The WHC has had yet another successful year on and off the field throughout the 2010 period – Especially with the double header wins of our elite SL1 Men and Women teams, so let’s see season 2010 out with a bang.

Seats and reserved tables are filling up fast so gather your teammates and get involved.

Where: Manningham Hotel (Bullen)
When: 29th October, 7:00pm-12:00am
Dress: After 5 (cocktail)

Payments are due in no later than Friday 22 October 2010, so please get in early and confirm your attendance by purchasing your ticket(s). Please see the attached flyer for payment details. For any queries, or to confirm table arrangements, please phone Rachel Sheppard 0439 360 922.

Click on link below to download form:

WHC 2010 Presentation Night Flyer Order Form

CLICK ON THE PICTURE FOR A LARGER VERSION

The SL1 top 4 was in the balance, with the possibility of 3 of the 4 sides all finishing on 38 points, with only goal difference to decide the final placings, the minor premiership and the much desired second chance in what will be a hard fought finals series. With 2 of the top 4 sides already having played all 18 games and Camberwell with the task of playing last placed Melbourne Univeristy, 1st place was up for grabs for the Panthers if they did the hard work. The equation was simple: if Waverley lost, they would finish 5th and out of the finals race altogether. If they drew with Essendon, Waverley would finish 3rd, in finals but without a second chance and no possibility of a week off. However, a win would place the Panthers in 1st position, and give them the best chance of taking home the SL1 premiership in 2010.

A later start saw the Waverley boys take to the field at 3.30 pm on Saturday afternoon for this important game. Zac’s Men began the game with fierce intensity, taking the ball to start the game, and immediately creating an attacking play. This early momentum saw the Waverley boys up and around their forward circle in the first 10 seconds of play, looking like it was going to be a day out for the boys in navy blue and white. This was not to be the case. When turned over, Essendon went streaming forward with plenty of run and carry, and seemed to get an extra man up in their attacking half. This quickly translated into a scoring opportunity, which was put away by the Bombers extra man, on the post, to put the home side up 1-0. With this dramatic swing of momentum, Essendon were motivated by their chance to play finals for the first time in several years. This continued with the home side slotting another 2 goals in quick succession to put the shell-shocked panthers down 0-3 only 15 min into this round 18 clash.

Jogging back to the half line after that third goal, the Panthers knew they were going to have to dig deep if they were to “continue on the journey” that coach Zac Hawes and the playing group had set for them selves in the early stages of pre-season 2009/2010. A number of players weren’t having their best day, requiring a couple of quiet reminders from the coach. Along with this, the men at the core of Waverley’s defensive unit, lead by Corey Joseph, pulled themselves and those around them into shape, in a bid to switch the momentum of the game just one more time. The next attacking effort from the Waverley boys saw a scrap around the goal line that was eaten up by Wes ‘Old Pro’ Moore, who never misses a tough opportunity to put one in when required. With half time inching closer and closer, Zac felt as though his Men probably needed one more goal on the board to put them in the position required to take a victory from this difficult position.
With only seconds remaining in the first half, Waverley were awarded a short corner. The decision was made in the huddle at the top of the circle that Steve Jarvis, Waverley’s first real drag-flicking specialist since Luke Doerner, had the task of putting the game within reach before the half way-point in the match. The push came out lightening fast from ‘Old Pro’, trapped dead, from which the ball was hurtled towards the goals… The ball came into contact with an Essendon player on the post, from whom it was deflected into the goals, causing Waverley to celebrate. This celebration, however, was cut short by the umpires rushing over to each other to confer whether or not the goal was in fact a goal. To Waverley’s dismay, and Essendon’s delight, the umpires awarded another short corner due to the line of the “ball just missing the goals”. As I myself thought, “if it’s a corner, then it’s a goal. Surely ‘advantage’ goes to Waverley”. This decision again, was short lived, and due to a few quite words from the Waverley players, coach, coaching staff, managers and supporters, common sense prevailed and the umpires turned their decision over once more to award Waverley a goal. Half time saw the Panthers 2-3 down.

