Fresh from being part of a national championship gold rush with NSW, Oliver McGill is looking to strike some state title success in Sydney this week.
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The Peel High student will suit up for North West in what will be his final NSW CHS Championship campaign.
He will do so with a golden glow after his NSW State side edged out Western Australia 2-1 in the gold medal match in Launceston to cap off a great week for the various state teams with the under-15s boys and girls both winning gold at their nationals in Bathurst.
Tamworth's Makenna Barnett-Suey was part of the girls side, who also defeated Western Australia, 5-3, to make it a home championship double with the boys victorious over Tasmania 4-2.
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For McGill, the opportunity to play at the nationals was one he had been waiting over 12 months for (he was set to suit up for the Blues last year before COVID saw the respective national championships called off) and he loved every minute of it.
"It was a good experience, just being away and the hockey was really good," he said.
The best hockey he has experienced before, it has whet his appetite to keep working hard and pursuing his hockey, and hopefully get another chance to play at the nationals.
"I'm definitely looking forward to going again through 21s and further on from that," he said.
The final saw NSW turn the tables on their western counterparts having gone down 5-3 when they met during the rounds.
"We were up more for the final," McGill, who played as an attacking midfielder, said.
As they had done in their previous two games they went out in the first quarter "hard full press" and just "hit them hard from the get go".
McGill was grateful for the support of Crossfit 2340, NS Energy Solahart Tamworth and Haling Earthmoving and Transport in helping him get to the nationals.
When the Leader spoke to him, he was enjoying a few days rest down in the Apple Isle before hooking in for what will be another three days of tough hockey that will see him coming up against several of his NSW team-mates.
The North West side is in a bit of a rebuilding phase with McGill one of only three top-age players. He's not the only with state credentials though with Farrer pair Jack Marshall and Blake Scicluna also backing up from the nationals.
They played for the Blues at the 15s carnival alongside Tamworth's Eddie Bates and Hockey New England's Tom Ball, while Tamworth's Mackenzie Scott suited up for the Blues' girls.
Hockey New England's Tyler McCann and Ryan Oschadleus were meanwhile also part of the successful 18s boys side and Chelsea Thornton (HNE) the 18s girls State side.
The state carnival gets underway in Kurnell on Wednesday and will run through to Friday.
NORTH WEST: Sam Griffith, Chris Taggart, Ryan Taggart, Hayden Constable, Blake Scicluna, Jai Tanna, Sam Fox, Jack Marshall (Farrer), Elliott Clarke, Archie Clarke, Fynn Eastwood (Armidale Secondary College), Oliver McGill (Peel High), Joseph Briggs, Sam Bartlett-Taylor (Oxley High).
