Grandmaster Vic

Illawarra Mercury

Thursday May 7, 1998

By PAUL SUTTOR

After playing hockey for more than 40 decades Jamberoo hockey player Vic East will finally make his debut for Australia next week.

Vic, who admits to being 60-something, will fly out for Europe on Saturday as part of the Australian Grandmasters three-week tour of Holland, Belgium and Germany.

The Australians will put their well-worn bodies to the test with four games in seven days in various cities before heading to the Veterans World Cup in the Dutch city of Utrecht.

Vic said he was looking forward to the challenge of playing against international opposition.

"It should be a fantastic trip," he said. "It's pretty competitive in the veterans, even though we are a little bit slower than the younger blokes.

"I've been knocked over a couple of times, we have to be on our mettle."

Vic was one of the key officials behind the formation of the Jamberoo Hockey Club 10 years ago after work commitments led him to the area.

Before the move to Jamberoo, Vic played with Dapto and said he hadn't missed a season since the late 1950s.

Last week Vic was part of the Illawarra team which made the final of the NSW Over 50s Veterans Men's Hockey Championships at Tamworth.

Unfortunately they were defeated 1-0 by Manning Vale in the decider, but it was still Illawarra's best effort at the veterans State titles.

Illawarra's Jim White was named player of the tournament and Vic, his brother Ian and Peter Cummins were named in the NSW team for the Australian championships, to be held in Perth later this year.

The East boys (who are both in their 60s) will be part of the NSW team which will be out to win its third-straight national title.