Lower Great Southern Hockey Association remembers late Jo Burling and Kellie York in Cancer Awareness Round

Hockey players in the Great Southern will play imbued with the spirit of an important cause this weekend, memorialising some of their late, great former members in a special round. The Lower Great Southern Hockey Association will host its annual cancer awareness round at the Albany hockey turf on Saturday, remembering two of the region’s hockey stalwarts who have died of the disease. The Kellie York Game at 2.30pm will be a Spencer Park clash, with Spencer Park Light facing off against Spencer Park Dark in the women’s B-grade competition. An active member of the Spencer Park team, York died of breast cancer in 2008. Two A-grade teams will don pink socks and tops for the headline Jo Burling Memorial Game at 4pm. Played between North Albany and Spencer Park, this year’s game marks the 24th edition of the round memorialising the life of Burling, who died of breast cancer at age 42. A lifelong hockey player, Burling was a regular contender at country championships in Perth, and was selected for WA Country several times. Originally a Dumbleyung player, Burling later became a feature in the LGSHA, coaching, umpiring and playing A-grade with Spencer Park for several years. Alongside the two special matches, junior fixtures will be played in the morning, and the rest of the men’s and women’s A-grade games in the evening. Organisers encourage attendees to be generous on the day and support the cause by buying raffle tickets, food and drinks. Funds raised will be donated to cancer charities.