WHEN a veteran hockey player decided to sledge Trent Copeland more than a decade ago, little did they know they were doing him a favour.
Subscribe now for unlimited access.
$0/
(min cost $0)
or signup to continue reading
It was those words, intended to intimidate, that acted as inspiration to Copeland.
It was inspiration that has helped Copeland to forge a successful cricket career - his consistent line and length bowling earning him a host of wickets and praise.
He has since become a regular in the New South Wales Blues' Sheffield Shield line up, won the Bradman Young Cricketer of the Year award and worn the baggy green as an Australian Test player.
On the weekend, while Copeland and his Blues team-mates lost the 2018-19 Sheffield Shield by 177 runs to Victoria, the Bathurst talent managed to take his tally of victims to 52. It meant he finished the season as the leading wicket-taker.
Certainly it is something that neither the sledger, or the then 17-year-old Copeland, would have envisaged at the time.
"I was a fairly confident young guy, but in this game against Lithgow I copped an earful from one of the players in the competition I really looked up to," Copeland said on PlayersVoice.
"He was a veteran player, one of the most experienced in the region and I saw it a great challenge to compete against him.
"After a good tussle throughout much of the match, he came out with, 'You're an absolute hack. You're going to amount to nothing in life'.
"It was quite a shock, I have to admit. But my reaction, after a few moments of taking stock and then post-match, was to think, 'You know what? I am going to keep working away and have a real crack at everything I do in life'.
"No issues with the sledge itself, it just became a motivator."
READ MORE: The wait is over for St Pat's Old Boys
READ MORE: Webber works wonders in second grade decider
Now 33, Copeland and his NSW team-mates were hoping to claim the Blues' first shield title since 2013-14.
While it was not to be as Victoria won inside four days at Junction Oval, Copeland again showed why he has been opening the Blues' bowling for a decade.
He took 5-74 off 31 overs in the first innings, as well as taking the catches which dismissed the Victorian openers.
In Victoria's second knock, Copeland snared 3-52 off 22.2 overs. That moved him to the top of the shield's leading wicket-takers, his 52 scalps also coming at the ultra impressive average of 18.21.
"Disappointing we didn't get over the line today against Victoria, but they were just too good over the course of the four days," Copeland said.
"It's been a huge shield season for us this year, we've played some really good cricket, a lot of young guys getting a lot better, a lot of debutants this season. Hopefully we can go on to bigger and better things."
