FEATURES
Macquarie sports teams clean up
It’s been a great year for sport at Macquarie University.
This year the undefeated Women’s AFL team won the premiership in the Sydney Women’s AFL competition. The team is only four years old, and has seen an exponential improvement since their first season when they finished with the wooden spoon.
Player Amanda Farrugia was also awarded the prize for ‘best on Ground’ in the grand final, and capped off a sterling season when she was awarded best and fairest in the competition at the Phelan medal night.
Sport Club Co-ordinator Nigel Price says women’s AFL is growing in popularity, both at Macquarie and across the Sydney area. “The Macquarie team is made up of about 50 percent students as well as local community members and alumni.
“The team also featured on Channel 7’s Sunrise program when they played against the all-Muslim Auburn Tigers team,” Price says.
“The Macquarie team won that match, but with the increasing popularity of the game in Sydney’s western suburbs, the next game might be tougher.”
The four men’s teams met with more mixed success in the 2013 season, with the under-18s team making the semis.
It was also a great year for Hockey Club, with three teams winning their premierships. The men’s first grade team won their first premiership in 19 years. The men’s fourth grade team and the Women’s first grade team were also victorious, while the Women’s second grade team finished runners-up.
“On the back of such a great year, the club has been promoted to Division 2, bringing us a step closer to our goal of being in the top division for NSW,” Price says.
Macquarie has 15 sporting clubs, with Rugby Union, Cricket, Squash and Soccer the oldest; soccer is the biggest club with more than 200 local and international student members. Cricket, rowing and swimming are popular with both students and alumni, while some of the newer clubs such as Fencing, Ultimate Frisbee and Quidditch are growing rapidly.
“Students love the Quidditch Club, which formed just this year,” Price says . “They currently have about 60 members and they have a great time competing against other unis.”
Squash is another club to watch, he adds. “Our teams are becoming very successful and won four out of the seven grand finals they competed in in the autumn.
“On the back of this growing interest in the sport, Macquarie University hosted a NSW Squash Open in September,” he says. “We had some of the best players in Australia competing – and providing lots of inspiration for our Squash Club players.”
What is your favourite Macquarie sporting moment?