National Championship Bound: Senior Men's Team

Today the 2023 Victorian Senior Men’s Team will begin competing for their sixth consecutive National title. This year, the team features eight debutants who are described by Head Coach Lee Davis as “having high skill level and bringing a new energy” to the team. Davis stated that this year his focus is on player development and helping his players to gain the confidence they need to play against strong competition at a high level.

Last year’s 2022 Victorian Senior Men’s Team featured stand-out players such as Sean Clarke, Chris Moffat, Sean Aaron, Campbell Mackinnon, and Jeff Melsopp, all of whom will be competing at the 2023 World Cup in San Diego. In 2022, Clarke was the leading scorer on the 2022 Victorian Men’s Team with 11 total goals and 4 total assists. Despite many veteran players competing in the World Cup, the Victorian Senior Men’s Team has stand-out veteran players such as James Lawerson and Marty Hyde returning. In 2022, Lawerson finished the competition with an impressive 10 goals and 3 assists and will be another stand-out player to watch for in the 2023 Senior Men’s National Championship. Hyde also had an impressive performance in the 2022 National Championships with 6 total goals and 3 total assists. This year the team has both Steven Stojkos and Tim Dobson, two veteran goalies. In the 2022 National Championship, Dobson played in all 6 matches.

This year, the Victorian Senior Men’s Team will welcome back Chris Plumb from Footscray Lacrosse Club. Last year, Plumb became the Victorian Senior Men’s Team Assistant Coach due to an injury and is back to playing this year. He is one of the leading scorers in this year’s club competition and has “brought in some different energy and is a big piece added back to the team” according to Davis.

When asked if he was wary of any opponents, Davis stated “to be truthful, there’s a lot of guys that I don’t know. I’ve had a look at the rosters for other teams and there’s a lot of unknowns”. Because of the World Cup, the 26 best players are outside of this year’s National Championship competition which brings in new faces and new talent. Davis, however, is confident that this year’s team will be able to continue their winning streak and bring a sixth consecutive title back to Victoria.