Commerce-PINT Hockey Club will host three generations of the Miller family on grand final day

Once, twice, three times for the Miller and Casimiro families on Darwin hockey’s biggest day

Three generations of the Miller and Casimiro families will be in action when the Darwin Hockey League grand finals are decided this week. From left, Shana Casimiro, Viki Miller and Niesha Casimiro.

HOCKEY’S reputation as a family sport will on show at Marrara on Saturday when three generations of the Miller and Casimiro families take centre stage on grand final day.

Viki Miller, her daughter Shana and grand daughter Niesha will all be wearing the red and black of Commerce-PINT on Darwin hockey’s biggest day.

“Nanna’’ Viki will lead the charge in the C-grade final when Commerce take on the Palmerston-Saints on Marrara’s No.2 field and Niesha will turn out for the B-grade side against Waratah.

Shana will complete the family hat-trick when she captains Commerce against raging hot favourites Waratah in the A-grade decider.

For 60-year-old Viki, hockey and all of its complexities is a labour of love that stretches back to Alice Springs when she picked up a hockey stick at age five.

In simple terms, the family that stays together has always played, trained and coached together.

“Hockey has always been our first sporting love,’’ Viki told the NT News.

“Training and matchdays can be busy, but also a lot of fun and the same with coaching and making sure the kids are organised for interstate trips.’’

Daughter Shana, who must plot the downfall of the powerful Waratah side in the A-grade decider, said grand final day would be a big day on the family’s sporting calendar.

“We’re just excited having the three of us out there in grand finals, one each on the biggest day of the season and hopefully finishing with premiership medals,’’ she said.