Scotch College

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Canberra Tour, December 2005

Twenty boys from years 7 to 10 travelled to Canberra in December 2005 to participate in the Quikstix Hockey Tournament. Scotch College entered a team in the under 14, under 16 and under 18 divisions. With only 22 players all boys played two games a day and several played three games. The under 18 competition was very tough with a team from Japan and very well trained and competitive teams from schools around Australia.

The standard of play and the number of games played allows the boys to improve their skills and develop their game beyond the normal APS competition and enabled them to play in teams of mixed year levels.

The standard of play was consistently high and many boys such as Tom Ryan, Mitch Woods, Tom Sinclair, Tom Collier, Harry Borthwick and Rama Lokon made a huge contribution to our success. All players contributed their best and the skills of the younger participant’s skills seemed to improve throughout the trip.

In our under 16 team Pat Moore, James Huggett, Dan Wagner and Jimmy Unkles played great hockey. Our players wore black arm bands on December 7th in honour of James Huggett’s late father, and we were very proud of them.

Scotch was the only school with two A grade umpires in the event. Jimmy Unkles and Pat Moore were called on daily to umpire games and their contribution was appreciated by the ACT hockey association.

Hockey Tour to India 2005

First stop after Melbourne was Bangkok. The team arrived and spent the day touring the Royal Palace including the reclining Buddha and the emerald Buddha followed by a lunch of seafood and Thai curry overlooking the busy river traffic. the boys then embarked on river tour before heading back to the airport to fly to Delhi. All the bags arrived - amazing given the check in at Melbourne.

The team was met at Delhi airport by our hosts and the mass of humanity and variety of aromas India can produce. Checked in at about 0200 hrs to a shower and sleep. All were allowed to sleep till 10.30 am before a breakfast of Indian traditional foods, then a walk around the local shops to see fascinating ways of life. Tot-tots constantly offering assistance leading us to markets or shops where they would receive a commission and we would walk out. The boys saw schools, poverty,filth, massive noise from the endless traffic, beggars, electrical wiring looking like basket weaving, push-bikes housing, shanties, rubbish every where but friendly helpful people. Back to the pool for a training session with tennis-ball hockey team bonding and general fun.

To the game in the afternoon against the Modern School at the national hockey stadium where we were met by dignitaries including the Chief Minister of the Punjab, a Sikh with armed guard who had been an important minister in the government, a leading bank CEO and six or seven others. A water based surface with stands about the area and a local cow who needed to be escorted to a nearby field.

Temperature was 36-37 degrees in the shade by our thermometer with two 35 minute halves. It was a fantastic game with spirited and sportsmanlike play. Scotch scored first but were soon equalized at 1-1 by Modern by a fast center forward and wing break. Modern scored again to be 2-1 but scotch equalized at 2-2 at half time. A tight game after half time until the 15 minute mark then 3-2 down. We equalized 3-3 but then 4-3 down 5 minutes to play. Then David Lee fired from the wing a cross goal shot to Brendan Grant on the left post to deflect the equalizer. Full time 4-4 draw

Trophies were presented to the visiting dignitaries and to the adults of our party. Speeches by John Flyn and presentations to their captain from scotch college by Hugh Sinclair was followed by refreshments and food.

The boys consumed 50 liters of water during the game with a further 20-30 liters for rapid ice vest changes. Our Goalies were changed each 15 minutes and there were furious changes made by the bench to keep up with the acclimatized and very fast Indian side. All players pulled up well with no effects by the heat and weights prior and after the game indicating a gain in hydration except for three players.

David Patterson Equal Man of the match 4-5 game saving saves in a furious opening James Huggard Equal Man of the Match 15 minute changes - fantastic effort.

Day 3: up at 0515 for an 0600 start to the train station to travel to Dehra Dun - an academic centre but still very busy. The mass of humanity awaited us with sights best left off the internet and described by the boys at home. A comfortable train ride of six hours passing many of the suburbs, forests,regional towns and farming countryside. In the afternoon small groups headed off to the town for shopping and R&R dodging the traffic, bikes, oxen pulled carts and cows and their contributions to the road.

At Dehra Dun, the temperature was 30, the hockey ground was dirt and grass with a cricket pitch in centre, and a bit rough, so the ball was lifting a bit and the umpiring very average! The boys played a round robin tournament with the local schools.

The first match was against Welham Boys School. A large crowd of Welham boys massed cheering, school chants, a marquee for dignitaries, flag poles with the Australian flag, Indian flags and banners declaring the "Indo-Australian Hockey Tournament". A PA system passed comments on the game with a distinctive excited Indan bias including "A Fantabulous Goal" by Welham Boys. John Flyn, Sam Black and Peter Dawson tried valiantly to match this with quality of support rather than quantity.

With our boys trying to adapt to the grass game in the first half, Welham got way to a 3-0 lead. The boys responded well in the second half - Brendan goaled and Hugh off a penalty stroke helped to put Scotch at 3-3 with 5 minutes to go before Welham boys hit the decider to win 4-3.

Tom Davies equal man of the match, for tireless work - he played most of the game in oppressive conditions. Will Elder an excellent tagging midfielder, nullified the Welham midfield in the second half. Created some excellent attacks - equal man of the match.

That night ate at a restaurant and after inspecting the kitchen and refrigeration team decided on meat for the first time. What a mistake! The next Day Luke Dawson gets food poisoning (a temperature of 40! - requiring 3 litres of IV fluids plus antiemetics & antibiotics to put out the fire) and at least five others 'seedy'

Next day spent morning visiting National Museum of Forestry - a 1940 type exihit. Magnificent buidings in an academic environs. it is interesting that the British saw forestry as a growth area with spin off products for medicines, textiles, glues, conservation etc.

Afternoon play Dun school. Oldest school in area with many prime ministers as old boys.

Despite controlling the game almost entirely Scotch are 3-0 down at 1/2 time due to Dun school's far superior conversion rate. Dun scored 3 unlikely goals from 5 shots total for the half. In the second half Scotch played attractive grass hockey outscoring opponents 1-0 despite squandering nmerous chances in front of goal and a penalty stroke, to finish down 1-3.

Ed Summerfield collected 7 stitches above one eyebrow, with lots of strapping on various players sore joints. Luke Dawson suffered food poisoning

The boys could see Mussoorie (next stop) from Dehra Dun, perched up in the hills to the north, and were hoping that being so much higher up would be cooler.

The final day at Dehra Dun the boys watched Welham V Dun - Welham won 2-0 in fast physical furious encounter The Scotch boys displayed AFL rules at end of the game

The boys were treated to a rception at the end of game. there was great mixing of the school players. Fifteen local girls from the girls college flocked one player in particular for autographs - Aria Lokon recieved the Captains award as "Chick Magnet".

The boys took time out from hockey to do some painting at the blind institute - play equipement, railings,maze. Boys got very dirty but were a credit to the school and parents.

From Dehra Dun the boys went to Mussorie to play on gravel.

After the hockey, the boys went sightseeing. Some amazing experiences, including seeing three tigers about 50 metres from their jeep in a national park, and of course the Taj Mahal.