AFTER winging his way to South Africa last week, Tamworth hockey product Jeremy Blakely will hit the pitch in the green and gold for the first time today.
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The Australian All Schools side play the Western Province Schoolboys Invitation XI (Team 1) in the first of three hit-outs leading up to their three-Test series against the South African U18s.
Speaking to The Leader before he departed, the Year 11 Calrossy student was abuzz with anticipation.
“I’m very excited,” he said.
It’s been a long wait to board the plan for the 17-year old. Almost a year, with the squad named following the All Schools Nationals in Perth in August.
Blakely’s NSW side picked up the silver medal after blitzing the competition but stumbling in the final.
That disappointment though soon turned to joy for Blakely in the form of a trip to South Africa.
It was a “fair consolation”.
It is his biggest representative coup.
He’s made a few development teams in the past but nothing on this scale.
A midfielder or back, he said the set-up and positions are very different.
They play a three, four, three system, the four being the midfield.
“I’ll either play in the midfield or one of the backs,” he said.
In preparation, he’s been doing a lot of training with the Athlete Acceleration Program (AAP) squad.
“It’s been really good,” he said.
He’s one of seven NSW players in the Aussie squad.
The remainder come from Western Australia, Queensland, Victoria and South Australia.
They’ve got another game against the Western Province schoolboys (Team 2) tomorrow, then next Saturday the Kwazulu-Natal Men’s Invitation XI in Durban.
They then move onto Pretoria for the Tests, which they’ll play over three consecutive days.
From reports from past tourists, Blakely has a bit of an idea of what they’re in for.
“Apparently they’re pretty fast,” he said.
They’re also mostly a year older and very physical.
The hockey though isn’t the part he’s really excited about.
“I just want to see another country,” he said.
“The hockey is a bonus.”
He was quick to answer what the highlight is going to be – the game parks.
He leaves with his South United side travelling along well and coming off a six-goal shut-out of Tudor Wests last week.
“Now I think we’re tied for second on the ladder, which is a big step from not winning last year,” Blakely said.
They’ll be tested in next Sunday’s round though, with Blakely, Will Turner and Harper Galvin all away on representative duties.
