Roller Hockey: Mackay Mustangs U16’s crowned national champions

Some of Mackay’s finest roller hockey talents embarked on a once-in-a-lifetime trip to Perth, and returned with gold slung from their necks. Discover their story.

Becoming national age champions is no small feat.

But the Mackay Mustangs U16 roller hockey side achieved just that following its trip to Perth for the Australian Club Championships.

Roller hockey, not to be confused with inline hockey, is a non-contact version of hockey on wheels described as being similar to basketball in terms of gameplay.

You would be forgiven for being surprised by the Mustangs’ triumph, given club president Lyle Denman revealed the team was “absolutely thrashed” at last year’s championships in Gympie.

Mackay Mustangs under-16's celebrating their win at the Roller Hockey Australian Club Championships. Picture: Supplied.

“They were a fairly inexperienced team compared to a lot of other places … they got absolutely hammered,” Denman said.

So what sparked the change in fortune?

“I’d been pushing them to really come to terms with being able to be competitive in a sporting sense where you show your aggression and your physicality,” he said.

“They really got that right; they were physical, they were strong, they were assertive, and they played with really good sportsmanship.”

Mackay Mustangs under-16 side. Picture: Supplied.

Denman said they “walked the line”, made nothing personal and “came together” to reach a new level.

“Post-Covid this is the biggest success we’ve been able to have,” he said.

Denman said while the win was “amazing”, getting to Perth was its own success.

“It was a pretty big process because we hadn’t even taken this team out of Queensland yet,” he said, adding their sponsors were vital to making it happen.

Eager to build on the U16s’ success, the Mustangs’ focus now shifts to growth.

Denman estimates the club peaked with about 60 members in the late ‘90s, but now only has 30.

He hopes to entice more people into the sport and return the club to the numbers of its heyday.

“We’re all about getting as many kids as possible skating, we’re looking to do more and more every year,” Denman said.