Hockey
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FAMILY has been a common factor along the path of Junee product Adam Commens' hockey career.
His parents, Kerrie and Russell, nurtured his talent from the moment he was able to pick up a stick.
They are both life members of the Junee hockey club and spent more than two decades playing and coaching in Wagga and the region.
Commens went on to play 143 international games for the Kookaburras, coached Belgium's mens team to an Olympic appearance in 2008, and has spent the past four years in charge of Australia's Hockeyroos.
Along the way he has made sure not to lose touch with the people who kick-started it all.
On Saturday, just hours before the Hockeyroos defeated England to win the Commonwealth Games gold medal, Commens sought some last-minute advice from his mother.
"We spoke on Skype just before the game," Kerrie Commens explained.
"He was fairly confident they could win but he knew England would put up a fight.
"It was an exciting game, but it was good to see (the Hockeyroos) do the job in the end."
Kerrie Commens has been in Perth with her daughter-in-law and granddaughter while Adam has been in Glasgow for the Games.
Kerrie, Adam's partner Steph and five-year-old Olivia woke up at 3am yesterday to watch the women's hockey final.
The Hockeyroos won a thriller, beating England on penalty shootout after a Jodie Kenny goal in the dying seconds of normal time levelled the scoreboard at 1-1.
It capped off a big year for the Hockeyroos and Commens, who claimed a silver medal at the World Cup in Holland in June.
Kerrie believes her son would rate the victory as one of the most satisfying of his accomplished career.
"He won Commonwealth gold medals when he was playing but I think this would be up there with those," she said.
"When he took over the Hockeyroos they were ranked sixth in the world and now they're second, so he has done quite well with the team."
Back home in Junee live Adam's grandmothers - Helen Lord and Muriel Commens.
While the final was too early in the morning for Mrs Lord to watch, she was thrilled when she woke to hear the news of the victory.
"It's quite exciting isn't it," she said.
"Adam rang me just before he left Perth and he still comes home from time to time.
"He's very thoughtful, he's very busy with his sport but he always thinks of me."
Adam's partner Steph and daughter Olivia will fly out to Belgium today where they will spend two weeks on holiday to celebrate.