Drouin hockey player and team manager Michael 'Mick' Crawford took his talents international as he represented Australia in the Masters Hockey World Cup in Auckland last month.
Acting as team manager for the Australia A team in the over 45s, Mick helped his team to a successful tournament that saw them bring home the trophy for their division.
A hockey player for more than two decades, he had been managing state level teams for some time before he was given the call-up to head overseas. Naturally, he was happy to accept.
"I jumped at the chance. There's nothing better than doing it for your country," he said.
As team manager, Mick was in charge of looking after the team's day-to-day activities. He even got to put his skills as a local bus driver to work, taxiing his players to wherever they might need to go.
In his words, he did just about "everything except feeding them."
Getting to know the team and all their idiosyncrasies was part and parcel to the job.
"You get your funny blokes and your serious ones but when it comes to playing they're all pretty full on."
The Australia A team, while competing against some of the world's best, were not eligible for the gold medal unlike the Australia team in the same section who ultimately walked away with the top prize.
Despite that, however, they finished their campaign with five wins from six matches to take home their own special piece of silverware - an international masters cup.
A first round loss against Argentina gave way to wins over Oman, Germany, Bangladesh, Wales and finally the World Alliance side.
"To be with those people for a time and see them succeed, it's pretty special. You really build a bond with these guys," Mick said.
More than 30 Australian teams competed at the cup across various age groups, bringing home 12 gold medals, nine silvers and six bronzes.
Celebrations for Mick and his team were certainly joyous as he admitted some members went to work soon after feeling "a bit dusty."
"The feeling is awesome. It's one of those things you don't ever want to lose," he said.
"I'd love to do it again someday."
Sport
Mick manages team to victory
Dec 24 2024
2 min read
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