Dubbo’s standing as a hotbed of junior hockey talent shows no sign of letting up with two local youngsters chosen to play for NSW at this year’s Under-13 Girls Australian National Championships at Perth.
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Kenzie MacFarlane and Ellie Purtell both learnt of their selection last week, prompting much excitement and even tears.
The duo will head to Perth in September and both are shaping as key players with MacFarlane to wear the padding in goals while Purtell, who lives in Narromine but plays at Dubbo, is expected to line up in midfield or as a striker.
“It was a bit of a shock but we’re a very excited household,” Kenzie’s mother Joanna said of the selection.
“It’s been Kenzie’s top goal this year, she’s always been selected in Dubbo and Western teams but this is the highest she’s made and first time for NSW.”
Simone Purtell, mother of Ellie, described the selection as a “very big achievement” and came as just rewards for her hockey-mad daughter.
“My daughter is obsessed with hockey,” she said.
“This year alone she is in seven different teams and we live in Narromine and travel over the Dubbo on Mondays, Wednesdays, Thursdays, Saturdays and Sundays if there’s any extra training so she’s obsessed with it but truly loves it and loves her team here in Dubbo and the representative side as well.
The duo started their representative journey this year with selection in the Dubbo team that competed at the State Championships earlier this year.
They both impressed there and earned selection in a state training squad of 45 players that had to travel for Narellan for a clinic.
That training session was held under the watchful eye of five selectors and all the performances of both Dubbo juniors caught their eye.
MacFarlane and Purtell had to endue a nervy couple of days after the trip to Narellan while the selectors made up their mind but Ellie’s mother said the good news eventually came through.
“She found at school two days later when they emailed the team out and she cried, was very excited and was over the moon,” she said.
The Dubbo duo were selected in the NSW Blue side, one of two state sides which will compete at Perth.
MacFarlane and Purtell will be joined in the state side by a host of Sydney-based players as well as youngsters from Lithgow, Tamworth and Goulburn.
Fellow Western product Phoebe Litchfield, based in Orange, was selected in the other state side.
NSW has a proud record at the National Championships and won the grand final last year to finish as champions.
“We have to win because they won last year,” Purtell said.
“They’re a very strong side and very competitive so hopefully they can come home with a win.”
The selection of the local duo continues Dubbo’s proud record when it comes to junior representative sides and both MacFarlane and Purtell said a lot of that comes down to the quality of coaching, with Kate Nolan in particular a big help locally.
“We’ve had a lot of support and Kenzie started playing when she was about nine and there’s always been someone there to help,” MacFarlane said.
MacFarlane and Purtell will be in camp with the NSW Blue side for 10 days, with the National Championships being played out from September 29 to October 89 at Perth.