The 2026 Masters championships brought together much of what keeps people playing: the challenge of a good contest, the friendships built through the game and the pride of representing their state. It is a chance to test yourself against players from around Australia, reconnect with familiar faces and share the experience with teammates.
For many players, the appeal reaches well beyond the final score. Travelling together, meeting new people and enjoying time around the grounds are part of the experience. The championships celebrate a love of hockey that continues across decades.
Sixteen Greensborough Hockey Club members shared that experience at the 2026 Australian Masters Hockey Championships, representing ten Victorian teams as players, coaches or managers. Their teams won two gold medals, three silver medals and a bronze.
The women’s championships took place in Adelaide from 24 September to 3 October. The men competed on the Gold Coast between 24 September and 10 October, with different schedules for the age groups.
Carol Brewster’s Victoria Blue women’s 70+ team and the Victorian men’s 50+ Division 1 team both became national champions. There were also silver medals in the men’s 35+, 45+ Division 1 and 50+ Division 2 competitions, and bronze in the men’s 60+ Division 2 competition.
2026 Masters championships: Victorian team results
Our Burra representatives competed across nine men’s teams and one women’s team. Here is how each team finished.
Victoria Blue — Women’s 70+
Final result: Gold — national champions.
Victoria Blue beat New South Wales 2–0 in the gold medal match in Adelaide on 3 October. Carol Brewster’s team had reached the final with a 1–0 semifinal win over Western Australia. The championship followed a pool campaign of three wins, one draw and one loss.
Burra representatives:
- Carol Brewster — #25
Official team sheet · Competition results
Victoria — Men’s 35+
Final result: Silver — 2nd.
Victoria finished runner-up after losing 1–3 to Queensland Maroon in the gold medal match on the Gold Coast. Victoria earned its place in the final by beating New South Wales State 1–0 in the semifinal.
Burra representatives:
- Tobias Raper — goalkeeper, #1
Official team sheet · Competition results
Victoria — Men’s 45+, Division 1
Final result: Silver — 2nd.
Benjamin Hopkins’ Victorian team won silver after a close gold medal match against Queensland. Queensland won 3–2. Victoria finished second in the pool with four wins, a draw and a loss, then faced Queensland in the final.
Burra representatives:
- Benjamin Hopkins — #18
Official team sheet · Competition results
Victoria — Men’s 50+, Division 1
Final result: Gold — national champions.
Victoria won the title with a 3–2 victory over Queensland in the gold medal match. The team completed an unbeaten tournament: four wins and a draw in the pool, followed by a 3–1 semifinal win over New South Wales and victory in the final. Four Burra members were in the playing squad, with Matthew Trounce also serving as head coach and Greg Purser as team manager.
Burra representatives:
- Andrew L'Estrange — #1
- Greg Robertson — #19
- Matthew Trounce — player, #23, and head coach
- Joe Raso — #28
- Greg Purser — team manager
Official team sheet · Competition results
Victoria — Men’s 50+, Division 2
Final result: Silver — 2nd.
James Dunell’s team finished with silver after Queensland Maroon won the gold medal match 3–2. Victoria had topped the pool unbeaten, recording three wins and a draw. A 3–1 semifinal win over New South Wales took the team into the final.
Burra representatives:
- James Dunell — #96
Official team sheet · Competition results
Victoria — Men’s 60+, Division 2
Final result: Bronze — 3rd.
Victoria secured bronze with a 1–0 win over Queensland Gold. Michael Shade’s team had lost its semifinal 2–1 to Queensland Maroon, then won the bronze medal match to finish the championships on a winning note.
Burra representatives:
- Michael Shade — #7
Official team sheet · Competition results
Victoria — Men’s 65+, Division 1
Final result: 4th.
Victoria finished fourth after losing 1–4 to New South Wales in the bronze medal match. The team had finished second in the pool, before a 2–1 semifinal loss to Queensland. Mark Lendon was the division’s leading goalscorer with nine goals.
Burra representatives:
- Mark Lendon — #7
- Greg Purser — captain, #17
- Andrew Small — goalkeeper, #25
Official team sheet · Competition results
Victoria — Men’s 65+, Division 2
Final result: 4th.
Geoff Brooks’ team finished fourth. Victoria’s pool campaign produced three wins, a draw and two losses, earning a place in the bronze medal match. ACT won that match 4–1.
Burra representatives:
- Geoff Brooks — #40
Official team sheet · Competition results
Victoria White — Men’s 70+
Final result: 9th.
Victoria White finished ninth after beating Queensland Gold 4–0 in the 9th/10th playoff. Mark Ford and Ashley Grant Shelton represented Victoria White. The playoff win followed a difficult pool campaign and gave the team a winning finish.
Burra representatives:
- Mark Ford — #7
- Ashley Grant Shelton — #16
Official team sheet · Competition results
Victoria — Men’s 75+
Final result: 5th.
Victoria finished fifth after a 3–2 win over Western Australia Country in the 5th/6th playoff. Barry Collins was in the playing squad, while Mark Ford served as head coach alongside his playing commitments with Victoria White in the 70+ competition.
Burra representatives:
- Barry Collins — #6
- Mark Ford — head coach
Official team sheet · Competition results
Congratulations to our representatives
The 2026 Masters championships brought together Burra members across a wide range of age groups. Greg Purser contributed as both a team manager and a captain, Matthew Trounce combined playing and coaching, and Mark Ford played in one division while coaching another.
Congratulations to all 16 members on representing Victoria, and to their teammates on the results achieved. Thank you to the coaches, managers and supporters who helped make the championships possible.
For anyone looking to keep playing or return to the game, Masters hockey at Greensborough offers a way to enjoy team hockey and stay connected with the club.