and Emma McDonald (Swimming), while Colours honours for the administrators of University Sport will go to Alex Hambly (Water Polo) and Penelope Saltis (Rowing). The Sporting Club of the Year recognises high standards in sports AWARD PROFILES

Sport and study often go hand-in-hand so it is little wonder the University of Newcastle is known not only for its top graduates but its outstanding sports stars as well. administration by a University sporting club during the 2015 academic year, with Men’s Football, Rugby Union, Tennis and NUDES (SCUBA diving) all in the running as finalists. Finalists for the Sportsperson of the Year award include Tara Andrews (Football), Julia Barton (Water Polo), Ella-Rose Hugo (Archery), Kyle Middleton (Motorcycle – trials) and Montana Perkins (Water Polo), while the

Emily Grellman

Water polo players will be well represented at this year’s awards ceremony. Some of the winners / nominees are profiled below.

Tickets to the August 19 awards can be purchased via https://www. trybooking.com/LKTD

Hunter Hurricanes National League NSWIS Emerging Talent Squad NCAA Scholarship – University of Hawaii

Chris Boyko Sport: Water Polo Studying: B Teaching (Science) Chris Boyko

Women’s Water Polo, Men’s Water Polo, Women’s Rugby 7s, Men’s Touch and Women’s Tennis squads will battle it out for the inaugural Team of the Year award, which recognises outstanding sporting performance and sportsmanship at Australian University Games or Championships during the 2015 academic year.

Montana Perkins Sport: Water Polo Studying: B Nursing NSW Under 20 Water Polo Hunter Hurricanes National League

Montana Perkins

Australian Country 2014

Award: Blue Achievements: 2015 AUG Gold Medal and Green & Gold Recipient NSW Under 20 Water Polo Hunter Hurricanes National League Senior NSWIS Program 2013 Emily Grellman Sport: Water Polo Studying: B Medical Radiation Science (Diagnostic Radiography) Award: Blue

Julia Barton Sport: Water Polo Studying: B Physiotherapy Award: Sportsperson of the Year Finalist Achievements: 2015 World University Games Gold Medal Australian University Sport Honour Roll 2015 AUG Gold Medal and Green & Gold Recipient JULIA BARTON

Award: Sportsperson of the Year Finalist Achievements: 2015 World University Games Gold Medal Australian University Sport Honour Roll 2015 AUG Gold Medal Australian representative 2015 World Junior Championships Hunter Hurricanes National League Senior NSWIS Program.

Achievements: 2015 AUG Gold Medal and Green & Gold Recipient

huntersportsmag.com.au | July 2016

road to rio In the lead-up to this year’s Olympic Games in Rio, Hunter Sports Magazine will get up close and personal with some of the Hunter’s athletes to find out a little more about them before they compete in the world’s biggest sporting event.

Time is right for Big Benn BENN HARRADINE (Athletics) Hunter-born and bred discus athlete Benn Harradine has made throwing things cool again. His chosen event - discus is one of the purest forms of sport that exists on the planet today. The objective is simple: to hurl a round, metal object as far as you can, and hopefully further than those you are competing against. Add in an ability to inject some much-needed colour to the sport by way of some especially loud and eye-catching competition outfits, with a personality to match, and it’s no wonder ‘Big Benn’ is a much-loved character within the Hunter, Australian and International Athletics community. Check out his Twitter bio for instance @ bennharradine: ‘Olympian. Founder of Harradine Performance.

Largest Pecs in Athletics. #willitthrow #yolothrow #popsflipsthebird #GameofThrows’ Hunter heritage Born in Newcastle in 1982, Harradine grew up in Eleebana on the shores of Lake Macquarie and is a proud Indigenous man from the Watjabaluk/ Wergia people of the Wimmera. His love of athletics commenced when he was eight, first watching his brother compete before getting involved himself. Although he has based himself previously in Melbourne, and currently in Brisbane, Harradine still feels right at home in the Hunter, coming back often to catch up with his parents Ken (who also his coach) and Beth. He is also always a hit with the local crowd whenever he competes at the Hunter Track Classic at Glendale. Career highlights The 2006 Commonwealth Games was Harradine’s first taste of the big time,

followed by his Olympic debut at Beijing in 2008. These were both great warm-up experiences to prepare him to win the gold medal four years later at the Delhi Commonwealth Games. Making the final at the London 2012 Olympic Games was an outstanding achievement (he finished 9th), but you get the feeling Harradine still has some big cards to play in his career and hopefully we’ll see him on top of his game in Rio. Key stats • One of seven Australian men who have competed in the discus at an Olympic Games. • One of three Australian men who have competed in the discus at two Olympic Games – he is set to be the only one to have competed at three. • One of only three Australian men who have made an Olympic discus final. • Is the current National Record holder for

