Wombats stick it to bowls
DAVID Attenborough’s brilliant television production showcased wombats as one of the most endearing of Tasmania’s native animals with their characteristic waddle and cuddly appearance.
For Ian Bowden and his hockey teammates, ‘Wombats’ was deemed the ideal name for a hockey side that focused on bringing old friends and foes together in their twilight years.
“The name was perfect because we are old, slow, fat and scruffy,” Bowden jokes.
“The idea to create our own side came about when Peter Woolford and Graham Gates got talking about getting a group of friends aged over 55 years old together as a team.
“We had players from OHA and Canterbury mostly come together in 2003 and Gates had some shirts printed with wombats and we haven’t stopped mixing fun with fitness since.”
Affectionately known in hockey circles just as ‘Sparra’, Bowden says that the good people involved are the most important part of hockey.
“If it wasn’t for that mateship, I would think that a lot of us would have given up ages ago and to be still able to play a sport at our age is a real privilege. Hockey sure beats bowls and golf,” Bowden says.
After 100 games for Tasmania across state indoor and veterans teams, Bowden brought up his 1000th club match on Saturday alongside his longstanding teammates and friends.
“It was special to play my 1000th club match alongside guys such as Richard Hawson, Wally Atkins and Mick Rogers who is the oldest in the team at 73 years of age,” he says.
“He’s still playing in the Australian Over 70s team, but I’ve thoroughly enjoyed playing with blokes like Woolford, Gates, Brenton Peck and John Miedecke over many decades.
“Considering that I did not play my first game of hockey until I was 25, I was surprised to reach 1000 total matches, and I can only wonder how many Hawson, Rogers and Atkins have played if they kept records!”
Bowden lists playing in his first senior club premiership in 1982 with Canterbury as his favourite memory alongside being awarded life membership of the Canterbury Hockey Club.
“We also won the flag in 1985 but the ’82 team had star players such as Geoff and Eric Perriman, Rob Mollross, magistrate Rob Pearce, Robin Birch and Col Pearce.”
Canterbury Hockey Club president Trevor Hill paid tribute to Bowden and his Wombats teammates.
“Just flicking through the club yearbooks gives you a sense of Sparra being a mercurial, jovial and fun club member, with the Wombats side continuing to bring together great mates well into their 70s,” Bowden says.