ORANGE Ex-Services gun Haley Butcherine wasn’t all that interested in this year’s Premier League Hockey grand final day - and who could blame her.
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Having missed the finals for the first time since the 2007 season, a large portion of Ex-Services’ playing group had already shifted its attention to 2015 and, without an Orange-based men’s or women’s outfit in either decider at the Cooke Hockey Complex, the 17-year-old didn’t see any point in being at Bathurst last Saturday.
But all that changed when Butcherine was named the women’s PLH best and fairest, announced after the men’s grand final won 5-2 by Lithgow Panthers last weekend.
She can thank her mum for making the Bathurst pit stop.
“It was the biggest surprise,” Butcherine beamed.
“I was on my way home from Sydney and mum wanted to call in to watch (the grand finals), and I didn’t know why. The girls’ game was over anyway and I wanted to go home.
“Mum said we had to stay, and then during the presentation my name was called out.
“I was shocked as, you have no idea.”
A shining light in an otherwise bleak 2014 campaign for Servies, Butcherine dominated at both inner and striker positions this year.
The diminutive attacking force was awarded the most points during the season from umpires, scoring 13 times throughout the course of the 18 rounds of the regular season.
“I thought some of the other girls in the top teams playing well would have had it,” she said, with Abby Wilson (Panthers) and Wendy Rix (Parkes) the next best two women after Butcherine.
“And when my name was called out I was happy. It’s a really good achievement.”
Having won just four games in 18 rounds throughout 2014, Ex-Services endured a tough women’s PLH campaign but Butcherine said the absence of the likes of Kate Butcherine, Cat Ironside and Sam Hopwood hindered Servies’ shot at the title this season.
“I was a bit disappointed because usually Servies make the finals and it was a bit upsetting but we did lose a few key players. I was happy though,” she added.
“We’ll be back bigger and better next year and hopefully we can make the semis again.”
Other award winners at the end of the 2014 women’s PLH season were Lithgow Panthers’ Abby Wilson (top goal scorer) and Mahala Williams (most valuable player in the grand final) after Panthers beat Bathurst City 4-2 in the decider.