HOLLI Wheeler from Old Bar could have been in Hong Kong on Saturday with the Australian Country women’s hockey team at the start of a two-week tour.
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Instead, she’ll in at Southern Cross Group Stadium in Cronulla making her women’s rugby league nines debut for the Newcastle Knights against Cronulla. Wheeler will be one of three Group Three players in the Newcastle squad, joining Forster’s Kylie Hilder and Port Macquarie’s Simone Smith.
They’ll stay in Sydney overnight, lining up the next day for a NSW women’s competition 13-a-side pre-season match with North Newcastle against Redfern.
Wheeler has been a regular member of the Australian Country women’s hockey team since debuting in the under 19s in 2010. She was to be part of the leadership group for the squad bound for Hong Kong.
Wheeler has been to Hong Kong and Singapore previously with the national squad, but said this didn’t influence her decision to withdraw.
“My heart wasn’t in it,’’ she said. “I just didn’t want to go.
“I was looking for something different – a new challenge. I was speaking to Kyle (Hilder) and she said she was playing league with Newcastle and also with the Knights in the nines. I told her I was interested if they were looking for players.’’
Wheeler grew up with rugby league – her father, Craig, played extensively in Group Three and is now president of the Old Bar Pirates. Her brothers, Jake and Corey both play for the Pirates, with Jake the co-coach of the first grade team this year. Wheeler is a member of Old Bar’s women’s league tag side and played with the Country Championship winning East Coast Dolphins last season.
“Playing league is something I’ve always wanted to do,’’ she said.
She began training with the Knights in January and she’s excited, although a bit nervous, about her debut on Saturday. This will be one of the preliminary matches before the Sharks-Knights NRL fixture.
Defence – both tackling and getting accustomed to being tackled, will be the biggest challenge, but Wheeler’s relishing the opportunity. She’s expecting to alternate between the back row and the centres.
“We’ve done a fair bit of contact work at training and (her brother) Corey has taken me under his wing. He’s my mentor, so I hope that means I don’t end up getting sent off,’’ Wheeler grinned.
Eight teams will contest the NSW competition to start the weekend on April 29-30, while there will also be further nines games with the Knights. Wheeler will play hockey this season but concedes league will be her first priority.
“It’s going to be a bit different. I’m really looking forward to it,’’ Wheeler smiled.