Player Profile: Emily Macquet (Durban Girls’ College)
Emily Macquet was one of the three players at the top of the circle. The injector directed the ball straight to her.
She was 17 and making her debut for South Africa’s Women’s Indoor team. Instead of being flustered and panicked, Macquet executed an outstanding drag flick that flew into the top right corner.
As she had done on her debut for Durban Girls’ College (DGC), Macquet announced herself on the big stage with a goal.
She scored her first goal for her school at the age of 15, an upright back stick shot from the top of the D.
And as she did for DGC at 15, after scoring her debut international goal, she ran back with a little smile on her face.
“It was the most incredible feeling scoring a goal for my country,” Macquet said, reliving the moment.
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In 1928, at the Olympic Games in Amsterdam, Marjorie Clark appeared on the world stage. She placed fifth in the high jump and was eliminated in the semifinals of the 100m race. Four years later, in the Los Angeles Olympics, she won a bronze medal in the 80m hurdles and again finished fifth in the high jump.
In the four years between those two Olympics, Clark set 80 metres hurdles world records in 1930 and 1931. Then, in 1934, she won gold in both the 80m hurdles and the high jump at the British Empire Games.
The world was a very different place early in the 20th century. Women had to sacrifice a lot just to participate in sports, let alone succeed in them. It was considered unladylike to dedicate oneself to becoming a top sportswoman. While there were in excess of 50 men’s events at the 1932 Olympics, there were only six for women.
Travel across continents was also by ship, which meant that attending the Olympics or British Empire Games required months away from home and family. Clark sailed so that Macquet could fly. Emily Macquet is Clark’s great-granddaughter.
Sport was a familial love passed down through the generations. However, Macquet didn’t just inherit the sports gene from her great-grandmother, she also inherited Clark’s resolve and dedication to succeed.
“I got into hockey at a young age because I watched my older sister play matches and that’s when I first picked up a hockey stick” Macquet recalled.
She was four when she first got her hands on a stick, and it has remained an important part of her life ever since. “First, we saw her just sitting around with a stick playing in the backyard and playing outside the gate on the tarmac,” Deane, her father, explained.
Deane and her mother, Georgia, nurtured Emily’s love for hockey by indulging her. They agreed to play games with her on the tarmac. What the parents had assumed would be a few minutes a day turned out to be endless hours of hockey outside their gate.
“I used to buy those cheap Mr. Price Max hockey sticks, and she would just wear them down,” Deane said. “She wore them down until there was nothing left, and then we’d have to go and get another one. She just loved the game so much.”
When Deane was at work – he is a physiotherapist – and Georgia was occupied, Macquet had her grandmother, Pam Read, throw high balls to her so she could practice interceptions.
Emily’s first memory of competitive hockey is from her first organised match. She was in Grade 3. It stands out to her because of the level of competition she brought to the match.
“I was just so determined to get the ball,” she said. She grew up with that attitude and one of her later coaches, Michael Baker, called her The General.
Emily’s hockey career properly began around the age of eight. She was adamant that she would pick her first proper hockey stick and Deane went with her to buy it. She would have loved an Osaka or a Princess, but her father bought her a Wasp wooden stick.
She was a student at Chelsea Prep and was coached by Catherine Morris. Morris’ instruction and direction were invaluable, and they prepared Emily for competition at club level, which she plunged into at 11.
At school, Macquet played against learners a year or so older than her, and at club level, the gap was bigger. She was up against players who were not only older than her, but she was also facing better-skilled individuals.
“I first saw her when she was playing for her primary school, Chelsea Prep. She scored an unbelievably great goal. She had skills I wasn’t used to seeing from a typical 13-year-old,” Chardinay Penniston, Emily’s coach at DGC, shared.
The competition against bigger and better players forced her to grow up and develop her skills fast. “She just loves to compete. I work in a sporting environment, as well. So, she’s been around a lot of famous sportsmen and all the rest. She definitely gets inspiration from there. She loves going to rugby matches and watching the competition. She loves being challenged,” Deane, who works with The Sharks, explained.
Penniston concurred with his perspective. “When she arrived at DGC, I was immediately struck by her passion and determination. She had a natural athleticism and a fierce competitive spirit,” the coach said.
Instead of wilting in the face of pressure, Emily didn’t just hold her own, she blossomed in the club environment.
“Emily displayed a maturity and understanding of the game at a young age that set her apart,” Penniston reckoned.
The DGC coach has been able to coax the best out of Macquet. She has also helped the teen grow as a strategic thinker on the Astro.
However, Penniston refuses to take credit for her Emily’s numerous strengths, emphasising that her job is simply to create an environment in which the youngster can express herself.
Penniston called Emily a coach’s dream. “She has numerous strengths. She has excellent stick-handling skills and a powerful, accurate shot, slap, hit, and drag flick.
“Her good eye for the ball and her ability to read the game make her a constant threat on the field.
“Emily is also able to read the game and anticipate plays before they unfold. Her leadership qualities are exceptional, as she is both vocal and leads by example, inspiring her teammates with her work ethic and dedication,” the coach said.
“Cindy Hack was my role model. I watched every match she played for South Africa that I could,” Emily revealed.
Every one of those games that the former South African women’s captain played provided an indelible moment, which was imprinted on the minds of teammates, opponents, and spectators. Each time she took to the field, Emily sought to embody her role model and hero. Like Hack, Emily developed a more nuanced understanding of positioning, both offensively and defensively.
“Emily has grown significantly in her tactical awareness and decision-making under pressure. Her ability to communicate effectively with her teammates has also improved, making her an even more effective leader on the pitch,” Penniston explained.
If there was ever a moment Macquet showcased all the attributes she has as a hockey player, it was in 2023 in a crucial match in which DGC was trailing by a single goal, and they couldn’t afford to lose. The opposition was winding down the clock. Only a few minutes remained.
To Emily, the game was still there for the taking. She rallied her teammates. She wasn’t just vocal about it, she pressed and tracked back to help in defence.
“She scored a brilliant equaliser and then set up the winning goal in the final moments of the game. Her leadership and skill in such a high-pressure situation were truly inspiring,” Penniston recalled.
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