discus (68.20m in Townsville, 2013) • 6x National Discus Champion • 3x Commonwealth Games representative, gold medalist at Delhi 2010 • 4x World Championships representative (twice finalist) Harradine’s got talent Away from the discus throwing circle, Harradine loves a good coffee (both making and consuming) and also has plenty of talent to offer with a guitar in hand. He’s been known to produce the guitar on his travels with the Australian team. Recently, at the Athletics Australia Gala dinner in Sydney, which included the naming of the majority of the team for the Rio Olympics, Harradine was handed a guitar and sat in front of a microphone. He proceeded to lead a stirring rendition of Men At Work’s Land Down Under with the remainder of the selected athletes on stage behind him providing supporting vocals.

Article courtesy of Mossy and Robbo, two Hunter-based Aussie sports lovers serving up the colour at the big sporting events. Each month they’ll give us their take on some of our finest athletes on their Road to Rio. See more at mossyandrobbo.com or check out their podcast with Scott Westcott at soundcloud.com/mossyandrobboscottwestcottselectionspecial 24

July 2016 | huntersportsmag.com.au

Afl

Code

making its

mark

among women AFL has become the sport of choice for a growing number of Hunter women. After adding the new division to the Black Diamond AFL competition in 2015, organisers say they were blown away by the response they have received across the region, with the code experiencing a rise of more than 70 per cent in player numbers this year. Around 180 women took part in the inaugural season, which featured six foundation clubs – Lake Macquarie, Maitland, Nelson Bay, Newcastle City, Warners Bay and Wyong Lakes. But that number has grown significantly in 2016, with 308 women aged from 15 through to 45 registered across 10 clubs, with the newest additions coming from Killarney Vale, Cardiff, Singleton and Gosford, which rejoined the Black Diamond league from the Sydney competition this season.

Warners Bay take on Killarney Vale in the women’s AFL competition. Picture by Valentine Sports Photography.

180 (players) in the first year, but to grow it to 308 and 10 clubs this year is phenomenal. “At least 60 per cent have never played before, they’ve come from other sports like rugby union, basketball, netball, league tag – but they really love the game.” This season has also seen the matches extended from the four 15-minute quarters played in 2015 to the regular 20-minute quarters played by the men’s teams, in order to facilitate the use of more players.

Black Diamond AFL Football Operations Co-ordinator Garry Burkinshaw said while they were originally unsure about the viability of the competition, there were no questions now about its future.

Unlike in other regions, each of the women’s teams are attached to one of the existing men’s clubs and Burkinshaw said this has been an unexpectedly beneficial arrangement.

“We’re only the fourth league in NSW/ACT to have a women’s competition after Sydney, Canberra and Broken Hill and it’s been very successful,” he said.

“The difference they have made to the clubs, to changing the culture and the vibe around them has been amazing, they have revitalised a lot of the clubs,” he said.

“We were approached by AFL NSW (about running the competition) because women in football is a high priority for them and we said we’d try, but that we’d need four teams to make it viable.

“Two years ago it wasn’t even on the radar, but now it is at the forefront.

“We had six teams express interest in it and it’s just grown from there. We thought it was amazing to get

“It is arguably one of the best things we have done.” Burkinshaw said the

advent of the inaugural national women’s competition, announced last month, and the creation of women’s academies by the Sydney Swans and GWS Giants this year, had for the first time created a pathway to the elite level for women. The local competition will be in the spotlight on July 2 when each of the round 12 matches in the GE BDAFL Women’s division are played back-to-back at No.1 Sportsground in Newcastle. The women will also have their first tilt at representative football this month, when senior and under-19s teams take on their AFL Canberra counterparts at Tumbi Umbi on July 10. For those who can’t make it to the grounds, the round 12 action and the rep fixtures the week after will be live streamed by Bar TV Sports at www.bartvsports.com.au

Women’s round fixtures july 2 • Cardiff v Maitland – 9am • Killarney Vale v Singleton - 10.50am • Lake Macquarie v Wyong Lakes – 12.40pm • Warners Bay v Gosford - 2.30pm • Newcastle City v Nelson Bay – 4.20pm All matches will be played at Newcastle’s No.1 Sportsground.

