Dana Constable (middle) , Kimberley Resch (right) and Sarah Parker (left) zero in on the ball during Sunday’s grand final. Constable was afterwards acknowledged as the best player in the competition. Photo: Geoff O’Neill 160912GOA06
DANA Constable has consistently emphasised her huge talent over the season and now she’s got the trophy to show for it.
Constable was a big part of Telstra Store Olympians making the Tamworth women’s first grade grand final and was recognised as the competition’s best and fairest.
She polled 23 points to finish ahead of team-mate Alice Arnott and Services’ Kate Perrett on 18 and Services’ Tracy Donnelly on 17.
It was an unexpected honour and one Constable was “pretty happy” to receive.
She was also adjudged the Tamworth womens’ representative player of the year.
Constable was one of Olympians’ best in their 4-2 grand final loss to Flames on Sunday.
“I think our nerves got the better of us,” Constable said.
“We’re a young team.”
After Flames’ initial onslaught they really challenged the defending champions.
They played some good hockey, as they have done for the past four or five weeks.
“The game (semi-final) against Services was probably one of our best games for the season,” Constable said.
Unfortunately they couldn’t quite repeat it.
Still it was great to play in the grand final.
“It was so good,” Constable said.
Her season is far from over though. She’s off to Sydney at the end of the week for training with the Emerging Talent Squad (ETS).
Then she’s also got the Future Stars. There’ll probably be a couple of camps with that too.
The men’s best and fairest was Tudor Wests’ Sam Lobsey.
Lobsey made a huge difference to Tudors this season and also picked up 23 points.
Services Workies’ Sam Liles and South United’s Adam Straub were equal runners-up on 18 points.
Lobsey (13) also finished fourth in the goal-scoring count behind Kiwis’ Mitch Burrows with 23 for the season.
The men’s committee also handed out a special award to Liles for “achievement, dedication and sportsmanship to local and representative
hockey”.
It follows his selection in the Australian U21s men’s squad at only 17.
The presentations concluded a great weekend of grand final action that finished with Workies winning the first and second grade men’s titles and South United third grade, and Flames taking the honours in first and second grade in the women, South United Blue third grade and Waratahs in fourth grade.
The men’s second grade decider was the closest of the weekend and, even after extra-time, Workies and Tudor Wests couldn’t be split.
They were 1-all at full-time, and then 2-all after the first period of extra time.
Neither side was then able to find the back of the net in the extra 10 minutes of extra time.
Workies claimed the silverware by virtue of their minor premiership.
They were chasing titles in all three grades but missed out on third grade, with South United proving too strong.
Will Turner starred with three goals and Garry Littlejohns a double as they beat Workies 7-1.
South also took the spoils in the women’s third grade competition, with the Blue triumphing over their Red clubmates 3-nil to complete an undefeated season.
In fourth grade, Waratahs turned the tables on Olympians from the major semi-final two weeks ago with a 6-1 win, while Flames’ seconds preceded first grade’s win with a 2-nil result.