CHC Profiles: Karen Russ & Noel Payze — Camberwell Hockey Club

We are fortunate at Camberwell Hockey Club to be surrounded by many marvellous people that have helped shape our club. Over the next few weeks/months we will be starting an initiative CHC Profiles to increase the awareness of who these incredible people are and what they have done for our club so that you too can appreciate their amazing work.

These profiles will be from past and present members who all have one thing in common - an undeniable love for CHC.

If there is someone that you would like to hear about please email us at comms@camberwellhockeyclub.com.au

Here at Camberwell we have the Karen Russ Trophy. The Award started in 1990 to recognise the most outstanding contribution of a Junior Girl each season. It has been awarded every year since then and there are a number of familiar names on the trophy.

The award complements another important award we have - the Noel Payze Trophy, awarded to the Best and Fairest Player in the top team each season.

Both Noel and Karen had a big influence on the way the Camberwell Women’s Hockey Club developed during the 70’s and 80’s, and their legacy is the successful club we have today. Both Noel and Karen are life members which acknowledges their incredible commitment and dedication to our club.

Noel was instrumental in attracting to this club, and then developing, a group of very talented players during the 1970’s. The firsts played in 8 grand finals in a row between 1974 and 1981 and won 4 of them. Noel was the Captain/Coach at Camberwell, she was the Captain/Coach of the Victorian team for a couple of years and was selected in the Australian team twice. She was also the President of the club for 5 years and secretary a couple of times too.

Additionally, Noel influenced the culture of the club in a profoundly positive way and a number of those players stayed on and continued what she started, continuing to shape and support the club as we know it today. Karen was one of those people. She was coached by and played alongside Noel.

Between 1974 and 1993 (20 seasons), Camberwell’s first-grade team won 7 premierships, were runners up 8 times and missed the finals once, impressive results. Karen was in the Camberwell first grade team for all but 2 of those seasons, an amazing era of Womens Camberwell Hockey to be part of.

In 1985 the CWHC started a junior girl’s section. Many senior players were involved with coaching and they did this as well as play in the firsts or seconds, administer the club, perform their representative commitments, work, and do family things. It was all about giving back to the club and our section. Karen was involved from the start and coached the Club’s U 13’s and U17A team for a number of years.

While heavily involved with the Club’s juniors, she was also captain of the Melbourne League 1 Team and the Captain Coach of the team when it won the premiership in 1991. Karen also captained the Victorian State Team, and in 1989 was the Melbourne League 1 Player of the season. At the end of her time in the firsts, Karen played for a number of years in the Club’s District 1 (seconds) side and won 5 premierships with a successful combination of young players and experienced older players between 1994 and 2000.

Karen was and is an inspirational role model for her team-mates and a great coach and mentor for the young women that became the next batch of senior players in the club. Karen started playing at the Club in 1971 – and is still playing masters for Camberwell today. She is admired by many at the club for the work that she has done, the players she has supported and mentored and for the humble nature that she goes about her work and hockey. We are extremely grateful for all the work and contribution she has made to our club and especially the women’s section.