huntersportsmag.com.au | July 2016

netball

City courts State competitions with new facilities Event organisers have been given more than a million reasons to consider bringing high profile netball competitions to Maitland. A $1.3 million facility has been officially opened at the Maitland Park netball precinct, featuring a canteen, change rooms, administration areas, first aid room, umpires area, and covered awning areas. The development was 15 years in the making, originally proposed by former Maitland District Netball Association President Bev Surplice, who sadly did not live to

see her dream become a reality. But the opening of the facility in late May, complete with a traditional march past involving players from all of the association’s clubs, marks the beginning of a new era for the sport in the city. Maitland Mayor Peter Blackmore said it would be the “envy of many netball communities”

throughout the Hunter. “Netball is a very popular sport in our community with more than 2000 players,” he said. “This building was a much needed development and … will also help Maitland attract high profile events like the New South Wales State Championships.” Maitland District Netball Association’s President Kim Starkey said with the 2016 season well

July 2016 | huntersportsmag.com.au

underway, the facility had already proven its value. “The official opening of the building marks the beginning of a new chapter in the history of netball in Maitland, and I believe that the new facilities will help our Association and the local netball community thrive well into the future,” she said. Funding for the facility came from Maitland City Council, the Maitland District Netball Association and the NSW Government.

indoor cricket

NSW and Australian representative Matt Holwell will be back on home turf when he lines up for the Maitland Panthers Men’s 1 team. Picture courtesy of PowerShots Photography.

Maitland to become

indoor cricket mecca Hundreds of indoor cricket players will descend on Maitland this month for the fourth round of the Big Blast Indoor Country NSW competition. Maitland Indoor Sports at Rutherford will play host to a bumper weekend

Inland Falcons, D ubbo’s Western Stars, Coffs Harbour Cougars and the Charlestown Chargers. The competition has already played two rounds since the season started in April, with the third round scheduled for play on July 16 in Dubbo. Maitland was placed first in the Men’s 1 division after two rounds while Charlestown were sitting second in both the Men’s 2 and 3 competitions.

of action that will see teams from across regional NSW contest the Men’s 1, Men’s 2, Men’s 3 and Masters divisions.

But there are still plenty of matches to be played in the competition before the finals are held in Dubbo on September 17.

The Maitland Panthers will be hoping to use their home court advantage when they clash with the rival teams on July 30 and 31, including the Mid North Coast Mavericks, Northern

For more information about the league including all the results and ladders visit in2indoor.com.au/ cricket/championships/nnswpremier-league

National selection for Hunter cricketers Two of the Hunter’s best with bat and ball have been named in the Australian Masters Indoor Cricket World Cup side after helping NSW secure a second consecutive national title. Maitland Indoor Sports’ Matt Holwell and Charlestown Indoor Sports’ Adam Britt were selected in the Aussie team after their NSW side toppled tournament favourites, Queensland, in the Over 35s final held at the Mackay Indoor Sports centre on May 28. The pair were part of a strong NSW outfit that won seven out of their eight games to finish the group stage sitting second on the ladder.

By Josh Sim

The NSW Over 35s celebrate their national title before Matt Holwell (front, second from right) and Adam Britt (back, third from left) were selected in the Australian Over 35s team. Image courtesy of PowerShots Photography.

of back‑to-back winners for the first time.

After making the major semi-final, NSW hung on by two runs to get a golden passage through to the grand final thanks to a seven off the penultimate ball from Player of the Tournament Liam Zammit.

Britt was named joint Player of the Final alongside Queensland’s Brendon Kleidon, following his match-high three wickets, as well as 18 valuable runs in his skin pairing with Daniel Taylor.

The grand final also proved stressful for the Blues, with Queensland needing 16 runs off the final over, and then six runs off the final ball, to extract revenge from the previous year’s defeat.

The focus now shifts to the Masters Indoor World Cup, which will be played in England for the first time in October this year.

But their northern rivals were left with the sour taste of defeat after Brett Collison safely guided the New South Welshmen to the title

Both Britt and Holwell have previously been selected in Australian Masters Merit sides but have yet to don the green and gold in a match.

Holwell, who is in just his third year of representative indoor cricket, is keen to drop back to the NNSW Premier League competition to keep his skills sharp ahead of the training camp organised shortly before the Cup starts, while Britt will represent Newcastle Steel in the Big Blast Indoor league as well as play in other NNSW competitions.