A passionate Zac Hawes lay down the law to his troops in his half time address. Volumes of which, were heard by some of the Waverley faithful on the other side of the ground. This stirring speech set the scene for the second half, with the Waverley Men having absolutely no doubt in their minds of what was required on every level in order to take home the chocolates.
Waverley began the second half with a structure and flow to their game that was much more recognisable to those who watch regularly. The ball was moved swiftly around the back three and the forwards seemed to have a lot more fluidity in their leads and attacking play. Although this didn’t translate into a flood of goals, the ball rarely reached Waverley’s defensive circle and created many attacking opportunities for the Panthers. Early in this second half, it was none other than Wes ‘Old Pro’ Moore, who once again stepped up to the plate to score the equaliser and place the momentum firmly in Waverley’s favour. Not surprisingly, the experienced players perform in big games such as these and it was again the ‘Old Pro’ whom secured the lead for the Panthers mid-way through this second half to make it 4-3 and give Zac’s Men the lead for the first time in the match.

Although Waverley had the lead, they knew that one breakaway for the opposition could be the difference between finishing 1st or 3rd at the end of season 2010. With this in mind, there was one or two attacking plays from Essendon, however, these were repelled by keeper Tom Scott and his defence. Waverley managed several more attacking plays in last 10 minutes of the game, one of which resulted in a short corner. Knowing that a goal would secure top spot and put the game out of reach for the home-side, the Panthers put their best foot forward. With Waverley’s corner battery looking vastly different from the previous 3 years, they have converted significantly more opportunities this year, with this occasion being no exception. With a long bunt from new Waverley recruit Lewis Mathews, the ball was delivered to Simon Preston wide on the left who was able to lace out a pass to Danny Brennan on the spot. He made no mistake, deflecting the ball into the top left-hand corner of the net, to secure the win, secure top spot on the SL1 ladder and reward the boys with the minor premiership in season 2010.

The boys celebrated with measure, knowing that although it was a great win, “a roller-coaster ride” (Aaron ‘Sparrow’ Swindells’), that the hard work was only about to begin. The Waverley boys are doing all that they can to prepare themselves for a 1st Vs 2nd clash this week against Hawthorn, which began with an early Sunday morning recovery session at Elwood Beach. The State Hockey Centre will be host to the SL1 finals series, with all games being held on Sundays. The winner of this week’s game will get a week off and head straight into the SL1 Grand Final.
Please come and support your clubs top side this weekend on SUNDAY at 2pm at the SHC. ‘Chief Panther’ Zac Hawes demands it!!

Zac BOG (best on ground) went to Corey Joseph
Skin Institute MVP ($100) went to Wes ‘Old Pro’ Moore

With the Australian Hockey League (AHL) this year being played intermittently throughout the regular SL1 season, many games have been moved around to accommodate sides that have a number of players representing their state. As a result of this, a number of the clubs in the SL1 top 4 have already played all 18 rounds of the regular season, with ladder points and goal difference already decided. Prior to the commencement of round 17 saw Waverley sitting 4th on the SL1 ladder, although only 2 points separated 1st to 4th.

Coming up against a solid opponent, in MCC, this was a must win game for the club. Waverley were missing two of their stars from the midfield and forward line due to AHL commitments, however, the players that replaced them in the side this weekend took their opportunities and played a significant role on the day. The venue for Saturday’s encounter was played at Victoria’s premium hockey facility, the State Netball and Hockey Centre in Parkville.

Waverley started the game well, controlling the play early. Firm ball movement around the back and hard running up front saw the Panthers get early an pay off through a short corner. From this, the Panthers were able to put their first goal on the board through Tim Thompson, whom put the ball in the top of the net. Not long after this, Waverley made it 2-0 through their highest goal scorer of the season, Aaron ‘sparrow’ Swindells, which brings his tally to 12.

At this point, the momentum began to change a little with MCC having multiple attacking plays. Eventually this resulted in a short corner, which was converted, making the score 2-1. As Waverley slowly regained ascendancy late in the first half, the panther’s key short corner weapon, Steve Jarvis, stepped up to the plate and delivered what was required. At the half time break, the score line stood at Waverley 3, MCC1.

After a stirring half time talk from coach Zac Hawes, the Panthers took to the pitch with renewed desire and vigor. With multiple attacking plays early in the second half, Waverley went without reward for some time. With 15 minutes remaining in the game, however, Luke Anthony was able to run around behind the MCC defence and along the base line and give a perfectly weighted cross to Nick Dallimore who put away the opportunity to make it 4-1. With Waverley firmly in the drivers seat, 5 minutes later saw Nick Dallimore again with possession of the ball inside the attacking circle, but this time he returned the favour and passed to Luke Anthony on the post to seal the game at 5-1.

