WA takes gold in successful Championship run

As teams now embark on their journey home, the WA gold men's side getting on the plane with a little extra baggage, a shiny gold medal around their necks.

Patrick Andrew's score in the final eight minutes of the grand final of the 2022 under-18 Australian Championships securing the side the ultimate prize.

The young gun was also able to score two others, bagging a hat-trick in the final game of the tournament.

Ian Grobbelaar was able to net a brace early, two goals scored in the first eight minutes of play putting WA ahead in the early stages of the match.

The goals may have put WA on the scoreboard, but it was a team effort that got the side the 5-4 win.

Coach Tim Geers says the side got the job done, by knuckling down, grinding the game out and putting on a strong team performance.

"We knew we had the answers to everything NSW would throw at us, and I suspected they would be nervous facing WA," he says.

"We knew if we won enough penalty corners we would win the game and we started very strongly which set us up for the rest of the game.

"What I admire most though was our ability to hit back and respond every time NSW came back.

"The fact we won 5-4 and never trailed shows how strong our character is and it was fantastic to see some players produce their best performance of the tournament in the biggest games of their careers."

After a strong start to the tournament followed by a 2-2 draw with the NSW Blues side, the WA Gold men had an emphatic 10-0 win over Northern Territory, putting them in the box seat for the title.

Geers says he couldn't be more proud of not only the finals effort, but the entire tournament.

"I'm extremely proud of our ability to perform at such a high level consistently over the course of the tournament in such challenging conditions," he says.

"We were able to adapt and overcome all challenges thrown our way, which is testament to the character of our group.

"To go through a tournament undefeated is an exceptional achievement.

"An unbeaten run for the men in Cairns saw five wins and a two-all draw, a gold-standard performance that can't be ignored."

It's the third consecutive year the side has made the finals, a promising feat for the future.

Six of this year's players will remain in next year's side, providing leadership for the incoming stars.

It also means the other squad players will now push through to an under-21 and Perth Thundersticks level.

When it came to who performed best, Geers reassured it was a team effort, but there were a few standouts.

"Big players stand up in big moments in big games," he says.

"Pat Andrew in my opinion was the Player of the Tournament, while Ian Grobbelaar performed exceptionally well and showed enormous maturity.

"Jack Faulkner was the work horse of the team and deservedly won best on ground in a gold medal match, and it was fantastic to see some of the younger guys like Blake Murdoch stand up as an integral part of our group.

"With that said, all 18 players played in every game and contributed in different ways.

"Every player had a different role and it's because they performed those roles that we take home a Gold medal."

It was a unique preparation for the side, with a number of factors disrupting a normal pre-competition training block.

"I felt a bit under prepared leading into the tournament due to an interrupted campaign owing to Covid and the Ric Charlesworth Classic," Geers says.

"You never quite know what you're up against until you get to the tournament but I was confident in the group we had, and the more we played, the more we improved so heading into the finals I knew if we executed our different game plans we would be very hard to beat."

The competition itself was difficult, however the Far North Queensland conditions made it difficult for a group of WA men who are blessed with fairly mild weather in Perth.

Geers says it was probably one of the biggest challenges for the group throughout the Championships.

"It's hard enough playing seven games in 10 days, let alone doing it in 32 degree heat and 75% humidity after travelling the furthest of any team," he says.

"However, as we say in our group, the conditions are always perfect and that was our mindset in every game."

As for the side, they now get a rest before gearing up for a red-hot season of Premier League hockey.

In what is one of the world's best domestic competitions, these boys will be able to bring a new bank of knowledge, skills and enthusiasm into their respective sides, as many of them now begin a push for Hockey One selection.

In other results, the under-18 men's black side also showed great strength and resilience, coming out sixth on the standings.

Fletcher Wetherell was a standout for the team, scoring a whopping six goals, the only player in his side to score more than once throughout the tournament.

In the under-18 women, the gold side narrowly missed out on a bronze medal after Tasmania defeat them 3-2 in the final.

Jess Freedman found six goals for herself, with Megan Mccaffrey with five for herself.

The side had strong wins in the opening matches of the tournament, 8-2 in the opener against ACT and 7-2 over South Australia.

WA black was 10th in the standings, Shelby Rumens, Seraphina Andrew, Harper Newnham and Ivy Foster all scoring a goal apiece.

In the under-15 boys, WA gold missed out on the gold medal in the final, however get to bring home the silver medals for a fantastic effort.

The side was able to get four wins and a draw from their pool matches, before defeating New South Wales Lions 3-0 in the semi-final to make it through to the big dance.

In the same competition, the black team put on a valiant performance, defeating NT 5-1 in one of the pool games.

The under-15 gold girls will come home with silver medals after an outstanding tournament.

After finishing top of their pool, the side remained undefeated throughout the tournament, however the Queensland Maroons proved too strong.

Lauren Healey and Ava Fraser-Edwards both scored a huge six goals each, followed by Georgia Hiskins with four.

The WA black side started well with two 1-1 draws against SA and Vic Development, followed by another against ACT later in the matches.

After an exciting shootout semi final four, the girls finished eighth after play-off matches.

For a full list of matches, scorers and athletes throughout the tournament, please click here.