Both were humble about finally being able to represent their country in their chosen sport, with Britt describing it as a “dream to get the honour”, while Holwell, a self-confessed cricket tragic, was happy to declare that “even if was just golden oldie cricket” it was “still a very humbling and rewarding feeling”. The two Hunter products will feature in an expanded World Cup, with newcomers India, Singapore, Sri Lanka, UAE and Wales to join the powerhouses in Australia, England, New Zealand and South Africa. Both men fly out on October 8 for the month-long tournament.

huntersportsmag.com.au | July 2016

community

Rise for damien fundraisers

Support flows as Jobson takes it one day at a time It’s been more than a month since a tragic tackle gone wrong left Windale Eagles back-rower Damian Jobson facing life as a quadriplegic. But as his long rehabilitation journey at Royal North Shore Hospital continues, so too does the wave of support that has enveloped the 35-year-old and his family since the accident on Saturday, May 21. More than $54,000 has been raised during the past month via a gofundme page set up by family friend Sarah Borggaard, while a host of fundraising events have either been run or are in the works. Among these is the One Day at a Time Damian Jobson Charity Ball being oganised by his brother-in-law David Tanchevski. To be held at Wests City on August 12 from 7pm, the $200-a-ticket gala event is expected to raise a substantial amount for the Jobsons, with hopes 500 people will attend. Aside from ticket sales, funds will also come from a range of auctions and balloon raffles on the night, with big ticket items on offer for generous bidders. These include everything from All-Stars, Kangaroos and NSW Origin rugby league jerseys, a signed Socceroos jersey to an airconditioning unit, kitchen package, pool table and more. Former NRL star and Australian representative player Nathan Hindmarsh has been confirmed as the special guest speaker on the night while Mike Rabbitt will act as the master of ceremonies. 28

Tanchevski said he has been blown away by the support he has received for the ball, both locally and from further afield.

• July 3: Benefit Day at Warners Bay Hotel from 11am featuring Newcastle Knights players, auctions, raffles and more. Call Janelle Jobson on 4956 7610. • July 30: Windale Eagles fundraiser at Lake Macquarie Tavern from 4pm. Businesses or individuals that would like to donate should email rise4damian_eagles@ hotmail.com • August 12: One Day at a Time charity ball at Wests City from 7pm featuring Nathan Hindmarsh, raffles, auction and more. Contact David Tanchevski on 0406 147 852 or risefordamian@gmail.com • September 24: NHRL presentation and fundraiser at Wests Leagues club. More details to come.

“We’ve had a great response, the business community of Newcastle and beyond has been unbelievable, everyone has been happy to help,” he said. “The sporting community has also been great, and it’s not just locally, it’s Australia-wide, which has been excellent. “The sporting industry in general are very good and very strong in supporting their own.” Tanchevski said the acts of generosity and help have also provided a real lift for his brother-in-law as he comes to term with life after breaking his C4 and C5 vertebrae. “Damian’s quite funny, he said to me he never knew he had so many friends,” he said. “I think that’s the thing that’s keeping him going at the moment. “He wants to do rehab as much as he can, he’s so determined to give himself the best possible chance for his recovery and it’s great there’s so many people out there supporting him.” Tickets for the ball can be purchased through www.stickytickets.com. au/39090 - or look at the flyer on the back page of this issue of Hunter Sports Magazine.

July 2016 | huntersportsmag.com.au

Newcastle and Hunter Rugby League Association Administrator Dave Wild has fielded many of the offers of help since Jobson’s accident and said the response has been “staggering”. While the NHRL is co-ordinating the insurance claim on Jobson’s behalf, as well as applications to various sports injuries funds, the Association is also looking at ways it can help beyond that including turning its annual presentation night on September 24 into a fundraiser. Details will be released closer to the event but it will be open to the public. A host of other initiatives are being run across the community, including Rise For Damian wristbands being sold by the Windale club.

golf

Professional

tees up

future on course

It’s been an admittedly slow start to his second year on the PGA Tour of Australasia for golf professional Jamie Hook. Having finished in the money just twice from his eight events so far this year, Hook has a long way to go to ensure he keeps his tour card beyond 2016. But things could be looking up for the newest member of the Pacific Dunes team, after he carded nine under to finished eighth overall at the TX Civil & Logistics WA PGA event played at the Kalgoorlie Golf Course on May 12. The result was Hook’s first top 10 finish for the year and leaves him feeling positive as he settles into a lengthy break before the next major event on his calendar – the Fiji International at Natadola Bay Golf Course from October 6-9.

PGA Tour (in America) and the European Tour. It is already home to a host of Australian golfers, including fellow Hunter professionals Kurt Barnes and Aaron Townsend. “I had a good year last year and finished 40th on the money list, which allowed me to keep my card,” Hook said. “I learnt a lot and it pointed me in the direction of where I wanted to go, what I want to do with my golf. “My ideal goal is to try and get over to Japan at some point, whether that’s in the next two to five years we’ll have to wait and see, but it’s about moving step by step.”