This result means that Waverley are only one game away from finishing in the top 4 and playing a significant role in the SL1 finals in 2010. The top 4 sides are so close on points, however, that a win in round 18 will mean Waverley finishes 1st but a loss puts them 5th and out of the finals. This massive game will see the Panthers take on Essendon at Essendon on Saturday at 3.30 pm.

WHEN – Saturday 31st July from 11PM.

TICKETS – $30 ticket for entry into the $1000 draw, two drinks of your choice and a sausage.

TARGET 1000 – Let’s aim for 1000 people to come through those gates on Saturday to show the proud and dominant force that Waverley HC is.

The day kicks off strongly with our two impressive under 9’s teams taking the field against Doncaster’s best under 9’s. The Under 9 Panthers will be looking to cement their 1st and 2nd places on the ladder – The next generation look strong! The club encourages parents and their kids to stay on for the day – We are supplying two jumping castles and have a Cub Card available for purchase on the day.

Cub Cards – $5 will get the kids one soft drink, a sausage and unlimited time on our two jumping castles.

Following will be an 120 strong minkey brigade taking the field to showcase the future of the club. Club members from State League 1, Pennant A and B will be down to help out coaching the minkeys program from 10:30am. Doncaster minkeys are also making the trek to Waverley HC to join in the fun. Again the club encourages the minkeys to stick around and to make use of the Cub Card!

WHC will welcome sponsors, supporters and council members at 12:00 noon to the club for a great day of socialising, food and hockey!

The third placed Pennant A Men will be looking for a win against the fourth placed Doncaster at 12:30pm – A win could potentially boost the team to first place!

2:00pm will showcase the clubs best Men’s talent with the State League 1 taking the field against Doncaster. The boy’s are coming off a strong win against Greensborough at home. They will ensure a fast paced, skillful and exciting game for the the home crowd to enjoy.

3:00pm Will see the $1000 draw begin, make sure you have tickets (ONLY $30!).

3:30pm the third placed Women’s Pennant A team will take on second placed Doncaster in what should be a well fought match to cement a finals spot!

5:00pm will showcase the final match of the day with the Pennant D Women looking to knock off a lowly PEGS to ensure a finals berth coming into the business end of the season.

Remember to show your support by getting down for the day to ensure we reach TARGET 1000.

Look forward to seeing you there

The third placed Waverley hosted the fourth placed Essendon at home looking to cement a top two position at the half way point of the season.

The Panthers entered the game missing three of its stars: Tim Wischusen, Corey Joseph and Travis Brooks, due to AHL Viking commitments.

The Blue Boy’s showed no sign of instability, from the missing AHL representatives, with a clear dominance over the Essendon outfit. However, the Panthers kept the large home-crowd on edge with a couple of early chances failing to find the net.

It wasn’t until the fifteenth minute when Stephen Jarvis slapped a penetrating pass to Sparrow Swindells on the dot who promptly slotted a turn-around-jumper into the corner, 1-0.

This increased the ferocity in the game and history repeated itself showing that ‘no love was lost’ when Tim Thompson came off the pitch requiring stitches in his nose.

The Waverley boys rallied, bringing wave after wave of attack on the Essendon defence. Finally, the defence cracked with a well placed pass from young gun Lewis Mathews down the left gifting Simon Preston space to work, he didn’t disappoint, placing the ball past the keeper to bring the score 2-0 to Waverley.

Waverley continued its dominance with Stephen Jarvis again stepping up with a wonderful overhead pass which found Simon Preston in full stride. A cheeky mid-air tap to Danny Brennan saw him draw two defenders and outlet it straight back to S.Preston who slammed home the ball with a diving slap from the left to record his second – giving Waverley a solid 3-0 at half time.

After such an amazing first half the game looked done and dusted, or so we thought.

A rejuvenated Essendon re-entered with a point to prove. Essendon were able to convert two penalty corners from their Belgium corner specialist, which bought the scoreline to a very dangerous position of 3-2.

Waverley were under the pumped and held firm whilst trying to turn the tide. However, a full field overhead from Essendon found a free attacker who converted the field goal. Essendon pushed on and found a fourth goal from the field to take the lead late in the game, 4-3.

Waverley had last ditch effort with the Essendon keeper being sent off with three minutes left on the clock. Yet, Waverley were unable to find that final finish with various field goal attempts and two corner being stonewalled.

ZACBOG – Jarrod Glascock

The Skin Institute Award – Lewis Mathews

Goals – S.Preston 2 & Swindells 1.

