Tara Murray
Ruby Gorton is quickly getting used to being on the national stage for her hockey.
The Eynesbury resident was a key player for the Victorian under-13 outdoor hockey team late last year, while she was also part of the under-13 indoor state team in January.
For Gorton, it’s been a few months that she will never forget.
“It’s great,” she said. “I’m so proud of myself to get that far after all the hard work that I’ve done.
“There’s been lots of hours of training at my club and on my own and also lots of kilometres in the car.”
Gorton grew up around hockey, with her father having played and coached for a number of years.
After starting at under-eights at Caroline Springs, she moved to Footscray where they had a larger junior program.
She has since progressed through the ranks, competing at several state titles and with Victoria in the School Sport Victoria team.
The last couple of months have been her biggest tournaments, something that she has enjoyed.
“It was a good chance to meet the girls and make new friends,” she said.
“I never thought that this would happen. When I was nine or 10 I started doing state stuff and each year it gets harder.
“It gets more challenging as you start getting older.”
Gorton was co-captain of the outdoor team, while she was vice-captain of the indoor side. It was a challenge she enjoyed.
“It was something I was aiming for,” she said. “It was a really good experience being a leader and helping the girls in my team.”
Gorton said the outdoor championships were the biggest event that she has competed in, and they were a really good experience.
She said she learned a lot from that event. The indoor titles which were in Brisbane, threw in the challenge of playing in the hot conditions.
Both games have some differences.
“The indoor game is a faster, shorter game played on a smaller court,” she said. “Outdoor game you aren’t running as fast.
“I probably prefer the outdoor game, I like the game style and there’s more space.”
Gorton, who is part of the under-15 Victorian academy which includes the top 50 girls in the state, will soon take part in the trials for the under-15 state team.
She’s also got big aims for her season with Footscray when it gets underway.
“Footscray has been a really good experience,” he said. “I’m hopefully going to play premier league reserves this season.
“Hopefully I’ll be captain for the under-14 team for another season as well.”
