Grand Final Week!

Ryde Hockey Players and Supporters, it is time to bring it in close and
find your colours and your cheer. A veritable Ryde Hockey Rumba
comprising fourteen grand finals awaits. To set the scene and add a dash of colour and movement this is what is before you.

On Friday night there is a choice of venues, unless teleporting is an option. At Ryde, the undefeated U15 Ryde Tigers,
led by Alex Richardson and Meegan Jones, take on the very
fast-finishing Sydney University in what will be a highly competitive
and close game of hockey (7.00pm). Go Tigers! At Cintra the U15 Ryde Panthers, under
the stewardship of Matt McKay and Peter Cox, take on perennial rivals
Sutherland for the acclaimed Colin Manning Trophy (7.00pm). Say no more.
 Sutherland also awaits the U17 Panthers
(8.30pm). Led by Jess Dawson and Richard Sharp the Panthers snuck under
the guard of second placed Briars to claim their grand final spot. Note
to file here – Sutherland have promised to bring a large contingent of
supporters from the Shire to counter the support traditionally provided
by Ryde senior players. Guys and Gals – the challenge is before you.

Saturday morning
and there is more hockey before you. No time for breakfast? Not a
problem as the Ryde BBQ will be operating. The junior grand finals are
spread across two venues, Ryde and Pennant Hills, so take a look at the
menu and get ready to support some of our younger junior teams. At Ryde,
our mighty mites aka the U11 Ryde Lions
will do battle with Briars (8.30am). Not much taller than the turf’s
perimeter fence, this team coached by Greg Findley, Judy Monaghan and
Teaj Sian, has stunned us all with their development. This match will be
followed by the ever-improving U13 Ryde Jaguars
who will oppose Manly (10.00am). There has not been a struck match
between these teams all year but Mark Richard has his team playing a
wonderful style of hockey and they are very keen to take the title.

At Pennant Hills there are three games of relevance. At 8.30am, the U11 Panthers,
coached by Dave Phelan, Scott Harrison and Ryan Perreira, who are just
bursting with skill and creativity take on Northern District, an echo of
many a contest for this title. At 9.30am it is the U13 Ryde Tigers coached by Rob Whitmore up against the U13 Ryde Lions
coached by Dave Goosakoff. Both teams are playing some great ‘feel
good’ hockey – their presence in the grand final caps a great
achievement for the U13 teams with all making it through to their
respective grand finals. And speaking of the same the last junior grand
final features the mighty U13 Panthers,
coached by Steve Dunn and Adrian Rochester, who have confounded all the
external pundits and stormed into the grand final against Northern
District (11.30am).

So with the junior grand finals behind up we
set our cap towards some senior titles. At Cintra and at the seemingly
early time at 11.30am, Phil McQuillans’s match-hardened and wonderfully
cohesive 6th grade team do battle
with the Dirty Reds aka Glebe. With that match and hopefully title in
our kitbag we then have a choice to head to either Homebush or Ryde. At
Homebush on Pitch 2, Greg Findley’s 4th game
team is opposed to Manly (3.00pm). This is a match which reprises
fearsome Division 1 battles that are spoken of in hushed and reverential
tones. Get along and cheer the good guys on.  No less contested will be
the 8th grade Grand Final where the
mighty Panthers will be opposed to Briars. Bob Thompson’s seasoned
warriors will be defending their title so there is much on the line.

Sunday dawns and with a night’s rest to sustain us we will set our sights towards the Women’s 5th grade grand
final between Ryde and Northern District. Led by tribal elder Brad
Parkes, the match offers the opportunity for our plucky 5th graders to
right the wrongs of the year before and claim the silverware.

Wednesday
Surely
that must be the end you say?  No, you would be mistaken, there is
more.  The Masters of the game, the Yodas of the pitch take to the field
in the Masters grand final games for 2013.
First up at 6:45pm our Masters B team lead by relative youngling Scott ‘Kiwi’ Familton take on the perennial students UTS.

Following at 8:30pm the Ryde Masters A
team lead by Commander Richard Ellison engage the mighty UNSW who has
not lost a single game in this division in the past 5 years.  Can they
be beaten?  Ryde has come close this year and if ever there is a time to
do so then this surely must be it.  Remember where you were when
Australia 1 beat Stars and Stripes….?

Fifteen teams, fourteen grand finals. What a fantastic week awaits!