Waverley was out to stamp their authority on the game early by placing MUHC under constant pressure, hoping to find cracks in their defence.  The past few weeks have seen the Panthers struggle to convert early ascendancy in games into scoreboard pressure but Aaron Swindells made sure that trend didn’t continue.  Two almost identical goals saw the striker slot wonderful diving back-stick shots, getting the Panthers off to a flying start.

The entire first half was dominated by Waverley and with constant pressure on their deep defence and midfield, the MUHC sidefailed to get any real penetration into their attack.  Patience and quality ball movement allowed Waverley forwards to manipulate the opposition’s defence and commence a goal scoring spree, banging in 6 goals up to the half time mark.

The challenge was laid down at half time to continue to attack and take the game to the Melbourne University team.  Only 2 weeks prior with a similar score line the Panthers had given the opposition a sniff after the break changing the entire flow of the game so coach Zac Hawes demanded his players ‘go on with it’ and bury the opposition.

Tim Thompson finished off a well earned penalty stroke and on his 21^st Birthday, Stephen Jarvis was on song finishing with a hat-trick of goals from well executed penalty corners, the Waverley goal scoring spree rolled on throughout the second half.

With complete dominance of the game, a disappointing late goal was conceded, however the Panthers had achieved what they set out to do finishing off the match and scoring another 5 goals in the second half to annihilate the opposition 11-1.

Goal Scorers: S. Jarvis 3, A. Swindells 2, T. Wischusen 2, J. Glasscock 1, D. Brennan 1, T. Thompson 1, T. Brooks 1.

Coach’s Best on Ground: Aaron Swindells

Skin Institute Best on Ground Award: Stephen Jarvis

The goal seemed to rattle Greensborough and with the Panthers turning up the pressure, Greensborough found themselves making uncharacteristic mistakes in deep defence allowing the Panthers to continue penetrate their attacking circle. As Swindells, Wischusen began to tighten the noose on the defence, they provided an opportunity for Travis Brooks to capitalise on their hard work, with Wischusen dispossessing their Right Half, squirting an early ball to Brooks who found himself in acres of space and was able to waltz in and drill the ball past the keeper.

With Waverley having full ascendancy on the game and the Greensborough defence under the pump, Waverley had put themselves in an ideal position to run away with the game. Disappointingly and like weeks preceding, the final minutes of the first half saw the Panthers concede a late goal, giving Greensborough a sniff going into the second half with the scores at 2-1.

The second half saw Waverley continue to dominate with Wes Moore and Jarrod Page through the midfield setting up wave after wave of attack. However the number of opportunities that weren’t converted to goals became worrying and with each miss, Greensborough’s belief began to grow. They began stringing passes together and their off the ball running had the Panthers struggling to keep up. After having such a stranglehold on the game, a shocked Waverley saw the equalising goal slotted by Greensborough, and now it was the Panthers turn to ride out the storm.

The defence lead by Corey Joseph and Matthugh Freeman, stood strong, but there was only so much they could do holding off assault after assault by the opposition. Unlike Waverley, Greensborough converted their opportunities and scored twice in quick succession leaving the Panthers stunned with the scoreline 4-2 down with 10 minutes to go.

Needing a spark to get the Panthers outfit up and about again, newcomer Lewis Matthews stepped up controlling the ball on a string through the midfield and kick-starting the Waverley fight back. Still defending a persistent Greensborough, Waverley needed to score and score fast. Stephen Jarvis found the net again with a powerful drag flick from a penalty corner, but it turned out to be too little, too late as the Panthers went down 4-3 to Greensborough.

For those that don’t know me, I’m Seb Mutimer from the Men’s State League 1 team and the new Sponsorship committee member within the club – I thought I would put up a post on the website

Since the end of the last season I have been in Europe: travelling, learning Spanish and playing hockey for around ten months – An amazing experience that I will never forget for the rest of my life.

My aim for the trip was to live in another country, become part of the culture, learn its language and discover a new brand of hockey to improve my game for Australia. In between all of this I have travelled extensively throughout Europe for 10 months including: Germany, Czech Republic, Sweden, Norway, Denmark, Netherlands, Belgium, England, France, Italy, Austria, Switzerland, Morocco, Portugal and Spain (where I live in Barcelona).

I have been asked a million times which is my favorite country, an impossible task to pick – If I had to choose though, it would be a dead heat between Portugal and Spain, purely based on the experiences, people and culture that these places hold.

