Five-star performers

Local juniors do state proud

FIVE young Geelong hockey stars represented Victoria at recent National Championship events held across the country.

Geelong’s youngest representative, Ellen Chaplin, played for the Victorian under-13 team in Perth.

Chaplin plays in defence. Her young Victorian team finished in sixth place but learned a lot from the experience.

Geelong’s under- 15 state representative Mack Dolenc, a gifted midfielder, had a stellar tournament and returned home with a silver medal.

The Victorian team defeated host state South Australia 3- 1 to secure second behind NSW.

Attacking forward Will Crosbie played in the 16 and under National Schoolboys Championships in Hobart.

The Victorian team was unlucky not to be among the medals, finishing fourth.

Harry Dolenc has had a busy 12 months, representing Victoria in both the under-18 indoor team as well as the state under18 outdoor competition.

The midfielder plays in State League One for Altona.

His busy schedule saw him playing in Brisbane in January in the National Indoor Championships, where Victoria came home with a bronze medal. Dolenc backed this up with a strong second placing, again in Brisbane where Victoria lost a closely contested match 5-3 against NSW.

Geelong’s final representative, Tash Sutton, played for the Country Victorian team that took on other state country teams i n Bendigo in August.

The Victorian team finished fifth, with Tash still eligible for juniors but playing in this senior competition.

STATE OF PLAY: Geelong’s Harry Dolenc in action for Victoria’s under-18 hockey team at the national championships.

Geelong’s state team representatives Harry Dolenc, Tash Sutton, Ellen Chaplin, Mack Dolenc and Will Crosbie.