Tamworth’s Aleasha Brown and Fiddi Witts are enjoying something of a hockey renaissance.
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The pair will suit up for NSW at the Australian Women’s Masters Championships, which get underway in Bunbury and Busselton on Friday.
For both it will be a first, and for Brown a homecoming of sorts.
“I’m born and bred over there (Western Australia).
“I’m going to play for NSW in my home state,” she said.
She will play for the over-40s and Witts the over-50s.
“I’m very excited,” Witts said.
It will be the first time she has represented at such a major tournament.
“Gail (Salter) encouraged me to go along to the trials.
“I’d thought about it for a couple of years but I thought this year I’m fitter than I usually would be,” she said.
She was happy with how she trialed knowing that she “pushed myself hard” but was still was “very happy and surprised to be selected”.
Brown played for the Tasmanian 35s at last year’s championships, that taste motivating her to crack the NSW team.
“I wanted the blue,” she said.
“I felt I trialed really well.”
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Last year was a whole new experience for her. Going in this year she knows what to expect.
“It’s pretty competitive.
“(But) I think we’ve put the training in,” she said.
Both played for Olympians this season and have been doing extra training sessions on Saturday mornings, and Sunday either morning or afternoon, as well as attending Olympians coach Andrew Farmilo’s Tuesday fitness sessions.
For Brown it’s been a matter of fitting in “little bits and pieces” around her work.
Working out at the mines in Boggabri she gets up at 3am in the morning and might not get back to Tamworth until 7.30pm.
The 40s will be looking to defend the title which Flames’ Naomi Spark helped them win last year.
Brown will play as a striker and is also the back-up goalkeeper. Witts will also feature up front.
This is her second hockey wind so to speak.
She had 26 years away from the sport, picking up a stick again six years ago after being “convinced” to play again by her daughter Steph Cadby’s team-mates.
“I love it,” Witts said.
Her 50s side will be chasing what has been a bit of an elusive gold in recent years.
They won bronze last year and silver the previous year.
“It’s going to be a big learning curve. I expect some good hard hockey when it comes to game time,” she said.
They aren’t the only Tamworth talent pulling on the blue.
James Haling, Garry Littlejohns, Warren Philpott, Mal Turner, Steve Littlejohns, Paul Topfer, Doug Truman and Tamworth ex-pats Robbie Campbell, Adam Bannister and Matt Lobsey are currently playing in the men’s masters nationals at Lismore and Ballina.
Campbell is in the NSW over-35s, Lobsey and Bannister the 40s 1s, Haling the 40s 3s, [Garry] Littlejohns the 45s 2s, Phillpott, Turner and [Steve] Littlejohns the 50s 2s, Topfer the 55s and Truman the over 70s.
The 45s have been travelling along well and have guaranteed themselves a spot in Sunday’s final after recording three wins and a draw from their opening four games.