Maitland roller derby hits track in Cessnock

The stadium, fondly known as The Nock Shop, is now the home of Maitland Roller Derby and the event is the league’s first on its own track.

MRD president Doris McGee said the league was delighted to have its own track.

“We’ve been playing everywhere from Toowoomba to Sydney and all along the east coast during the past three years as a bouting league,” McGee said.

“We are so excited to finally have a home.”

On-track action will start at 5pm with Maitland’s representative women’s team, the Junkyard Jerks, taking on the visiting Coffs Harbour Daughters of Mayhem.

For the uninitiated, roller derby is a strategic game that requires simultaneous offence and defense.

Each team fields five players on the track per jam, or session of play. Four players are blockers and one is a jammer.

The object of the game is to progress the jammer (the player wearing the star on their helmet) through the pack of skaters and around the track.

At the same time, skaters must obstruct and hit opposing players to prevent the other team’s ‘jammer’ from scoring points.

Points are scored when a jammer breaks through the pack, laps the track and passes the hips of each opposing player. A full pass scores five points.

Announcer Malcolm will educate and inform as the night progresses.

“People have the impression that we’re going to elbow each other in the face and throw each other down,” McGee said.

“But it’s really about strategy and teamwork.

“A good derby player needs track awareness, communication skills and agility as well as strength, speed and stamina.

“That being said, expect high-impact action with plenty of big falls and big hits. But we leave it all on the track.”

Both MRD and the Daughters of Mayhem fielded players at the Eastern Region Roller Derby Smackdown championships on the Central Coast in 2016.

The MRD crew is coached by former Australian men’s representative player, AJ Stephens, who played for the country as part of the Wizards of Oz in 2014.

After the Jerks leave the track, a pot-luck bout featuring 15 men and 15 women from Coffs Harbour, Maitland, Newcastle, Sydney, the Central Coast and Port Macquarie will duke it out.

Both bouts will run for two half-hour halves. Halftime entertainment will be provided by Hunter band Mokobenj and alcoholic beverages will be available from the venue.

Tickets are $10 for adults and $5 for children and are available at the door. The event will be filmed by Derby Down Under TV. 

To win a double-pass to the Nightmare Before Christmas roller derby extravaganza at Cessnock Toyota Stadium, visit our Facebook page and look for the competition post.

There are two double-passes to giveaway. Competition closes midday November 18. Winners will be notified via Facebook

This promotion is in no way sponsored, endorsed or administered by, or associated with, Facebook. Entrants must be aged 18 year or older.