During my time over here I have met some amazing people that will be lifelong friends as well as experiences I will never forget. The incredible music festival in Amsterdam on my birthday, La Carnaval in Sitges Spain, skiing the Dolomites of Italy, Las Fallas Festival in Valencia, Las Semanas in Sevilla, Oktoberfest in Munich Germany, Paris whilst it is snowing, New Years in Barcelona, watching the greatest soccer team of our time (Barcelona FC) playing in Camp Nou, the parties in Scandinavia, the mind-blowing culture shift of Morocco and the beautiful beaches of Portugal as well as skydiving over the Algarve coast – just to name a few!

On to the hockey!

The dream to play and live overseas was helped along by a good Spanish friend I met and played against a few years ago in Melbourne – Borja Campos who played for Doncaster SL1 and also plays for the National Barcelona team and is my roommate. He organized me to play for the Masculina Primera Barcelona Equipa, my registrations, licensing and accommodation – which made everything amazingly easy for me!

Before Christmas two of my best friends (from Amsterdam) and I were playing for the Segundo division, as we arrived 2 rounds into the season and due to licensing and international player rules we were not allowed to be promoted until after Christmas – during this time we bought the Segundo division to the top of the table.

We now play for the Primera Division in a tightly contested 12 team division where the next three rounds can decide between playoffs and relegation for 6 teams (two up two down relegation system). So the stakes are high at the moment and training as amped up a bit!

The Barcelona FC has been a great club for me and is well organized with 2-3 trainings a week, a physical trainer for an hour before training, two water base grounds (with one commencing resurfacing recently) as well as free access to the Barcelona physio (same one the soccer players use!) in Camp Nou. We also travel around Spain to play clubs in other cities, such as Valencia and Madrid. These trips are all expense paid over the weekend and are a fantastic experience.

I have around 3 weeks left in my trip and it’s going to be busy. A trip to Valencia to play Valencia HC, a flight to Nice to visit some Australian friends, watching the Champions league of Barcelona FC as well as the Handball for Barça, heading to Amsterdam for Queens Day with my Dutch mates and another skydive!

It has been something I will never forget and urge all younger players to consider it after their schooling or graduate programs as a gap year. If you want any info or have any questions im always around the club to have a chat and share my tips and experiences. I will be seeing you all around the club very soon!

FORÇA BARÇA!

Ciao ciao, bueno suerte equipos de Waverley!
Sebástian

Click on any picture for the full size, have toooooo many pictures to upload but here is a couple.

Since taking over the reigns of the Men’s club, Zac has been mapping out a fitness program that will see the entire club, from State League down to the Metro teams, in tip-top conditioning come season 2010.

From the Waverley Hockey Club to the Shrine in the city, the numerous locations of the sessions have kept a freshness about the sessions as well as adding in different ‘terrain’ challenges that the boys have to conquer in order to complete the sessions.

Whilst the sessions have been physically and mentally challenging, it has been fantastic to see the numbers that have been consistently rolling up each week and the enthusiasm that each individual brings to training.  Each session has seen every team throughout the club represented which has been great for building camaraderie throughout the unit, something that we’ve let slip over the past few years.  The way the entire group is pushing each other to get through the ‘tough’ parts of the session has been great to see. The high 5’s and pats on the back irrespective of who you are and what grade you’re playing has seen everyone come together as one.

With a couple of weeks leading up to Christmas the boys are keen to continue finish the year on a good note, pushing themselves to the limit.

If you want to come down to any session, everyone is welcome irrespective of your ability. Each session is designed to challenge you at the level that you are currently at irrespective if it is your first or 10th session, all welcome.   Just send me an email (tnbrooks@gmail.com) and I’ll pass on the info so that you know when and where to be to join in the sessions.

Cheers

Brooksy

Consequent to Brett’s decision the chase was on in earnest to secure the right people to continue Brett’s work and guide the future of the senior unit.  After much searching, including speaking to past legends of the club and others, Waverley has appointed Zac Hawes as the Mens SL1 coach.  Zac brings a solid background as a player at the AHL, State and SL1 club levels and much experience in personal coaching and development. He is the current Victorian U21 Mens coach: his coaching performance at the recent U21 Australian championships where the group finished 2nd, was duly noted.  We see his ability to develop youth and manage senior players as critical to his appointment to the role.  It can also be said he has been seen as somewhat a nemesis to opposition clubs.  Waverley sees this as a good fit to its culture.

