Virus crushes family face-off
THE coronavirus pandemic may have interfered with sport and life across the world, but for Territory hockey’s Hayward brothers the stakes are even higher.
A potential meeting at the Tokyo Olympic Games between Australian goal scorer (Jeremy) and New Zealand goalkeeper Leon has been crushed by the spread of the lethal COVID-19 virus.
How two Territory brothers could be pitted against each other at Olympic level is intriguing enough without the added threat of a virus that has shocked the world.
There was a time when the Hayward brothers’ hockey careers took similar paths.
Both of them had hockey sticks in their hands at a young age, they both learned their craft with Darwin Hockey Association club Waratah and both brothers wore Australian colours.
Leon, 29, and Jeremy, 27, make up almost a third of Territory men who have represented their country in field hockey.
Stephen Holt, Mark Hickman, Eddie O’Brien, Des Abbott, Joel Carroll and the Hayward brothers form an elite group.
Nova and Brooke Peris and Lizzie Duguid have worn the Hockeyroos shirt as members of the women’s side.
But Leon Hayward is the only dual international to come out of the NT, a fact his father Brad confirmed this week.
“We had both of our boys in Australian colours until Leon was relegated to No.3 in the pecking order of Kookaburra goalkeepers,’’ Hayward Sr said.
“So he made the move away from Perth where the Kookaburras were based and began a world tour that began and ended in New Zealand.
“Leon played the game in Scotland, Spain (Canary Islands), France and Malaysia and coached in America as well as playing in New Zealand.’’
Asked by Hockey New Zealand to become a Black Stick, Leon Hayward made the move across the ditch in 2019 where he has already chalked up four appearances in a black shirt.
Leon’s mother Ellie is a Kiwi, which made him eligible after serving the three-year rule where he was not allowed to represent another country.
His 13 appearances for Australia from 2014-15 will seem a long way away when he finally clashes with younger brother Jeremy at international level.
“We can’t lose, one of them will win and get bragging rights but for us it will be great watching both of our boys playing for their countries,’’ Brad said.