A woman of too much substance?

Few who ever watched Jacqui Potter playing hockey could have left the match without feeling that here was an innate and peculiarly gifted player at work. Her balance particularly, her awareness on the ball and her rounded attitude both on and off the pitch effortlessly won people's affections. She walked the line between international athlete and someone who could socialise and work, well, normally.

The biggest compliment I heard paid to her was after I joined a conversation between two male players who were watching her play for Muckross - both were internationals. They were wondering if Jacqui would be good enough to play for a men's team at senior level.

The tone of the conversation was not disparaging of women's hockey nor was it an attempt to undervalue the women's game by comparing it to men's hockey, it simply recognised the much greater physicality of men's sport.

The two players wondered whether Jacqui's level of skill and manner of playing hockey could overcome the more brutish aspects of the men's game if she was thrown into a match.

The final conclusion was that no they wouldn't select Jacqui for the team. The reason being that such was her ability that there were a few people on their own side who she might embarrass.