PHOTO
Parkes Hockey Incorporated has revealed its All Stars teams for what will be the ultimate hockey showdown next month, all in the name of mental health.
The All Stars will showcase the very best of PHI, from masters and Premier League players to state representatives, with a few special family match-ups thrown in too.
Next Gen will take on the Legends on Friday 7 August at 6.15pm while raising awareness for mental health and funds for the Black Dog Institute.
The idea to hold a special All Stars match stemmed from a mental health round held during last year's local competition and lead organiser Heidi McPherson wanted to go bigger this year.
"Last year we held our first mental health round where everyone wore blue accessories and we set fundraising challenges for our executive," she said.
"We raised $970 for Beyond Blue, which was a great result.
"It started some really important conversations about mental health and checking in on your mates, but I felt we could make an even bigger impact."
This year they're taking it a step further with the All Stars match and they're sharing the love around by raising funds for the Black Dog Institute.
"My biggest motivation comes from my own experience. When my younger brother was sick, I saw how incredible our community was at checking in on my family," Heidi said.
"It made me realise we shouldn’t only ask someone how they’re going when something has happened. You don’t need a reason to check in on your mates."
And why an 'all stars' clash was all thanks to Heidi's time spent looking after Parkes Hockey's social media platforms.
"One of the things we regularly do is share Throwback Thursday photos," she said.
"Earlier this year, while some of our committee members were cleaning out the clubhouse, they came across even more old photos, and I was looking through them for social media.
"There were so many players I hadn’t realised were absolute stars in their day. Seeing those photos sparked the idea of bringing past and present talent together.
"I thought it would be really special for the community to see those players back on the field again while also raising awareness for an important cause."
The official team lists (see below) dropped on social media on Sunday afternoon and it's an exciting mix.
"Selecting the teams was definitely the hardest part because Parkes Hockey has produced so much talent over the years," Heidi said.
"We wanted a mix of current Premier League players, NSW and Australian representatives, Masters players and a few people we knew would really embrace the event and get behind the cause.
"One of the things I’m most excited about is that we’ll have three generations of the same family playing, which is something you don’t get to see every day."
That family being Koby and Jett, Glenn and Noel Johnstone.
ALL STARS TEAMS LISTS
NEXT GEN
1. Sienna Collins
2. Archie Daley
3. Ryan Dunford
4. Jett Johnstone
5. Koby Johnstone
6. Keeley Macfarlane
7. Nick McPherson
8. PJ McPherson
9. Ellie Parker
10. Daisy Rice
11. Tom Rix
12. Will Rix
13. Bronnie Searl
14. Meg Searl
15. Tom Searl
16. Addison Summerhayes
17. Sam Westcott
18. Connie Witherow
LEGENDS
1. Pete Amor
2. Jack Elliott
3. Jess Elliott
4. Denise Gersbach
5. Sarah Hartin
6. Ben Hawken
7. Cherie Johnstone
8. Glenn Johnstone
9. Noel Johnstone
10. Sue McGrath
11. Casey Miles
12. Dusty Powter
13. Wendy Rix
14. Jane Grosvenor
15. Graeme Tanswell
16. Amy Thornberry
17. Jock Townsend
18. Mandy Westcott
If you’d like to support this important cause, you can donate to Parkes Hockey's Black Dog Institute fundraising page using the following link. Every donation makes a difference.