In conjunction with Zac’s appointment Waverley have also secured former State and SL1 player, Adrian Kucyk as Pennant A coach and former Waverley player Stephen James as U17 Boys coach. Adrian brings a hard edged passion to the sport with much experience at the elite levels.  The combination of Zac and Adrian will consolidate the senior group and provide opportunity for players young and old to develop and be challenged in their hockey.   Stephen James is a hard task master who expects much of younger players as they seek to develop and make the transition in to senior hockey.

As if the appointment of quality coaches were not enough, Waverley Mens Unit is excited that former Australian player and Athens Gold Medalist Travis Brooks will return to play for the Panthers in 2010.  Travis’ exquisent hockey skills and innate coaching ability will complete the coaching  triumvirate and playing resurgence of the club.  Continuing on from the solid foundation started by Brett, he will help guide, develop and mentor younger players around the club to ensure the strength of the club will continue for years to come.

Go the Panthers

Greensborough handed the Panthers their departure ticket on Sunday with a 6 nil drumming at the State Hockey Centre in front of a large crowd, to end a great season in disappointing style.

After a promising season the Panthers were able to finish third and carried high hopes entering the finals. However, a well-versed Burra jumped the Panthers from the outset with an early goal leaving Waverley in a state of shell-shock.

Waverley courageously sought to fight back in the second half to reclaim the three goal deficit. However, the Panthers were unable to buy a goal on the day whilst Greensborough continued its march. Three goals in each half were more than enough to plummet the Panthers out of the finals race for 2009.

The season of 2009 has been exceedingly successful for a team who is looking to rebuild the invincible dynasty of old. The not so distant future looks bright with several young guns stepping up and becoming dominate within the team and Victorian hockey – whilst the older crew continues to provide invaluable experience and knowledge to an exciting lineup.

Finals would not have been possible without the efforts of Coach Brett Thompson whose experience has proved invaluable.Thanks must also go to Trav Brooks for ’specialist coaching’ throughout the year as well as Helen Joseph and Ken Moore for contributing their time and expertise to the team – the boys are forever thankful.

Great season boys.

Congratulations to the Pennant E boys who won their qualifying final 1-0 against Doncaster to catapult them straight into the Grand Final. This team has had considerable success over the previous years and will be looking to continue this in 2009. We will be down there supporting in 2 weeks!

Goals:

Team: Scott, Greaves, Glasscock, Brennan, Freeman, Thompson, Jarvis, Joseph, Preston, Wischusen, Mutimer, Young, Swindells, Dallimore, Fooks and Moore.

Please head down where possible

Saturday 12.15pm Mens Metro 2 East  V  Hawthorn at Hawthorn 1

Saturday 2.00pm   Mens PE  V Doncaster at Waverley

Saturday 3.45 pm Mens Metro 3 East V MCC at MHS

Saturday 5.30pm Mens PA V Doncaster at S1

Sunday 2.30pm Mens State League 1 V Greensborough at S1

Round 18 progressed smoothly with the Panthers registering a comfortable win over relegation bound TEM at Hawthorn – The overall winner on the day was the Breast Cancer Awareness effort that was organized by TEM’s which was a sterling success with a large crowd turning out to support the initiative.

The match opened with an intense pace as each side pressed for that initial goal. After a 20 minute stale mate the Panther were finally able to convert through ‘old pro’ Wes Moore who burrowed the ball into the backboard from a well timed cross, his first of many for the day, 1-0 to Waverley.

Shortly after the ever dangerous Timmy Wischusen took advantage of his limited space with a spinning shot from the right finding the sideboard to register the scoreboard at 2-0 for the Panthers. The score remained at 2-0 thanks to some stern defending from Geoff Greaves and Jarrod Glasscock who was able to save a dragflick on the line late in the half.

With all going smoothly the Panther relaxed entering the second half and were punished when TEM’s Adam Seccull found the net with a dragflick from the penalty corner, 2-1. This strike roused the Panthers from their slumber who hit back promptly to snuff out any revival.

This assault was spearheaded by the ‘old brigade’ Wes Moore who found red-hot form with two goals to put the match beyond doubt. His second goal was extremely pleasing to the crowd after he stripped TEM’s Brenton Perry of the ball and continued a one-two combination with Sparrow Swindells through the middle to finally beat the TEM’s keeper placing the ball firmly into the goal, 3-1.

