State honour for region’s stars

Seven players have joined the Hockey Queensland Hall of Fame - two from the Moreton Bay Region and one who started playing at Redcliffe.

Liam De Young and Emma Stewart (nee Meyer) were inducted last month as ‘outstanding Queensland players of hockey’.

Both have remarkable sporting resumes, both went to Pine Rivers State High School and Emma’s career started at Redcliffe Leagues Hockey Club.

Early start

Born in Brisbane, she lived in Petrie but started hockey in Redcliffe at the age of five going through to Under 11. Both parents and her sisters also played at Redcliffe.

Now 37, Emma went on to represent Queensland 2002-08, after Under 21 honours in 2001, and 2003-04 and Under 18 caps in 2001.

The defender was in the Hockey Queensland Team of the Decade 2005-2015, a Hockeyroo from 2004-08 and competed at Champions Trophies, Four Nations, Oceania Cup and the 2007 Good Luck Games in China.

Proud of award

She says her debut game in Japan at the 6 Nation Tournament in 2002 and playing against so many nations in so many countries are her best memories.

“It was very much a surprise to be inducted,” says Emma, who now coaches in Brisbane, “but I’m proud to have been thought of.”

Liam De Young has won everything in hockey – and is still playing at Pine Rivers St Andrews Hockey Club.

He played for Queensland from 2000-2014, the Kookaburras 2001-2014, Queensland Under 21 in 1999-2000 and Under 18s 1998-99.

Olympic gold

He is a triple Olympian, winning gold in Athens 2004 and bronze at Beijing 2008 and London 2012.

There were World Cups winning two gold and two silver, three gold-medal winning Commonwealth Games and eight Champions Trophies along the way. He was Australian co-Captain from 2009-13.

Liam was in two HQ Teams of the Decade 1996–2005 and 2006–2015, named HQ Rookie of the Year in 2000 and awarded the Order of Australia Medal (OAM) in 2005.

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