CLOSE ENCOUNTER: Cunningham pair Aaron Sillitoe and Katie Johnson, holding Posie, are preparing for the new polocrosse season.
CLOSE ENCOUNTER: Cunningham pair Aaron Sillitoe and Katie Johnson, holding Posie, are preparing for the new polocrosse season. Gerard Walsh

New mission for Katie

AFTER going to Darling Downs trials as a netballer, Katie Johnson is eyeing off her first season of polocrosse.

Johnson and boyfriend Aaron Sillitoe are both new members of the Cunningham club this season.

In netball, Johnson was a goal attack who shot for goal in Warwick fixtures but in polocrosse she has already decided No.2 (midfield) or No.3 (defence) are her preferred positions after only two training days. She won't be adverse to a spot of horse sports action this season after riding horses during her childhood at Leslie Station, west of Warwick.

"I have been around horses all my life," she said.

"Pony club was my first horse sport."

Sillitoe is already confident his girl friend will perform well in her new sport.

"She is looking really good with her polocrosse," he said.

He has moved from the Gold Coast club to Cunningham this season which makes it much easier to attend training sessions.

Despite living on the Darling Downs for the past three years, this will be his first season for a club from west of the range.

The first polocrosse of the season will be the Barastoc Interstate Series and Shell Cup at Morgan Park on April 18-20.

Sillitoe will play for the Queensland under-21 men's side in the interstate series after being part of the winning Queensland under-21 mixed side at the 2012 nationals in Warwick.

On the same weekend, Johnson will debut for Cunningham in the Shell Cup club carnival at Morgan Park.

Warwick Polocrosse Club player Cameron Shepherd said the interstate competition would be played in open, intermediate, masters, junior and under-30 age groups.

"It is a great idea to have an under-30 mixed competition to encourage players who are out of the intermediate age group and on the verge of making state open sides," Shepherd said.

"We conservatively expect 70 interstate and club teams for the weekend."

Play will start after lunch on Good Friday.



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