Hockey
7 May, 2026
Big clashes headline round three
Two big games in the Open division headline the Wimmera Hockey Association fixture for round three at Dimboola this week.
In the open division, the Yanac Tigers have started the season strongly, extending their undefeated run now to 73 matches since their last loss in August 2019, and they will present a big challenge for the Kaniva Cobras, who have started their season with two draws.
The Warrack Hoops are coming off the bye and are still to have the opportunity to show their best form, and although the Horsham Hurricanes started their season last week with a loss to the Tigers, they should be a different team on the turf.
This will make for an entertaining game that could go either way, but if nothing else, it will give the two teams that had the bye in the opening rounds a chance to build some consistency into their game plans.
After a positive start to their season, the Nhill Rangers have a break this week with the bye.
The first two rounds of this season have seen the top three teams in the Women’s competition from last year all play a team that finished in the bottom half of the ladder, which has already created a significant gap between the top half and bottom half of the Women’s competition, but this is all about to change as teams from within these two groups begin to play each other.
Both Yanac and Kaniva will try to keep their perfect starts to the season going when they clash under the lights on Saturday evening.
The team closest to challenging the top three, the Nhill Thunderbirds, will play the current competition leaders, the Dimboola Roos, who are coming off a big win last week.
This will be a big test for the ‘Birds to see if they have what it takes to match the leaders.
Although the remaining game is between two teams that have yet to register a win this season, it could be the most entertaining match of the round.
Both the Horsham Jets and Warracknabeal have struggled in their opening matches, and this encounter will be the perfect opportunity for them to calibrate their form against a more closely matched opponent.
The incentive will be that the winner will remain in touch with the top four, whilst the team that loses will find it just that little bit harder to remain in contention.
The Dimboola Kangaroos have the opportunity on Friday evening to confirm that their two victories are a good indication of their new standard of play when they take on the reigning premiers.
The Nhill Leopards narrowly lost to the Warriors in the first round and won last week, so they too will want to reassert themselves in the competition with a win.
The Warrack Revengers have also registered a win and a loss to open their season and will be looking to find some consistency when they play the Horsham Bombers in the opening game on Saturday morning.
The Bombers have had a tough start to 2026, having played both teams currently sitting on top of the ladder in the first two rounds, but they may not find the third-placed team any easier.
The Kaniva Raiders have lost several of their older players since last season and must rely on a much younger and smaller squad than most of their opponents, and will find the experienced Yanac Warriors a serious challenge.