By Hayley Wildes
In four action-packed days at Cardinia Life last week, the 2018 Junior Australian Floorball Open (JAFO) Championships were held.
Over 200 of the most talented kids from 16 teams across New South Wales, Queensland, Western Australia and Victoria competed in four mixed aged groups from under-11 to under-17s.
The Championships consisted of three days of round robin games, before a grand final and placings day on Saturday (July 14).
All days were played in a terrific spirit and when it was all on the line in grand finals, teams didn’t take a backwards step and the level of play rose again.
Pakenham was represented in all four age-groups and had three teams make grand finals – a terrific effort that showcases the level of talent in the Pakenham Squishees Floorball Club.
“We like to think that we’ve got one of the best junior programs going around, not just in the state but nationally,” Gavin Staindl, president of the Pakenham Floorball Club said.
“Having three teams make the grand finals is certainly a very good reflection of where we stand in the national scheme of things.”
Pakenham faced off against the Western Exports in the under-13 grand final. In a tough encounter, Pakenham was unable to defend the fast-paced Western Exports team, falling 4-1 to claim silver.
The under-15 grand final was again a battle between the Pakenham Squishees and Western Exports. The Western Exports claimed the title with a dominant 7-1 win.
Pakenham took on the Newcastle Cobras in the under-17 grand final and it was a thrilling match-up. Both teams competed hard and after the Cobras jumped out to an early 2-0 lead, the Squishees stormed back into the contest to level the scores at 2-2.
Newcastle regained the lead with 10 minutes to play and kept Pakenham out in an intense final few minutes to claim the trophy, 3-2.
In the under-11s tournament, Peninsula claimed the championship.
The fast-paced sport is thrilling to watch and exciting to participate in. Floorball is a mix between field hockey, ice hockey, soccer and basketball and with five players and a goalie per team, there is plenty of space to run and create during a game.
The Pakenham Floorball Club has been in existence for 21 years and this was the first time the junior championships had been held as a stand-alone event in Pakenham.
After such a successful tournament, Pakenham not only showcased themselves as great competitors, but equally great hosts too.
For those interested in giving floorball a go, the Pakenham Floorball Club hosts social games on Tuesday nights at Officer Secondary College from 7:45pm – no experience is necessary and all ages are welcome.
