She played eighteen seasons in the Hoofdklasse. She actually wanted to add a nineteenth year to that, at HGC. Until an opportunity came along that she couldn’t pass up. That’s why Margot van Geffen won’t be playing her last official match in the Netherlands, but in Australia.
She is busy packing. Pre-moving. Living between the boxes in her apartment in Scheveningen. ‘On September 5, I will get on a plane. So it is time to tidy up a bit. I can store some of the stuff here in the Netherlands. The rest will go with me on the trip. I can’t wait until that time.’
The destination of the 265-times international is Adelaide. Or rather: the club Adelaide Fire. A choice that is related to the sudden end of her career as an international. In early April, the Brabant iron eater was told that she was no longer in the plans of national coach Paul van Ass .
Suddenly her dream of becoming Olympic champion for the third time (after 2012 and 2021) was over. Of course that hurt her a lot. That feeling became very tangible when she visited Paris during the Olympic Games with the golden team of 2012. ‘It felt a bit mixed to walk around there’, says Van Geffen. ‘It was nice to be there with the girls from London. That was unique to experience. Apart from that I didn’t see many matches. Following the tournament came a bit too early for me.’
The choice for adventure
She ‘just’ made other plans. ‘I went on holiday. I was at the beach or with friends. When I’m barbecuing, I’m not going to adjust my schedule to the Dutch national team. I did watch the final consciously. I was also curious about how it would end. It’s still a strange idea, that a few months before you were still standing among those girls. But it went well. It was okay. I could handle it.’
Let’s go back to that spring of this year. Because right after the unwanted news about the Dutch national team, Van Geffen received an email from Australia. ‘The question was clear: did I want to play hockey there? I had to think about that for a while. Because I was enjoying myself at HGC. I actually wanted to continue with club hockey. But this was also a great opportunity. Something that gave me energy, after that disappointment with the Dutch national team. Moreover, I had to move anyway, because my rented house is being sold. So a lot came together.’
The competition in Australia is intense, but short. The prizes are awarded in December. ‘I would have preferred to return to HGC after the winter. But that was not possible’, says Van Geffen. International rules stipulate that players are not allowed to play in two competitions in one year, which run simultaneously, as is the case during the first half of the season. ‘My friend and I then decided to choose Australia. For the adventure. We only booked a ticket for the outward journey. After that, we will see. We want to travel. We are now saying that we are going there for a year or a bit longer.’
The anonymous farewell
It sounds like a match made in heaven . After all, Van Geffen made a name for herself as a ruthless player who never gives up and works extremely hard. That fits the profile of the Australian power players perfectly. ‘They are really physical there, indeed. That suits me’, laughs Van Geffen. ‘They can really go all out. They are even worse than me in that respect. But I especially like how intensely they approach sports there.’
‘I’ve already had a look at what it looks like there. It’s nice. The field is in a hole, the audience sits around it. I can still remember that from the matches I played there with the Dutch national team. A lot of audience sitting around the field, on blankets. Having a bit of a picnic and watching hockey at the same time. Sounds good, right?’
She also finds it a bit strange. To leave the Dutch hockey world like this, in all anonymity. Without a guard of honour, flowers and a fitting tribute. It is in stark contrast to the way her contemporary Eva Drummond was cheered off at her last competition match. ‘I am still doing the preparation at HGC, to stay fit. So that feels a bit like my farewell. I am especially looking forward to that special last chapter. One that I really did not expect, but that will ensure that I will be playing hockey with a smile on my face. I know that for sure.’
by Hockey.nl