Fiji holds fond memories for Hook, who played well there in his rookie season to tie for 15th – a result he is keen to improve on this time around.

Before then though Hook will turn his attention to picking up the pace in the second half of the year on the Australasian tour – and carrying

“You obviously go into every event to win it, but outside of that I always just try to go better than I did the year before,” he said.

Golfers on course with dual achievements

“I played well at the Fiji International last year, I tied for 15th and now I just want to ensure I keep moving in the right direction.’ That direction will hopefully one day take him to the far more lucrative Japan Golf Tour, which offers the third highest annual prize fund out of the regular men’s professional tours after the

Many golfers go their entire playing careers without ever hitting the holy grail of the sport – a hole in one. But there was clearly something in the air (aside from flying golf balls) at Pacific Dunes on May 30 when two of the club’s members recorded that sweetest of shots on the same day. New member Jake Bell joined the

out his duties at Pacific Dunes. Hook, who rates the Medowie championship golf course as tough but enjoyable, has already been making his mark at Pacific Dunes since joining the team in April as the Assistant Director of Golf. He has started to re-invigorate the weekly kid’s clinic and launched a ladies golf clinic (beginners and advanced classes) in late June, with the aim of building on the club’s growing junior and female membership base. Hook said a course as good as this one, ranked 54th in Australia by Australian Golf Digest, should be enjoyed by as many people as possible. “Pacific Dunes’ course is amongst the best I have played,” he said. “We want to get the local community a bit more involved with what we’ve got here, let them understand that it’s for everyone to enjoy.” hole in one club with a shot he will never forget on the 8th, while long time member George Blair secured his single digit score after acing the 5th hole. Even more impressive is that it was Blair’s 11th hole in one, with his brag book already including a trifecta on the 5th, one on the 8th and one on the 17th at Pacific Dunes, as well as one on the 7th at Newcastle and five on courses around Scotland.

huntersportsmag.com.au | July 2016

event preview

Running among vineyard views for the grueling 52.5km Ultra Marathon or 42.2km Winery Marathon, while those still working their way up to longer distances can try the 21.1km Half Marathon, Winery 10.3km and or 5km Winery Wander on for size.

The Hunter Valley vineyards are no strangers to a weekend influx of tourists. But it will be runners, rather than wine connoisseurs, taking over the region on July 23 and 24 for the 11th annual Winery Running Festival. The event is expected to attract around 2000 participants keen to compete amongst the picturesque surrounds of the Hunter Valley Gardens Village at Pokolbin.

The youngest runners in the family can also take part, making their way through the much-loved Storybook Garden in the 2km Kids Marathon.

Created by Hunter-based mutlisports events management company H Events, the Winery Running Festival caters for entrants of all ages and fitness levels with five different distances on offer. Serious runners can set themselves

Event organiser Paul Humphreys said the Winery Running Festival proved a major tourism drawcard for the region each year and at its peak attracted 3000 competitors, many of whom came from outside of the region and stayed on afterwards to take in the sights.

“We have a lot of people who come out to the run that bring their families and friends and afterwards stay around for lunch,” he said. “It’s one of Hunter Valley Gardens’ bigger days. “Of the entries we have so far about half of them are from Sydney – it’s become a real destination event. “We’ll certainly get a good turn-out again this year.” Competitors can run or walk any event and enjoy the convenience of the start and finish lines in the same area, as well as a sport and local produce expo and family entertainment on offer. Visit wineryrun.com/home for more information.

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event preview

Car 58, Driver: Bryce Chapman. Pic credit: RPM Images

Revved up for racing at Milbrodale The Hedweld Milbrodale Mountain Classic will celebrate its 30th anniversary on July 2 and 3, offering an action-packed schedule sure to thrill competitors and spectators alike. The race will be on to find out who will claim this year’s highly soughtafter Man of the Mountain title, given to the person who drives the fastest lap of the long course on the Sunday. Drivers will also be out to earn valuable series points, with the event doubling as round 4 of the NSW Off Road Championship, round 1 of the Premier NSW Long Course Championship and round 2 of the East Coast Tri Challenge. Held on a private property 26km outside of Singleton, the event was established in 1987 by Ian and Jan Hedley and run by the Sydney Recreational Vehicle Association. It was later taken over by the Hunter Valley Off Road Racing Association (formed by the Hedleys, along with Marion and Grahame Baxter) and is now the second longest running off-road race in Australia. “That’s a huge accomplishment for our club,” Jan said. “There’s not many events in Australia that have outdone it and

