Launceston City’s C-Jay Denman is the only Northern hockey player to be selected in the state under-15 team to compete at this year’s national championships.
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The 15-year-old, Prospect High year nine student plays full-back and is heading away to the tournament in Sydney on April 4.
“I’ve been playing for Launceston City since I’ve been living here for the past two years but before that I played with the Mines Hockey Club in Western Australia,” C-Jay said.
Two players from the North-West have also been picked in the state team with the rest of the contingent made up of players from the South.
“They held three state team trials which I went to with two in Hobart and one up here,” C-Jay said.
“I know most of the other boys in the team because I played in the state under-13 team with them a couple of years ago.
“We went to Darwin that year and I was the only Northern player in that team too.
“We went alright in those championships but we finished towards the bottom of the ladder but it was a good experience.”
C-Jay has recently returned from representing in the state under-15 team that went to national indoor hockey championships in Wollongong.
“I’m looking forward to going to Liverpool in Sydney for ten days,” he said.
“The competition will be tough but we will give it a go.
“The quality is just more intense and playing against other states and stronger teams is good.”
C-Jay played under-14 hockey for Launceston City last season but club coach Jeremy Stebbings is keen for the talented teenager to step up and play in the club’s Greater Northern men’s team this season.
A keen cricketer with Hadspen during the summer months, C-Jay said hockey was his main sport.
He intends to try out for the state under-16 team as well and would love to attend the Pan-Pacific Games in Adelaide this year.
“Maybe in a couple of years time I might look at going down to Hobart to play in that competition which is a bit stronger and then go from there.
“It would be good to get into a state men’s team one day and play with the Tassie Tigers in the Australian Hockey League.”
C-JAY’S RECORD
- State under-13 hockey representative 2015 (Darwin)
- State under-15 hockey representative 2017 (Liverpool, Sydney)
- State under-15 Indoor hockey representative 2017 (Wollongong)