Southern Suns
The SA Suns (formerly Southern Suns - prior to 2015) are a women's field hockey team based in South Australia that competes in the Australian Hockey League
The Australian Hockey League (AHL) are a women's
field hockey
Field hockey is a team sport structured in standard hockey format, in which each team plays with ten outfield players and a goalkeeper. Teams must drive a round hockey ball by hitting it with a hockey stick towards the rival team's shooting ci ...
team based in
South Australia
South Australia (commonly abbreviated as SA) is a state in the southern central part of Australia. It covers some of the most arid parts of the country. With a total land area of , it is the fourth-largest of Australia's states and territories ...
Jane Claxton
Jane Claxton (born 26 October 1992) is an Australian field hockey player for Australia. Claxton was a member of the Australia women's national field hockey team that were defeated by the Netherlands women's national field hockey team in the fi ...
Karri McMahon
Karri McMahon (born 27 February 1992) is an Australian field hockey player for the Hockeyroos who plays as a defender.
McMahon was a member of the Australia women's national field hockey team that won a silver medal at the 2014 Rabobank Hockey ...
At the 2011 AHL, the SA Suns won the Australian Hockey League for the second time.
This was the first time the SA Suns had won in 16 years, defeating the
NSW Arrows
The New South Wales Arrows are a nationally competing field hockey team based in Sydney, Australia.
Their most recent Australian Hockey League title win was in 2014. In 2015, NSW beat the ACT in the bronze medal playoff, securing 3rd place i ...
Georgie Parker
Georgina Parker (born 16 December 1964) is an Australian television soap actress and has also appeared in film and theatre. She is a double Gold Logie winner, best known for her acting roles in Australian soap operas; as Lucy Gardiner (later T ...
and Elise Stacy. The team was also aided by
New Zealand
New Zealand ( mi, Aotearoa ) is an island country in the southwestern Pacific Ocean. It consists of two main landmasses—the North Island () and the South Island ()—and over 700 smaller islands. It is the sixth-largest island count ...
Clarissa Eshuis
Clarissa Eshuis (born 18 March 1987) is a New Zealand field hockey player. She has competed for the New Zealand women's national field hockey team (the ''Black Sticks Women'') since 2005, including for the team at the 2006 and 2010 Commonwealth ...
and
Kayla Sharland
Kayla Marie Whitelock (née Sharland, born 30 October 1985) is a New Zealand field hockey player, and former captain of the New Zealand women's national field hockey team (the ''Black Sticks Women''). She has competed in four Olympic Games ( 2 ...
. The team was coached by former
Kookaburra
Kookaburras are terrestrial tree kingfishers of the genus ''Dacelo'' native to Australia and New Guinea, which grow to between in length and weigh around . The name is a loanword from Wiradjuri ''guuguubarra'', onomatopoeic of its call. The ...
,
Craig Victory
Craig Victory (born 3 February 1980 in Adelaide, South Australia) is a field hockey striker from Australia who played 102 international games for the Australia men's national field hockey team, the Kookaburras. He is a Commonwealth Games, World ...
.
The team concluded the tournament with 7 wins, 2 draws and 2 losses, scoring 29 goals and conceding 14.
title in 1995.
The team included 1992 Olympians and Hockeyroo members,
Juliet Haslam
Juliet Haslam OAM (born 31 May 1969 in Adelaide, South Australia) is a former field hockey defender and midfielder from Australia, who competed in three consecutive Summer Olympics, starting in 1992, for her native country. She was a member of ...
Alison Peek
Alison Louise Peek (born 12 October 1969), nicknamed "Peeky", is a former field hockey player from Australia, who competed in two Summer Olympics for her native country. She was a member of the Australia women's national field hockey team, best ...
OAM.
1984 Olympian Tricia Heberle was head coach of the team.
Previous Placings
The following table shows the SA Suns' final placings at the AHL since its founding.
Notable players
Notable players who have played for the SA Suns include:
* Kate Allen
*
Jane Claxton
Jane Claxton (born 26 October 1992) is an Australian field hockey player for Australia. Claxton was a member of the Australia women's national field hockey team that were defeated by the Netherlands women's national field hockey team in the fi ...
Clarissa Eshuis
Clarissa Eshuis (born 18 March 1987) is a New Zealand field hockey player. She has competed for the New Zealand women's national field hockey team (the ''Black Sticks Women'') since 2005, including for the team at the 2006 and 2010 Commonwealth ...
Juliet Haslam
Juliet Haslam OAM (born 31 May 1969 in Adelaide, South Australia) is a former field hockey defender and midfielder from Australia, who competed in three consecutive Summer Olympics, starting in 1992, for her native country. She was a member of ...
Karri McMahon
Karri McMahon (born 27 February 1992) is an Australian field hockey player for the Hockeyroos who plays as a defender.
McMahon was a member of the Australia women's national field hockey team that won a silver medal at the 2014 Rabobank Hockey ...
Georgie Parker
Georgina Parker (born 16 December 1964) is an Australian television soap actress and has also appeared in film and theatre. She is a double Gold Logie winner, best known for her acting roles in Australian soap operas; as Lucy Gardiner (later T ...
*
Alison Peek
Alison Louise Peek (born 12 October 1969), nicknamed "Peeky", is a former field hockey player from Australia, who competed in two Summer Olympics for her native country. She was a member of the Australia women's national field hockey team, best ...
*
Kayla Sharland
Kayla Marie Whitelock (née Sharland, born 30 October 1985) is a New Zealand field hockey player, and former captain of the New Zealand women's national field hockey team (the ''Black Sticks Women''). She has competed in four Olympic Games ( 2 ...
Previous Head Coaches of the SA Suns have been:
* Mark Dedman (2016–present)
* Darren Neimke (2014-2016)
*
Craig Victory
Craig Victory (born 3 February 1980 in Adelaide, South Australia) is a field hockey striker from Australia who played 102 international games for the Australia men's national field hockey team, the Kookaburras. He is a Commonwealth Games, World ...
State Hockey Centre (South Australia)
The State Hockey Centre, currently known as MATE Stadium (formerly known as the Pines Stadium and Distinctive Homes Hockey Arena (2003–2009)), is a 4,000 capacity, government owned outdoor field hockey stadium located in Gepps Cross, a northe ...
(also known as the Pines Stadium) which is located north of the Adelaide CBD in Gepps Cross. The stadium has a capacity of about 4,000 with 330 permanent seats. The stadium was used for the 1997 Men's Hockey Champions Trophy.