Win would cap off homecoming

City Highlanders goal keeper Ginny Wilson at work on her family’s Middlemarch farm yesterday....
City Highlanders goal keeper Ginny Wilson at work on her family’s Middlemarch farm yesterday. PHOTO: SUPPLIED
Ginny Wilson will be quite content if she has a boring couple of hours this afternoon.

Of course she will be happy to save anything that comes her way.

But if all she does is talk in today’s premier women’s hockey final, that will be just fine by the City Highlanders’ goal keeper.

A win over Momona A would complete an unbeaten season, and a successful homecoming for the 25-year-old, who has let just nine goals past this season.

She has been back in Dunedin for a year, having spent the past two in Melbourne and the two prior to that Auckland.

During that time she played semi-professionally for Southern United in Australia, as well as winning three caps for the Black Sticks while in Auckland.

But returning to play at the McMillan Turf, particularly in a final, is no less exciting for her.

"I think it would be stupid not to think about every final as something exciting," she said.

"If you can’t get excited about playing in a final at any level, then why are you playing?

"I think you’ve always got to remember why you started playing a sport and value every shirt you put on at every level.

"Each time you put it on you should have just as much value in it as the one above."

She had enjoyed her time away from Dunedin, Wilson said.

The Black Sticks had been an amazing experience and she had learnt a lot in her time with the team.

She had also enjoyed playing in Melbourne and while that brought in some income, she had also worked in a gym and cafes.

It was certainly a stark contrast to returning to work on her family’s farm in Middlemarch.

On top of that she was running gym classes in Dunedin at the weekends.

"I think everyone gets to that age where you sort of have your quarter-life crisis.

"So I just thought I’d come home and see what happens back here.

"I’ve been home a year next Wednesday. It’s been good — I haven’t left, so that must be something."

She had enjoyed reintegrating into the local hockey scene and had been impressed with what she had experienced.

"I think it’s great to see how much things have changed.

"It’s been up and down over the years, so it’s great to see there’s a few people that care about Otago hockey doing well, like Andy [McLean] and Hymie [Gill].

"They’re trying to pivot what we have been known as, trying to push us into being more competitive at a national level, so that’s really good to see."

City will enter the final as a hot favourite.

Not only is it unbeaten this year, it claimed a 5-2 win over Momona in the semifinal last week.

It has talent right through its team and alongside Wilson, possesses a second Black Stick in Tessa Jopp.

Meanwhile, Momona beat the University Huskies 3-0 on Wednesday to reach the final — Claudia Peyroux, Abby Lennon and Jorja Dinan all scoring goals.

Today’s match begins at 2pm.

The men’s premier final, between King’s United and the Taieri Tuataras, follows at 3.30pm.

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