we’re very proud of its success.” One of the premier events on the off-road racing calendar, it attracts the best drivers from across the country and in the past has even been contested by some of Australia’s top V8 supercar drivers including Dick Johnson, Mark Skaife, George Fury, Glenn Seton, Andrew Meidecke, Kevin Waldock and Tony Longhurst. Johnson has fond memories of the event, having driven there several times using both Ian and Jan’s cars. He will return to Milbrodale as a spectator this year to help celebrate its special milestone. The event kicks off with the running of the prologue and race one of the medium course on Saturday, July 2, while day two will include one of the real highlights for spectators – the four-abreast start in the short course heat (race three). Offering a fast and furious tussle to the hectic first jump and into the first corner, it will no doubt provide great viewing. After lunch the entire field will leave the arena to tackle the mountain for race four, which includes six laps of the long course (20km/per lap) and the chance to be crowned Man of the Mountain.

Some of Australia’s best off-road drivers will converge on the Hunter this month for a weekend of fast and furious racing. Throughout the weekend spectators also have a chance to get close to the cars and talk to the competitors, with the pits open to the public during the lunch break. Children’s activities including jumping castles and amusement rides ensure it offers fun for the whole family, while food and drinks are available trackside. The event is well supported by a host of corporate sponsors including Hedweld Group of Companies, Bulga Open Cut Glencore, Promine Contracting, Lancaster Motor Group, Myne Signs, Southern Cross Austereo and The Newcastle Herald. Daily gate entry is $10 and children under 12 years are free. Money raised will go to Witmore Enterprises, CanTeen and Simply Loving Taylor Inc. The 30th anniversary will also be commemorated by the publication later this year of a coffee table book detailing the three decades of the race, with stories and photos from throughout its history, including the 2016 event. For more information for spectators, entry forms and supplementary regulations visit www.hvorra.com.au or www. facebook.com\hvorra

huntersportsmag.com.au | July 2016

event calendar

July 2016

carnival, Hunter Sports Centre Glendale, ausyouthgames.com.au

July 1: Muswellbrook race day, Skelletar Park, muswellbrookraceclub.com.au July 2: Clubs in the Community Race Day in support of Hunter Breast Cancer Foundation, Newcastle Jockey Club, njc.com.au July 2: Diamonds in the Dirt MTB event, Awaba MTB Park, rockytrailentertainment.com July 2: Newcastle Harness Racing Club night meeting, Newcastle International Paceway, newcastleharness.com.au July 3: Newcastle North Stars v Sydney Bears, Hunter Ice Skating Stadium, northstars.theaihl.com July 3: HRDGA Ambrose Pairs Championships, Kurri Golf Club, hrdga.com.au July 5: Cessnock Leagues Club Jungle Juice Cup, Cessnock Racecourse, njc.com.au July 9: Newcastle Pro Wrestling, Charlestown Bowling Club, newcastleprowrestling.com.au July 9: Fight for Connor Race Day, Newcastle Jockey Club, njc.com.au July 9: Newcastle Harness Racing Club night meeting, Newcastle International Paceway, newcastleharness.com.au July 10: Australian Invitational Youth Games – athletics

July 11: Newcastle Harness Racing Club day meeting, Newcastle International Paceway, newcastleharness.com.au July 11: Australian Invitational Youth Games – golf, Muree Golf Club Raymond Terrace, ausyouthgames.com.au July 12: Australian Invitational Youth Games – golf, Newcastle Golf Club Fern Bay, ausyouthgames.com.au July 13-15: Australian Invitational Youth Games – netball, Maitland Federation Centre, ausyouthgames.com.au July 16: Australian Invitational Youth Games – duathlon, Tulkaba Park Teralba, ausyouthgames.com.au July 16: Newcastle Harness Racing Club night meeting, Newcastle International Paceway, newcastleharness.com.au July 16-17: Australian Invitational Youth Games – softball, Stevenson Park Mayfield West, ausyouthgames.com.au July 16: Rafferty’s Coastal Run, Rafferty’s Resort Lake Macquarie, raffertyscoastalrun.com.au July 17: NRL Round 19 Newcastle

Rumble in the Jungle set for July

The hottest action will be trackside in Cessnock this month when the highlight of the town’s racing calendar jumps from the barriers at Wine Country Race Club.

