Fourteen teams competed at the final Naracoorte tournament for 2005, representing clubs from Casterton, Adelaide, York Peninsula & Naracoorte. For the first time this season, the Naracoorte Club found themselves at last in the winner’s circle in the A Grade.
Naracoorte kept a small lead throughout the first half of the final against a young Casterton team until the third chukka where Casterton's goal thrower, Jamie Dowsley threw four goals to Naracoorte's two, tying the scores at 7. The final chukka, however, went all Naracoorte's way with Andrew Cameron & David Berkin easily feeding the ball in to goal thrower Lynda Field, ending the game four goals ahead of Casterton.
The B Grade final was also another close affair with Adelaide down by a single goal after the first chukka before Sharyn Tilbrook took the reins and threw four goals to Casterton's one, giving her team the break it needed. Casterton fought back hard in the remaining half of the game but could only gain back one goal, Adelaide winning ten goals to Casterton's eight.
The Pool team started slowly in the C grade final against Casterton and at the end of the first chukka, with Casterton on four goals and the Pool team on one, it looked like the rest of the game would be a one sided affair. However, York Peninsula's talented junior, Bert Lang, threw five goals in the second chukka for the Pool team, reducing the gap to a single goal. Both Casterton's sharp shooters, Scott Creek & Erin Wimshurst, continued to throw accurately, going goal for goal with the Pool team, retaining their one goal lead at the final siren.
The D grade final was an all South Australian affair with Naracoorte lining up against York Peninsula. The host club could only manage to throw a single goal each chukka but kept the scores even with York Peninsula after strong defensive work from Sophie Ford stopped YP throwing even a single goal in the second chukka. It came right down to the last moments of the game for YP's Sarah Goodes Bubner to throw the winning goal.
This tournament signalled the end of competitions to be run by the Naracoorte Polocrosse club for 2005, but practice can still be attended at the Hynam grounds on Saturdays from 1pm. The next SA based tournament is York Peninsula's on the 12th & 13th of February at Minlaton. For spectators not wanting to travel so far to watch some top level polocrosse, Corio's tournament will be held on the sandy fields of Portland on the 26th & 27th of February.
AWARDS Best Female Player: Lynda Field (Naracoorte) Best Male Player: Jamie Dowsley (Casterton) Best Junior Player: Bert Lange (York Peninsula) The Don & Ann Cross Encouragement Award: Sophie Ford (Naracoorte) Best Ladies’ Stockhorse: Fiona Wittig’s Balnagowan 99 Best Gentlemen’s Stockhorse: David Cross’s J Star Edison Best Outright Stockhorse: Kym Marie Berkin’s Beachball Runner Up: Jim Hood’s Ollie
A GRADE Winners: Naracoorte Runners Up: Casterton Best Section: Casterton’s Jamie Dowsley, Warren Fennell & Sarah Plush Best Horse: Jamie Dowsley’s Ambition
B GRADE Winners: Adelaide Runners Up: Casterton Best Section: Adelaide’s Sharyn Tilbrook, Craig Tremellen & Julie Sheriff Best Horse: Sharyn Tilbrook's Phoebe
C GRADE Winners: Casterton Runners Up: Pool (Mixed Clubs) Best Section: Pool’s Bert Lange, Michael Hyneman & Emma Rogers Best Horse: Emma Rogers’ Snip
D GRADE Winners: York Peninsula Runners Up: Naracoorte Blue Best Section: Naracoorte Blue’s Donna Prusa, Adrienne Cross & Dennis Watson Best Horse: Sarah Goodes Bubner’s Tom Club Awards (for outstanding service to the NPC) - Adrienne & David Cross, Lethal Williams, Kym Berkin, Dennis Watson, Bronwyn Ford, Jim & Janet Hood, Barry Cameron and the Zippel family.
The first polocrosse tournament for 2005 saw eighteen teams competing in four grades at the Naracoorte club's Hynam grounds. The weather turned on the sunshine after the previous week's rain kept the fields moist & soft, providing players with a glorious weekend of play.
The Naracoorte club entered five teams in the competition & three of these made the finals. This is the most teams the local club has formed for a single tournament in the last three years which is an indication of how strong the club has become. Thirty eight members are currently registered to play for the Naracoorte club and more attend practices on Saturdays.
Two Naracoorte teams competed in the A Grade competition. The white team consisted of seasoned players on young horses and saw the A Grade debut of Kym Marie Berkin. The Blue team, consisting of more experienced players and horses, started well in the final, keeping within two goals of the Pool team until Trafalgar's Sam & Ray Cook dominated ball control in the last six minutes of the game.
The B Grade competition was consistently dominated by the Naracoorte team which ended the weekend almost unbeaten. This was quite an achievement for the team which, on paper, looked the weakest of the B Grade teams. Top goal throwing from polocrosse life member, Barry Cameron & young Kimberly Hood, combined with strong defensive work from the ever-improving Blue Barnard, ensured a hard fought win against Casterton in the final.
Four teams competed in the C Grade section which saw the Pool team lining up against Casterton/Smythesdale in the final. The Pool team's dominance in picking up the ball in the centre field eventually proved to be the winning factor in a closely battled game.
The four teams entered in the D Grade competition consisted of new and young players supported by a few older seasoned players. Naracoorte Blue never looked in doubt to win the final against the Pool team. Juniors Ellie Moyle & Emily Clark teamed up with Grandfather Ross Clark who has more than fifty years of playing under his belt, while new player Sally Schultz & talented junior Sophie Ford were ably guided by three year veteran Sophie Scott. Having the senior players' support brought out the best in the new & young players. The Schultz chukka had only one goal scored against them all weekend. The Naracoorte White team played consistently close games & while missing the finals, did produce the Best D Grade Horse in Donna Prusa's "Snap".
The next tournament in SA on the weekend of the 29th & 30th of January is the last to be held at the Naracoorte club's Hynam grounds for 2005. Spectators are encouraged to attend & people interested in trying out the game are welcome to attend practice on Saturdays at the Hynam grounds from 1pm. For further information, contact secretary Adrienne Cross on 08 87620216 or email
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RESULTS
A Grade
B Grade
C Grade
D Grade
Juniors
Winners: Pool (Mixed Clubs) Runners Up: Naracoorte Blue Best Section: Naracoorte Blue's Andrew Cameron, Stephen Clark & Wayne Field Best Horse: Craig Cameron's Swivel (Casterton)
Winners: Naracoorte Runners Up: Casterton Best Section: Casterton's Anthony Dowsley, Kelly Allen & Jan Allen Best Horse: Trish Hoare's Soda Mist (York Peninsula)
Winners: Pool (Mixed Clubs) Runners Up: Casdale Best Section: Pool's Anthony McManus, Theo Kuller & Nicole Leyton Best Horse: Anthony McManus's Precious (Pool)
Winners: Naracoorte Blue Runners Up: Pool (Mixed Clubs) Best Section: Naracoorte Blue's Sally Schultz, Sophie Ford & Sophie Scott Best Horse: Donna Prusa's Snap (Naracoorte)
Best Junior: Sam Beer (Bluegate B Grade) Best Turned Out: Lynda Field (Naracoorte A Grade)
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