Goulburn Valley Hockey Association named finalist for Vicsport community award

The tournament went off without a hitch as Victoria’s best young hockey players flew down the field with shin pads, hockey sticks and well-chewed mouth guards in tow.

Goulburn Valley Hockey Association held the junior representative games at Shepparton Hockey Centre with aplomb and now the championships have been named as a finalist for the 2024 Victorian Sport Awards.

The championships were nominated in the My Sport Live Community Sporting Event of the Year category, with three other finalists also named.

If Goulburn Valley Hockey Association was to win the award, it would share the gong with Hockey Central Victoria which ran the games in Bendigo.

Vicsport, an organisation promoting the benefits of sport in the state, runs the Victorian Sport Awards.

The event is aimed at recognising and celebrating the achievements of home-grown sporting heroes both at grassroots and high-performance level.

A record 330 nominations across 18 categories were received this year, demonstrating the competitive nature of each award.

Vicsport chair Jason Hellwig said he was looking forward to honouring each finalist at the award ceremony at the MCG on May 14.

“It is a wonderful achievement and a credit to the Victorian sporting industry that the nominations records was shattered this year,” Hellwig said.

“Combined with the calibre of the nominations, these awards are a true showcase of the successes throughout the Victorian sport and active recreation community.”

Community Sport Minister Ros Spence was also eager to congratulate all the finalists.

“Vicsport set a new record for nominations in 2024, which shows the high calibre of athletes, coaches and administrators across Victoria,” Spence said.

“It’s fantastic to see this group of outstanding Victorians nominated by their communities for going above and beyond at all levels of sport.

“We're delighted to shine the spotlight on these local icons at the 2024 Victorian Sport Awards."