July 23: Newcastle Harness Racing Club night meeting, Newcastle International Paceway, newcastleharness.com.au July 23: Whitebridge Birralee Long Day Care Race Day, Newcastle Jockey Club, njc.com.au July 23-24: Watagan Trail Bike Rally, Watagan State Forest, trailbikerallys.com.au/rally July 25: Newcastle Harness Racing Club day meeting, Newcastle International Paceway, newcastleharness.com.au July 30: Newcastle Harness Racing Club night meeting, Newcastle International Paceway, newcastleharness.com.au July 30: Newcastle North Stars v Sydney Bears, Hunter Ice Skating Stadium, northstars.theaihl.com July 31: Newcastle Harness Racing Club day meeting, Newcastle International Paceway, newcastleharness.com.au another quality field, but the action won’t just be happening on the track, with plenty of other activities planned including Fashions on the Field, kids activities and the Jungle Juice Marquee. Tickets for the marquee are $85 per person or $790 for a table of 10. This includes a buffet lunch, two drink vouchers and live entertainment with Troy Kemp. General admission to the track is $10 or $3 concession and the gates will open at 11am.

Pic credit: Newcastle Herald.

Cessnock Leagues Club will once again host the iconic Jungle Juice Race Day at Cessnock Racecourse on Tuesday, July 5.

Cessnock reinsman Robert Thompson, who expertly steered Youthful King to its fourth Jungle Juice Cup victory and his 11th.

The 2015 race was won by legendary

The 2016 event is sure to attract

Knights v Melbourne Storm, Hunter Stadium, newcastleknights.com.au

July 2016 | huntersportsmag.com.au

Cessnock Leagues Club will also host a Calcutta for the main race on Monday, July 4 at 7pm. For more details visit www.njc.com.au

junior sport

Hunter representatives in the Australian Born 2000 team: Kate Hughes, Amelia Hodgson, Eliza Limm and Lucy Coon.

Hurricanes heading out in

green and gold

There must be something in the water at Lambton Pool, with the Hunter Hurricanes producing yet another crop of Australian representatives. The club has a strong track record of producing elite level water polo players – and that trend will continue this month when six Matt Humby and Mitch Robinson will represent Australia in the Born 2001 team heading to Serbia this month.

of its junior players head out to represent Australia at a number of international tournaments. First up will be 16-year-old Kate Hughes, from New Lambton, East Maitland’s Amelia Hodgson, 15, fellow 15-year-old Eliza Limm from Georgetown and Charlestown’s Lucy Conn, 16. The quartet will head to New Zealand for the 14th Pan Pacific Youth Water Polo Festival from July 9-19. The girls will take part in what is the Southern Hemisphere’s largest water polo event as part of Australia’s Born 2000 team, which was selected following a training camp at the Australian Institute of Sport in Canberra during April. Almost 100 New Zealand‑based teams will battle it out against one

another and more than 50 teams from Australia, USA, and South Africa during the festival, which features four age groups and eight divisions. Shortly after the girls arrive home, another two Hunter Hurricanes will jet off overseas wearing the green and gold. Matt Humby and Mitch Robinson were selected in the Australian Born 2001 team, which will compete at the X Darko Cuckic Memorial tournament in Belgrade, Serbia. Being held from July 23 to August 7, it is dubbed as being one of the most important junior men’s championships for under-15 teams each year. New Lambton teenager Humby, 15, and his 14-year-old teammate Robinson, who hails from Lambton, were two of only four players from NSW who made it into the 15-man squad for the European tour.

huntersportsmag.com.au | July 2016

junior sport

Origin dreams come true for Hunter juniors

It’s a night most footy players spend their lives dreaming about – the State of Origin.

The Clermont Bears and Dungog Warriors forming a guard of honour for their State of Origin heros.

But while most will never fulfill their fantasies of being selected to run out for NSW, the Hunter’s rugby league community has just added a host of new names to the list of those who have pulled on the sky blue jersey following the first two games of the 2016 series. While they may not yet be old enough to make it onto the starting lineup for the main event, a troupe of Newcastle Knights juniors made their Origin dreams come true after taking to the field in the NSW Under-16s and Under-18s teams during the Game I and II curtain-raisers against their Queensland counterparts. Jock Madden, Pheonix Crossland, Brock Gardner and Tom Baker helped their side to a 12-10 victory at ANZ Stadium on June 1 while

The Dungog Warriors show their excitement about being picked to take part in the inaugural Holden Junior State of Origin.

fellow Knights young guns Brendan O’Hagan, Brodie Jones, Tom Starling and Pasami Saulo were a part of the NSW team that smashed their rivals 26-0 in front of a parochial Queensland crowd at Suncorp Stadium on June 22. But they weren’t the Hunter’s only representatives during Origin, with the Under-9 Dungog Warriors team also given an experience of a lifetime as part of the inaugural Holden Junior State of Origin, which was played in Sydney before the series opener. The Warriors swapped their traditional maroon and yellow strip for the sky blue of NSW for the event, which pit them against an equally excited U9s Clermont Bears squad in their own state-against-state battle. While the next generation of stars played out a nil-all draw in front of the cheering Origin crowd, the match was just one part of a money-can’tbuy three-day experience that also saw them participate in a special training session with rugby league legends Matt Cooper and Mick Crocker and take

