Dubbo hockey stars Tracey Hardie-Jones and Deb Brown face long hours on the road this season as they prepare for a return to the Central West Premier League.
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It’s been two years since the Dubbo Blue Jays folded, bowing out of the Premier League just months after the Dubbo Lions pulled out of the men’s competition.
Hardie-Jones and Brown have been picked up by Lithgow side Zig Zag in a move that will no doubt bolster the 2018 wooden spooners’ ranks.
Hardie-Jones said the move would also be good for the Dubbo pair’s hockey, and “for getting selected into the state sides”.
But she ultimately hopes to see the Blue Jays return one day.
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“I’d love to see the Blue Jays come back,” she said.
“The talent that actually comes out of Dubbo with our younger players, it’s a real shame that we haven’t got anywhere for them to go to play together.”
The key?
“Just trying to build our numbers,” she said, in order to support a representative side travelling up to 250 kilometres to play.
“There’s a lot of different sports in Dubbo. I think we clash with a lot of other sports but we’re really trying this year to give cheap registration for kids,” Hardie-Jones said.
“We’re doing a lot of work over at Pioneer Park putting in new sound equipment, new scoreboards, modernising it so it looks more appealing.
“New turf has been laid … it’s 100 per cent better to play on so I think we can only go up and up.”
The club has already started hosting free come and try days, with season fees for juniors starting at just $38.
Australian Masters World Cup representative Helen McGee urged new players to join a come and try session at Pioneer Park from 11.30am on Saturday February 23, March 2, March 9 and March 16.
“Those that have never picked up a stick before can come and have a play around and see what it’s like, fall in love with the game and one day too represent NSW and Australia!”