Hooch announces his retirement
Wednesday, 23rd January 2008
Club coach calls it a day.
After months of consideration I am devastated and deeply sadden to say that I have decided to stop playing permanently. It is a decision that I have stewed over for more than 2 years and the time has come to call it a day and focus solely on coaching and helping others. The decision was an extremely tough one for me as I still wanted to play and felt I could still contribute. After being denied on continuing my football career post my late teens due to knee injuries I just thought I would play cricket until I wanted to stop...unfortunately I have succumbed again with my "good knee" giving me the problems.
I was very keen to put my name up for selection in the A-Grade later in the season and help out in their pursuit of a premiership but have faith in the players representing our First XI to continue with their good form without me anyway. It was also my intention to play at least one game in all grades including a dream of playing one more time with my brother in the one day team but again it disappoints me to admit that won't happen.
I also really want to be able to provide my son with a worthy playing partner that is up to the demands of fierce backyard battles with a football, cricket ball or whatever in years to come and not have his father hobbling around too much finding it hard to keep up. I risk far more serious damage if I continue to play and I'm not prepared to do that any longer after this recent setback.
Thanks for letting me wear that Reds cap...I wore it with pride.
See you on the track...we have a lot of work to do.
Sam Turner
Editor's Note
Sam started coaching the club at the beginning of the 2006/07 season. This season, Sam played four games for the Reds making 132 runs at an average of 44.00. Prior to this, Sam played approximately 134 matches for Woodville between 1988 (starting as a 14 year old) and 1998/1999 and 83 games for Kensington between 1999/2000 and 2004/05, including 45 at A-Grade level. In the process, he scored over 5,000 runs and took over 85 wickets. Hooch also played in one premiership with Kensington, A-Grade in 2002/03. Congratulations on a great playing career Hooch!
I was very keen to put my name up for selection in the A-Grade later in the season and help out in their pursuit of a premiership but have faith in the players representing our First XI to continue with their good form without me anyway. It was also my intention to play at least one game in all grades including a dream of playing one more time with my brother in the one day team but again it disappoints me to admit that won't happen.
I also really want to be able to provide my son with a worthy playing partner that is up to the demands of fierce backyard battles with a football, cricket ball or whatever in years to come and not have his father hobbling around too much finding it hard to keep up. I risk far more serious damage if I continue to play and I'm not prepared to do that any longer after this recent setback.
Thanks for letting me wear that Reds cap...I wore it with pride.
See you on the track...we have a lot of work to do.
Sam Turner
Editor's Note
Sam started coaching the club at the beginning of the 2006/07 season. This season, Sam played four games for the Reds making 132 runs at an average of 44.00. Prior to this, Sam played approximately 134 matches for Woodville between 1988 (starting as a 14 year old) and 1998/1999 and 83 games for Kensington between 1999/2000 and 2004/05, including 45 at A-Grade level. In the process, he scored over 5,000 runs and took over 85 wickets. Hooch also played in one premiership with Kensington, A-Grade in 2002/03. Congratulations on a great playing career Hooch!