Feature - Let’s hear it for hockey!

The Nambour’s Blue Demons have been encouraging young hockey players since 1977, with premiership wins, junior pathways and a whole lot more!

By Rebecca Mugridge

Not every sports club can attest to their clubhouse surviving flood, and fire, and striving on to with many successful athletes and ten premiership wins for their women’s team, but Nambour’s Blue Demons Hockey Club can!

Nambour Blue Demons Hockey Club has a reputation as a club with many achievements. They are proud to launch sports success, lifelong experiences and careers, such as umpiring. 

Life Member and Secretary Robyn Woods played in the Nambour High School hockey team, and the origins of the Blue Demons name came about when the school discontinued that hockey program and Nambour Hockey was formed independently in its place. 

Robyn is an integral part of the club, holding various roles and supporting the club for more than 40 years, and managing the D1 Women for 25 years.

Club President Scott Bambling has a long history and dedication with the club, extending through the generations from when he was involved with his dad, Don Bambling, who was involved in junior development for Nambour. He undertook various coaching roles before becoming President to now, where he has undertaken a management team role and coaches the U12 mixed with three of his own daughters playing.

Secretary Robyn says it is a special club. “Nambour is a friendly, family-oriented club run by amazing volunteers. Officially formed in 1977 we still maintain our historic place of hockey at Petrie Park, Nambour where our grounds and clubhouse have endured more floods than we can remember, the clubhouse being moved off the creek bank to the other side of the park, only to burn down, be demolished and rebuilt!

“We field 12 teams, competing in all Sunshine Coast Hockey divisions, and the future is bright in our hockey ‘nursery’ where a group of dedicated coaches continue to nurture and develop our youngest members with 29 registered players in our U8 & U10 programs. All team training is held at Ballinger Park, Buderim, where the weekend hockey fixtures are played. 

“At Demons we love to celebrate individual and team success and have boasted many representative players at State and Australian level in Age Teams, School Sport teams, Country teams, Masters and AHL, including current QLD junior players Mady Windell (U18), Demi Mills (U14), Sarah Chilton (U16 & QLD Schools U15), Kai Graham (shadow U14) and Jorja Chilton (U16). 

“Pathways are also available for umpires who are an important part of our club, with Kerryl Brown and Debbie O’Connell having had amazing success in the umpire program with state, national and international appointments.”

This year the club’s D3 Men (White) and D3 Women are representing the club in the Senior Finals with their U12 Mixed Team, and U14 Boys, U14 Girls, U17 Boys and U18 Girls all also making it through to the Finals Series. 

“I think 2024 has been a rebuilding year for Division 1 at Nambour Hockey, with us finally attaining a Division 1 Men’s team for the first time in 7 years,” shares Robyn.

“The team is a blend of seasoned hockey players and has been a pathway for our junior boys introduction to senior D1 Hockey this year.

“Nambour has been the SCHA Division 1 Women’s standard for 17 years straight with 10 Premierships and three Runners Up since 2011.

“Our Division 1 Women’s team has had a huge change in 2024 though, starting the year with the unavailability of nine players from the 2023 Premiership Team,’ Robyn explains. 

“We have used the opportunity for our junior pathways, introducing more young talent to our D1 program. We are immensely proud of the efforts of both our core seniors and our many talented junior girls with 10 players aged between just 14 to 19 who have stepped up into D1 this season and given their all.”

And Robyn says like many well-organised clubs, it is the behind the scenes people that are also key to a club’s success.

“We have a committed management team who keep the wheels rolling year after year, and with their support and the hard work of our players, we look forward to the club's growth in 2025!”