HARD KNOX MASTERS SOFTBALL

Hard Knox is a Women's and Men's Softball Club based at the Knox and District Softball Association in the eastern suburbs of Melbourne, Australia.

Membership is open to all Masters age softballers from across Melbourne and beyond. Hard Knox has recently broadened its membership to encourage softball in younger age group players with the establishment of the Hard Knox Panthers who are playing in the KDSA B Grade Women's competition. .

Hard Knox started its life with the World Masters Games in Brisbane in 1994, and has been active at most of the major Masters Games around Australia since that time, and sent a Men's team to the World Masters Games in Portland, Oregon USA in 1998.

We were the "host" Club at the Melbourne 2002 World Masters Games, Knox venue.

Hard Knox has since participated in the Australian Masters Games in Canberra in 1997, Adelaide in 1999 and Newcastle in 2001, with both Ladies & Men's teams. A Ladies team competed in Adelaide in 2007. Hard Knox has also participated in all Victorian Masters Championships, and players have participated in the Asia-Pacific Games on the Gold Coast from time to time. We have also participated in the ASF Masters games at various venues.

Hard Knox sent both a Women's and a Men's team to the World Masters Games in Edmonton, Canada at the end of July 2005. Teams also included memorable holidays in Canada and the USA before or after the WMG. We met up with teams that played in Melbourne in 2002. It is one of the major pluses for Masters softball - meeting up with teams and players from all over Australia and around the world at tournaments. Well done to the Women's team that came away with a Bronze Medal. Planning is underway for the World Masters Games in Sydney in 2009.

Congratulations to the Hard Knox Women who won a Silver medal in E Grade in a very hard fought game at the Victorian Masters Games in June 2008. Congratulations also to the Hard Knox Men's team that walked away with a Bronze medal in the C Grade competition. Some good hitting and outstanding fielding enabled them to make a good start and hold the lead through the game.

Hard Knox At Bendigo - June 2009

We fielded 1 Women's team and a 35 + Men's team as well as a 45 + Men's team in the Victorian Masters Championships held at Bendigo over the Queen's Birthday weekend in June 2009. The weather predictions were not good for the weekend, and this was borne out over the weekend. The weather was cold, foggy, raining and on the Monday, windy as well. The Club did very well with two Bronze medals and a very credible fourth overall.

The Women's team played well over the 3 days and ended up on top of the ladder at the end of the competition rounds. Thanks to Sharyn for her work with the team leading up to the Championships, and for her on diamond coaching over the weekend. However, they could not overcome their arch rivals, Vicsens, and then went down to a well performed Wildcats to finish in third place with a Bronze medal. Well done ladies, although I know you had your eyes focussed on a Gold one this year. Thanks to Maureen for sitting there scoring, frozen like a block of ice, particularly during the three games in a row on the Monday.

The Men's 35 + team had a great import from NZ to assist them, in Mark Ahlfeld. Thanks mainly to Mark and Shane with their pitching, the team was able to pressure the opposition and end up in the Bronze Medal playoff on Monday. The boys batted well at times throughout the weekend and there was some great fielding from right around the ground. Numbers between the two Men's teams were very tight, and some of the 45 + guys played in the 35 + team in each game. Thanks to Roy for his coaching over the weekend, and the several people who scored for the team, including a 'ring in" Faye R who managed to control the "man eating" new puppy, and still score the final two games on the Monday. They were disappointed not to be able to hold off the Giants in the final game, and finished a very credible fourth overall.

The Men's 45 + team had a generally good weekend, with more wins than losses, but they were no where near the standard of the Warriors during the normal rounds. The guys know the Warriors well from our normal Winter competitions and earlier Championships. A loss on the Monday morning meant that we would also play off for Bronze. The game started slowly with runs hard to score. Eventually we hit the gaps and got runs on the board. Springvale were not going to lie down, and came back with their own very good innings. However, the "old guys" were able to hold on for a good win. Thanks to Roy for coaching when w\he could, and for Margaret for scoring in the cold and miserable conditions

NEW MASTER'S TEAMS BEING ORGANISED

Hard Knox are planning one Women's 35 + team and a Men's 35 + team and a Men's 45 + team for the Sydney World Masters Games. If you are interested in joining us in Sydney, please contact one of the Committee below. We are looking for additional Women and Men for the 35 + teams.

World Masters Games                            Sydney                10 - 18 October 2009

Hard Knox Fund Raiser

Thanks once again to Briony, we are running our Bunnings Sausage Sizzle + extras fund raiser at Bunnings on Ferntree Gully Road Scoresby, all day on Sunday 12 July 09. Club members are asked to put in a few hours each to have some fun and make this a success.

Hard Knox Men Playing At Casey Association Over Winter

We have an Open Age Men's team playing for the first time in the competition at Casey this Winter. The season is well advanced, with another 4 games to go over the month of July, and then Finals in August. At present we are in the middle of the pack of teams, so it is difficult to predict our Final's chances at this time. Contact geoff balsillie as below if you would like to join the team for the last few weeks.

If you wish to contact Hard Knox to find out our latest activities, email:

President: Graeme Young at gm.young@bigpond.net.au

Vice President:  Geoff Balsillie at geoff3137@gmail.com

Secretary: Carolyn Raftis at carolynraftis@gmail.com

Treasurer: Margaret de Jager at teragramdj@gmail.com

General Committee:     Dave Winter, Hank de Jager, Lyn Clark, Maureen Young, Di Kendall, Rob Kendall,

                                         Leigh Mammi, Briony Holman, Sharon Piper, Wayne Reynolds, Paul Fairchild, Steve Dunlop

Hard Knox At Waverley For The 2007 Victorian Masters Championships

Hard Backs at the World Vintage Softball Games - Rotorua NZ March 2007

The New Hard Knox Panthers On The Prowl

Hard Knox Women Have a Blast In Adelaide