July 2016 | huntersportsmag.com.au

a behind-the-scenes tour of ANZ Stadium with Petero Civoniceva. The Dungog juniors also got a rare access pass to attend the NSW team’s Captain’s Run training session, while the Clermont kids joined the QLD State of Origin team on their players’ walk in Parramatta. Come game day, the captains of the teams including Dungog’s Charlotte Baker took part in the coin toss for the main event, while the entire squads formed a guard of honour for the State of Origin players as they ran onto the pitch at half-time. “On a scale of one to never ending, my love for footy is never ending! I just can’t believe this is happening,” Charlotte said. “We got to high-five the Blues and the Maroons when they came back onto the field at half-time, which was so amazing.” Holden’s Executive Director Marketing, Geraldine Davys said Holden was thrilled to make this opportunity possible for each of the clubs. The car manufacturer identified the clubs as part of its Holden Home Ground Advantage program, which awarded $10,000 to the Central Highlands Junior Rugby League and the Dungog Warriors.

junior sport

Campaign calls for

quiet on the sidelines Spectators or coaches getting carried away on the sidelines are being told to “shoosh” in a bid to stamp out unruly behaviour. And now the campaign, which was created by the Newcastle Junior Rugby League Association (NJRLA) last season, is spreading beyond the borders of the Hunter, with clubs across several codes embracing the concept in the Central West, Far West and North West of NSW. Shoosh for Kids was created by NJRLA Director Jody Watsford and Life Member Ray O’Connor in 2015, inspired by a New Zealand campaign called Let Kids Be Kids. “We were watching one of the video clips of Let Kids Be Kids and one of the questions they asked the young kids was ‘What would you like to say to noisy parents on the sidelines?’ and the kid said ‘Shoosh’,” Watsford said. “We talked about it and thought we should do that here. “It’s just about promoting positive behavior on the sidelines – you just want junior sport to be enjoyable for everyone. “Shoosh is a non-confrontational way to tell someone to be quiet and we found it worked last year. “Part of it also is that if someone’s carrying on the referee can call time and all the kids can come over to the sideline and tell that person to shoosh.

“That would be pretty embarrassing for someone, it would make them think twice (about doing it again). “We don’t have a serious problem (with unruly behavior) here, we’re just trying to promote positive behavior before it gets out of hand.” Newcastle junior clubs took part in the “Shoosh” round last season, with support for the campaign from Country Rugby League, Newcastle Rugby League and the Newcastle Knights. This included promoting the concept through posters and pamphlets distributed at every ground where junior matches were played. Maitland junior clubs came on board for the 2016 round, held on June 18, while outside of the Hunter, a weeklong Shoosh for Kids campaign was championed by the NSW Office of Sport and Recreation with support from Netball NSW, the NRL, Central West Rugby, Hockey NSW, Basketball NSW, Central West AFL and Football NSW.

parents and coaches on the sidelines. “We’re extremely happy the campaign is being taken up by others - I even had Queensland Rugby League ring me yesterday because they were interested in it. “We’d like to see it in every sport across the country.” Shoosh for Kids code: • If your comment is negative, then SHOOSH! • If your comment is directed at a player, then SHOOSH! • If your comment is directed at a referee or match official, then SHOOSH! • Reward good play by both teams with applause, if you can’t then SHOOSH! • Show respect to players and game officials. Remember it’s their game!

“(Unruly sideline behavior) happens in all sports and I think everyone has just had enough,” Watsford said. “I think everyone wants to have an enjoyable day at kids’ sport and not have to worry about over‑zealous

huntersportsmag.com.au | July 2016

O N E D AY AT A T I M E ~ DAMIAN JOBSON

Charity Ball

fundraising for Damian Jobson who has been left facing life as a quadriplegic following a tragic rugby league accident

Friday, August 12th | 7:00pm til late Wests City Cnr King & Union Streets Newcastle West

Tickets $200 per person

www.stickytickets.com.au/39090 tables of 10 available 3 course meal + beverages entertainment & music formal attire (wear a splash of green)

~Special Guests~ ~Auctions~ ~Balloon Raffles~

More Information

For more information, or to sponsor, please contact David Tanchevski - 0406 147 852 risefordamian@gmail.com

all funds raised directly benefiting Damian and his family