Hockey star helps out

Australian Kookaburra Jake Harvie has used a break from his sport to relocate and reconnect with the hockey community in his home town. Players from the national program, based at Curtin University in Perth, went their separate ways in March after group training and all fixtures were banned during the coronavirus pandemic and only recommenced training in the past three weeks, despite some players being stranded in the Eastern States. Harvie and his younger brother Tom, who is also in the Hockey WA program, headed back home to Dardanup. He said the unexpected extra time in the South West allowed him to give back to hockey in the region. “I have really enjoyed the time down south, I was back home for three months, but have headed back to Perth now,” he said. “It has been good to reconnect. The former Boyanup Hockey Club player led a training session at Bunbury Cathedral Grammar School last week, working with Year 7 and 8 students on fundamental passing and shooting skills. “As a young player you are always told about the people who are able to give back to the sport and I am really fortunate to have had many people play a big part in my journey,” he said. “Any chance I get to help out and coach is good.” Harvie was one of four South West products in the Perth Thundersticks squad for last year’s Hockey One League with Trent Mitton, Coby Green and Aran Zalewski. Tom, the younger of the two brothers, is in the State under-21s side and Marist product Elliot Barton has also represented WA. “I think we were very fortunate to have really good coaches and people who just really wanted to grow the game of hockey and gave up their time as volunteers to help out,” Harvie said. Harvie has played 70 games for the Kookaburras and was in the frame for Olympic selection until he was injured just before hockey was impacted by shutdowns and considers himself fortunate the games in Tokyo were eventually postponed. “I was looking to be out for about six weeks, so as far as Olympic selection goes, I was pretty lucky in some ways I could rehab and get ready,” he said. “It has been about three months of lots of fitness and running.”