HAMILTON siblings, Evie and Tom Templeton, have continued to put the south-west on the map, both returning from the School Sports Australia (SSA) National Hockey Championships in Queensland with medals in hand.

It came as no surprise when the siblings secured selection earlier this year to represent Victoria, with 14-year-old Tom having already competed in Victorian Under-13 and Under-15 teams previously, while 12-year-old Evie returned for her second year in the Under 12 Girls state team.

With Evie being selected in early March, she has become used to weekly drives to Melbourne to train with her team.

This, whilst balancing College’s Division Four team, Coleraine’s Division One and Footscray Hockey Club’s Under-14 Girls Shield, kept her busy before heading to Cairns last month to compete in the SSA National Hockey Championships.

In Cairns, she battled against six other state and territory teams across the six-day event, along with her Victorian team with six returning players hungry for a medal after last year’s fourth-placed finish in Hobart.

Undefeated for the entirety of the tournament, Evie’s team not only finished first on the podium but also made history being the first SSA Hockey Under-12 Girls Victorian team to claim gold.

Evie said the highlight of the tournament was “definitely winning”.

“Yeah, that was very exciting - to make history,” she said.

“But I also had good tackling and good passing.

“Some of the teams were very hard, but we still won.”

Also grabbing the chance to escape the winter cold was older brother, Tom who travelled to the Gold Coast in late July to also compete for Victoria in the SSA National Hockey Championships.

The 14-year-old, who plays in the Men’s Division One for College and Men's Premier League Reserves for Footscray Hockey Club, completed three selection trainings before being selected in the Under-15 Victorian team.  

Victoria’s close two losses on the Gold Coast saw Tom, as vice-captain, lead his team to claim third place, his second of the year after securing bronze in the Hockey Australia Under-16 Boys Championships in April.

“I think we all played well,” he said.

“I played full back or centre half throughout the tournament, I thought some games I probably could have played a bit better, but everyone has good games and bad games.”

“The competition was quite strong, especially in New South Wales and Queensland (teams), we came out with a draw against Queensland so that was good.”

The Victorian team eventually fell to the New South Wales team, who claimed gold, and silver-medallists Queensland, but took a strong fight out against Western Australia to ensure they left with a medal around their neck.

“Beating WA was pretty good in the bronze (medal match), after we lost to them (previously) in the pool match by a goal,” Tom said. 

“The first game drawing to Queensland was also quite good, they were quite tough, they had some good players.”

Having been previously appointed vice-captain of the Under-13 Boys team at the Hockey Australia Carnival, Tom said being vice-captain again on the Gold Coast helped develop his leadership skills.

“It was good to help out the younger kids and guide them a bit,” he said.

“Next year, I hope to make the Under-15 team again and after that, see if I can make an Under-18 team- that would be amazing.”

While still young, the Templeton siblings both have long-term goals planned for their sporting careers.

“I hope to make academy (Hockey Victora’s Academy Program) next year, I would be bottom age for that, and then go to the Olympics after 2032,” Evie said.

“That’s definitely what I would like to do, play for Australia,” Tom said.