The final goal proved to be methodical for the Panthers with a run along the base line being fired across the goalmouth into the lap of Wes Moore who made no mistake. At the final whistle the scoreline stood at 4-1 to the Panthers – Wes with a hat-trick.

After a successful 18 rounds the Waverley Panthers sit firmly in third position and are now preparing for the finals. We will meet Greensborough in a cut-throat finals elimination round on Sunday starting at 2:30PM at the State Hockey Centre (S-1).

If there was ever a time to jump on the wagon and support the club it is now, all support on the day will be much appreciated and will certainly be a great occasion in our 50th year celebrations.

Further congratulations to all the Waverley teams who have made finals, especially to the Pennant E boys who were minor premiers in 2009 and will be justly promoted next season. Please support your club by getting out to as many games as you can!

Sorry for the late post – Off to the finals!

Goals: Wischusen & Moore (3)

The Skin Institute “Player of the Match”: Wes Moore

Team: Greaves, Glasscock, Brennan, Freeman, Thompson, Jarvis, Joseph, Preston, Wischusen, Mutimer, Young, Swindells and Moore.

Show your  support for the club at the games in our 50th year celebrations!

Saturday 12.15pm Mens Metro 2 East  V  Hawthorn at Hawthorn 1

Saturday 2.00pm   Mens PE  V Doncaster at Waverley

Saturday 3.45 pm Mens Metro 3 East V MCC at MHS

Saturday 5.30pm Mens PA V Doncaster at S1

Sunday 2.30pm Mens State League 1 V Greensborough at S1

The Waverley Hockey Club, in it’s 50th Year Celebrations, would like to extend and invitation to all past, present and future members for the annual Senior Presentation night.

The details are as follows:

When: Friday 30th October, 7pm
Where: Merrimu Receptions – 1300 Dandenong Road, Clayton.
Why: A great night of entertainment at the end of the season to celebrate the clubs achievements.
Who: See Rach Sheppard or Jess Collins for enquiries / payment options.
Rach – 0439 360 922
Jess – 0400 546 840

Tickets – $80 each.

2009 Senior Presentation Night Form

More details will be posted shortly. Put the date in your diaries!

The Panthers stamped their authority on the State League 1 competition with a stirring win against top of the table Doncaster at the State Hockey Centre. The win ensures that Waverley will be part of the finals race in 2009 as well as retaining third spot on the ladder with one round left in the regular season.

Both teams found themselves with dangerous opportunities early in the match. However, it was the Panthers who were able to capitalize first whilst displaying their familiar attacking flair.

The unrelenting pressure imposed by Simon Preston was rewarded when he was able to strip Olympian Andrew Smith of the ball – he continued his characteristic run down the right wing and delivered a inch perfect pass to Sparrow who crashed the ball into the goal for a one nil lead, Waverley 1-0.

A lapse of concentration and discipline shortly after saw the Panthers reduced to nine men for a 10 minutes. This period proved to be very hard-fought as Waverley persistently repelled Doncasters’ attempts to draw back the scoreline. The Blue Boys defended solidly until the team was returned to full strength and continued this drive until half time where the score remained at 1-0.

Doncaster entered the second half with fire in their belly and quickly leveled the scores within the first five minutes from a deflection, 1-1. The Panthers awoke from their half-time slumber and an arm wrestle followed with the game in a state of suspense. The deadlock was broken by the hard working Tim Wischusen who was able to slide the ball past the keeper during a goal mouth scramble, 2-1.

Just as Waverley were beginning to take control it came crashing down with another professional foul seeing the Panthers down a man. During this time Doncaster bought themselves another goal with a desperate diving deflection finding the corner from a cross, 2-2.

With less than five minutes on the clock the Panthers reapplied its aggressive style of play and found themselves with a well constructed chain of passes ending with a short corner. Steve Jarvis took the reigns and found the back of the net with a well-timed dragflick, to continue his cracking form of late, to put Waverley in the drivers seat with a 3-2 scoreline.

The last two minutes proved frantic with Doncaster having nothing to lose. Waverley maintained its composure and iced the clock to ensure the three points at the end of the day with a 3-2 win at the final whistle.

Waverley will be looking to hit its straps against relegation bound TEM’s next week in preparation for finals and to finish third. The game starts at 3:30PM on Saturday at Hawthorn (H-1).

