Casey fulfills the ultimate Olympic dream

DAVID HALL

Albion Park Women’s Hockey Club player Casey Eastham has fulfilled a lifelong dream after her selection in the Australian Women’s Hockey team for the Beijing Olympic Games.

Nineteen year-old Casey has been in the Australian squad of 25 training for the Olympics for the past two years at Hockey Australia’s base in Perth, having already played 36 matches for Australia, but being selected in the Hockeyroos team for the Olympic Games is the biggest thrill.

“I am the youngest player in the squad and part of a building program that has been going on since the last Olympic Games,” Eastham said on Monday.

“Being part of successful team is an incredible honour,” she added.

The Hockeyroos have won three gold medals from the past four Olympic Games, two World Cups, six Champions Trophies and two Commonwealth Games gold medals in recent years to highlight the team’s outstanding run of success.

“The training has been pretty full-on at the moment and we head off to Japan on Friday for a four test tour for the next two weeks then it’s back to Perth for final training for two weeks before heading to Beijing on July 28,” Eastham said.

“The test series against Japan will be a good test for us as they are currently rated sixth in the world and we are ranked fourth, so this is the type of competition you need before the Olympics,” she said.

Casey is the second player from the Albion Park Club to be selected in the Australian team, following in the footsteps of the famous Di Gorman.

“Di has always been a mentor to me from when I first picked up a hockey stick and was my club coach before I moved to Perth,” Eastham said.

Albion Park Women’s Hockey Club president for the past 32 years, Mary Marley, was ‘over the moon’ when she heard of Casey’s selection,

“I was so thrilled I shook – it is the greatest thing that could have happened,” Mrs Marley said.

“Casey is a wonderful girl and deserves every bit of success that comes her way, “She has always been a terrific kid – always willing to help out around the club and we are all very, very proud,” Mrs Marley said.