The day many thought would never come dawned on Saturday only to add another bizarre chapter in Highlands hockey’s quest for a synthetic pitch.
After 20 years of disappointment and broken promises, the stage was finally set for the first association match on the water-based surface at Frensham.
But just minutes before the Mittagong Lions first grade men’s team was to run on, their Goulburn based opponents forfeited the match.
A dejected Lions captain Graeme Isedale echoed the sentiments of his whole team following the forfeit.
“It’s extremely disappointing to turn up for the very first game and not be able to play,” he said.
“This was a first for the Highlands and to be the first home side to play on the pitch had everyone excited.”
The concept of a synthetic pitch was first proposed in 1980 but it took two decades and a host of false starts until the saga of the pitch was finally put to rest.
“It’s been a long time coming but it’s definitely worth the wait to now have such a quality pitch,” Isedale said.
“A lot of us aren’t used to this sort of pitch but it’s bound to lift the standard of hockey locally.”
Isedale’s teammate Ben Goulder sees the recent investment into the new hockey pitch as a great thing for Highland’s hockey players.
Having played for the Mittagong hockey team for about 20 years, Goulder has seen the ‘wheels turn’ in the Highlands hockey environment.
“I grew up around the hockey field and so the commitment to the game came from there,” Goulder said.
Having such a pedigree is not unique to Goulder, for he points out that hockey has always had great popularity in the Highlands.
“I believe that the popularity of hockey in the Highlands has a lot to do with the even spread of talent over the entire competition,” Goulder said.
The strong competition is reflected in the tight table tally that hold’s Mittagong on top by a mere two points Goulder pointed out.
“Or maybe the strength of hockey support comes from the consistent quality facilities that have been provided throughout the Southern Highlands,” Goulder said with a touch of irony.
Despite the lack of facilities in the past, Goulder was very pleased with the new pitch.
“All I can see is that it is a magic surface,” Goulder said.
Whether or not this new pitch marks a turning point in Highland’s hockey may still be held in contention, but according to Goulder Mittagong can only be further encouraged in their pursuit of victory.
Goulder pointed out that Mittagong has won six of the last nine hockey finals, so their pursuit of a final’s victory is certainly no pipe dream.
“The team has been guilty of laying down a little in the past, but the all boys are motivated to maintain their present standing at the top of the table,” Goulder said.
Goulder believes that this success of the Mittagong hockey side goes far beyond the synthetic pitch.
“In the last decade the team has been a group of mates not a bunch of players, so when the nucleus revolves around this kind of friendship then we stand to have greater success,” Goulder said.
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