Goals: Swindells, Wischusen & Jarvis

The Skin Institute “Player of the Match”: Luke Young

Team: Greaves, Glasscock, Brennan, Freeman, Thompson, Jarvis, Joseph, Preston, Wischusen, Mutimer, Young, Swindells and Moore.

Round 17 Kid Quiz – Name the Gold Olympic Medallist that was ballboy on the weekend?

The Panthers escaped with a well fought win on Sunday against a resurgent Essendon outfit. The Essendon home ground has been a fortress of late with a string of high profile scalps – the Panthers approached knowing full well that it would be a scrappy event at Essendon, fueled by the bad blood held from the round 7 clash as well as the torrential rain leading up to the game.

The Panthers launched themselves into the match and exposed the shaky Essendon defence with two early attempts at goal which flew painfully wide of either post. The ascendancy of the panthers continued with numerous shots being supplied by Wes Moore’s and Simon Preston’s piercing runs along the wings.

Disappointingly, against the flow of play, Essendon were able to produce a short corner and finished a variation into the bottom left corner to begin the scoring, 0-1 to Essendon. The pace intensified and so did the amount of unnecessary turnovers that marred the match.

The Panthers quickly regrouped and were justly rewarded after Simon Preston delivered a dangerous pass to Sparrow Swindells who found the back of the net with a neat deflection to level the scores at one a piece, 1-1.

Essendon refused to lay down and were awarded a penalty corner after a quick breakaway. The Waverley crowd were relieved when the low flick variation to the left deflected off the left post and was promptly cleared out of the circle.

The old brigade struck gold again when a dismal Essendon effort to clear the ball found a diving Wes Moore who slotted a blistering shot to the right sideboard of the goal -  Panthers went into the half time break with a 2-1 lead.

A 2-1 scoreline is renowned for being a dangerous position for a leading team and Waverley knew the perils if they did not score the next goal. However, a desperate Essendon claimed a goal from the top of the circle which was later disallowed for being hit outside – luckily for the Panthers.

Both teams had their chances to take the game by the scruff of the neck yet neither were able to produce any further scoreboard pressure. The end score remaining at 2-1 with Waverley leaving with the chocolates.

Waverley (3rd) will need to regain its composure in lead-up to the match against first placed Doncaster and will be a telling game in the race for a finals berth. The game starts at 2:15PM on Saturday at State Hockey Centre (S-2).

Goals: Swindells & Moore

The Skin Institute “Player of the Match”: Tommy Scott

Team: Scott, Glasscock, Brennan, Freeman, Thompson, Jarvis, Joseph, Preston, Wischusen, Mutimer, Young, Swindells and Moore.

The Panthers fell victim to an always dangerous Altona on the weekend at Ashwood Reserve. The match reminded everyone of the evenness in the State League One competition and the ability of any team being able to win on the day.

Waverley’s intensity from the outset was a highlight in a high-paced and passionate game against a ‘shin-boner’ Altona. Yet an inability to find the back of the net was a telling blow to the outcome of the match for the Panthers.

Within the first ten minutes of the match the Panthers had conjured up three penalty corners and several goal scoring positions that went begging time and time again. Waverley constantly pressed its agenda on the desperate Altona who repelled a barrage of offensive runs.

A controlling and frustrated Waverley held majority of play but were unable to convert which left the game in limbo with both teams heading into the half time break 0-0.

The start of the second half saw the level of play lift a notch as the teams fought for the points. With the increase in pace came a renewed sense of urgency resulting in a number of corners which just fell wide or were saved by the Altona keeper who was on fire.

The Waverley crowd were silenced in the 20th minute of the second half with Altona scoring an opportunistic straight shot goal resultant of an earlier turnover, 0-1 to Altona. Shortly after an Altona player spent time behind the net for a string of errant tackles, yet the Panthers failed to capitalize on the vulnerable Altona team.

It was not to be the Panthers day with a flurry of offensive activity in the last ten minutes being unsuccessful and Altona running out eventual winners with the one goal on the board.

Waverley maintains third spot but has missed a vital opportunity to gain ground for the top two spot. Waverley must now travel to meet Essendon who are fighting to stay out of relegation. The game starts at 2:00PM on Sunday at Essendon (ES1).

Goals: 0

The Skin Institute “Player of the Match”: Steve Jarvis

Team: Scott, Glasscock, Brennan, Freeman, Thompson, Jarvis, Joseph, Preston, Wischusen, Dallimore, Young, Swindells and Moore.