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Subscriber only BEING one of six Hancocks players in line for Queensland Country duty, Abby Eleison was glowing with pride. The fearless defender has been chosen for the first time to represent Queensland at the Australian Country Championships in Albany from August 7-14. She was selected along with Hancocks teammate Natalie Davison. Long-serving Hancocks and Ipswich A-Grade captain Sara Rogers was added as a shadow player with Wests talent Jess Wilkinson also on standby. Hancocks trio Sam Morgan, Jay Pavitt and Jackson Willie were chosen in the Queensland Country men s side competing at the same tournament in Western Australia.
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Subscriber only AS a premiership-winning A-Grade captain, Sam Morgan is used to high intensity hockey and pressure situations. However, the Thistles women s first grade mentor concedes his new role requires a different level of anticipation. It s a lot more stressful because you want to get out there, help out the team but you can t as much, Morgan said. That situation is enhanced for Morgan taking over the coaching role from Hancocks teammate Jay Pavitt, who guided Thistles to last year s A-Grade grand final. I coached the Reserve Grade team last year but I got the call up this year to coach the A-Grade team after Jay had too much on this year, Morgan said.
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Subscriber only WHEN Ipswich s longest running club serving women s hockey is still growing, club officials must be doing something right. They are at Thistles Ladies Hockey Club. Led by club president Pauline Alchin and her sister Bernadette, Thistles are preparing to field a host of female teams again this year. That includes an A-Grade side keen to build on last year s success making the grand final in their first season back. Alchin is delighted to have representative player Sam Morgan taking on the A-Grade coaching role, replacing teammate Jay Pavitt. Pavitt did a terrific job bringing the Thistles players together and building a side that pushed the more established Hancocks side all the way to extra time in the grand final.