Hockey: on the verge of making history

With just three games remaining in the season, Melbourne Grammar School’s First XI Hockey team is poised to achieve the remarkable feat of winning three consecutive APS Premierships.

This accomplishment has not been seen since 1981 when the First VIII Rowing crew claimed victory at the Head of the River from 1979 to 1982, and before that, our First XVIII Football team’s Premiership wins from 1948 to 1951.*

The team’s dominance on the field is exemplified by their statistics. They remain undefeated since the start of the 2021 season. In 2022, the team scored a staggering total of 104 goals while keeping their opposing schools to a total of seven. During the shortened 2021 season, the outcome was 25 goals versus 10.

After seven of the 10 rounds this year, the total scores stand at 51 goals for the First XI Hockey team and only eight for their opponents.

Three Year 12 students – Teddy Stewart, Ollie Will and Tom Wilson – hold the distinction of being members of the First XI Hockey team since the start of their three-year winning streak.

In addition, Ollie and Tom, along with Duncan Jackson, are members of the U18 Victorian Squad. Ollie has also played in the U21 Victorian team in which Duncan has served as a reserve.

Teacher in Charge of Hockey, David Aitken, commends the exceptional qualities of this group of young men.

“Their abundance of natural talent has been finely honed under the guidance of First Hockey coach Dylan Coombs,” he says. “Moreover, their ability to remain composed under pressure and their genuine enjoyment of playing together as a team have also been key to their success.”

The final game of the 2023 Hockey season is scheduled for Saturday 5 August. The School’s social media accounts will announce the season’s outcome following the conclusion of this game.

*The First Water Polo team was top of their table in 2005, but it was not a ‘Premiership’ as less than eight APS schools participated in the competition that year. They shared the Premiership with another school in 2006 and 2007, then won outright in 2008 and 2009.