Footscray midfielder Kyle Gildea is one of Victorian hockey’s most promising young talents.
The 21-year-old will be on the front line for Victoria Vikings at the Australian Hockey League (AHL) championships starting in Darwin on Friday.
And the Maribyrnong resident is relishing the chance to test his skills against some of the finest hockey players in the land.
“I’m stoked that all the training is paying off,” Gildea told Star Weekly. “It will be great to learn from the experienced players; I can’t wait.”
Gildea has featured in the tournament previously when he was chosen for Northern Territory.
Overlooked for the Queensland team while living on the Gold Coast last year, he was picked by NT in a draft and got to experience AHL for the first time.
“It’s a lot quicker,” Gildea said. “You don’t have as much time on the ball so you have to know what you’re going to do before you get it. That’s one thing I learned from last year.”
The Victorian team has spent the past month training in heat tents at the VIS to acclimatise to the conditions.
“It could be like 40 degrees,” Gildea said. “We’ve been training for at least a month in the heat tent, three times a week, 50-minute sessions on the bike and on the treadmill. I’d say we’re used to it. We’ll be right.”
Gildea was born in Melbourne but raised on the Gold Coast. He returned to his birth state at the start of the year for a “change of scenery”. “I was a bit over the Gold Coast; it’s more of a holiday destination,” he said. “It’s good to go back for the weekend and go for a surf, but I just like Melbourne.”
Gildea linked up with Footscray to play in its premier league team and is already a key cog in a young Bulldogs line-up, not only for his handy work with the stick.
“He’s been a fantastic addition to the team,” Footscray coach Josh Burt said. “He has real on-field and off-field leadership and can certainly play the game.
“Without a shadow of a doubt, he’s one of our best contributors on the field.”
Gildea has slotted seamlessly into the Bulldogs’ midfield.
What sets him apart is his ability to play at his best for longer periods because of his work rate.
He also has a great hockey IQ for someone lacking experience in senior games.
“He’s quite a knowledgeable guy in hockey terms,” Burt said.
“His maturity and knowledge have been a really big assistance to me and the coaching staff in trying to get the players to train and play at a higher level. He sets that benchmark.”
Victoria’s first game will be against WA on Friday night.
Gildea expects the Vics to fare well in the AHL, though he is under no illusions about the threat from the other teams.
“We have a pretty experienced side – we’ve got three Kookaburras – so we should go alright.”
