Hockey
6 May, 2025
Hockey sides in settling phase
Mild weather greeted players and officials when they gathered at Anzac Park for the second round of the Wimmera Hockey Association season on Saturday.
With many teams yet to settle on their best player combinations, several captivating games were played out.
OPEN:
In the open competition, the two winners from round one continued their good form, with the Yanac Tigers scoring a comfortable win over the Kaniva Cobras and the Warrack Hoops winning a tight match against the Horsham Hurricanes.
The Nhill Rangers had the week off with the bye.
The Horsham Hurricanes have had a tough start to their season, going down in a high-scoring match in the opening round to the dominant reigning premiers, the Yanac Tigers, and then having to face last year’s runners-up on their home ground in round two, so their current place at fifth on the ladder not an accurate indication of their form.
The first half of their match was very even but it was the Warrack Hoops who had earned a one-goal advantage by half-time.
The play after the break continued to be shared evenly, with both teams looking dangerous when in attack but being foiled by some solid defence.
The Hoops earned a penalty stroke midway through the last quarter but the Hurricanes’ goalkeeper, Lars Simmons, kept his team in the match by blocking the shot.
Despite the evenness of play in this period, neither team added to the scorecard, and the Hoops finished with a narrow win.
Caleb Baldock was the game's sole goal scorer.
Hoops captain Sandon Schultz was the best player for the victors while Traiyth Leffler played well for the Hurricanes.
The Kaniva Cobras opened their season this week after having the bye in the first round but faced the daunting task of taking on the Tigers, who had started their season in round one with a solid hit-out against the Hurricanes.
As a result, their seven-goal loss does not indicate much about their potential form for the season.
The Tigers dominated the play, earning a total of 13 penalty corners to one across the game, and scored regularly to be three ahead by half-time.
Although the Cobras managed to slow them down later in the game, two late scores set the final margin at seven goals, moving the Tigers to the top of the open ladder.
The goals were shared between Rourkey Croot, Todd Alexander and Raine Mackley, who scored two each, and Zach Dorrington chipped in with one.
Reigning competition best-and-fairest Lachie Mills was the best player for the Cobras, with the ever-reliable Clint Beattie and Adam Wallis also playing well in defence.
WOMEN:
The closest match in the women’s division saw the Dimboola Roos overcome the Nhill Thunderbirds by one goal, while the Horsham Jets scored a win over Warracknabeal and Yanac maintained their undefeated start to the season when they took on Kaniva.
In the rematch of last season’s women’s grand final, Yanac turned the tables and scored a win over the reigning premiers, moving to the top of the ladder.
Matching their open competition counterparts, Yanac earned 15 penalty corners and conceded only one, and scored a total of five goals while keeping Kaniva scoreless.
Erin Alexander was Yanac’s best player and the only multiple goal scorer with two, with the remaining goals shared between three teammates.
Kaniva are missing several members of the 2024 premiership team and are still adapting their game plan to account for this and finding where they stand in the competition, so the next few rounds will reveal a great deal for their prospects for the season, while Yanac are quickly finding a place towards the top of the ladder.
Imogen Williams and Nyree Hutchins stood out as Kaniva’s best players.
The Dimboola Roos are also setting themselves a high standard to continue after they won a hard-fought match against the Nhill Thunderbirds, although it took them until well into the third quarter to score the only goal for the game.
This result places the Roos second on the ladder, only behind Yanac by goal difference, while this narrow loss was still enough to keep the ‘Birds in third place.
Jennie Hauselberger and Ashlee Baker played well for the victors and Kendra and Rachel Clark were named the best for Nhill.
The Horsham Jets scored their first win for the season when they defeated Warracknabeal, with Annabelle Heal scoring four of her team’s seven goals and earning the title of her team’s best player.
Sam Williamson and Ellie Williamson put in solid performances for Warracknabeal.
UNDER 16:
In the under 16s, the Warrack Revengers earned their first win for the season by defeating the Horsham Bombers, and the Nhill Leopards and Yanac Warriors scored victories over the Dimboola Kangaroos and Kaniva Raiders, respectively.
This places last year’s grand finalists, the Leopards and Warriors, equal on ladder points at the top of the ladder with two wins from two rounds each, followed by the Revengers and Kangaroos with one win each.
The Raiders and Bombers are still looking for their first wins for the season.
RESULTS:
Wimmera Hockey Association – round two
Open: Warrack Hoops 1 (goal C Baldock; best S Schultz, T Jorgensen, B Williamson) d Horsham Hurricanes 0 (best T Leffler, L Simmons, J Horsfall); Yanac Tigers 7 (goals R Croot 2, T Alexander 2, R Mackley 2, Z Dorrington; best B Alexander, R Croot, R Mackley) d Kaniva Cobras 0 (best L Mills, C Beattie, A Wallis); bye Nhill Rangers
Women: Horsham Jets 7 (goals A Heal 4, H Mackereth 2, K Besselaar; best A Heal, H Mackereth, K Besselaar, R Creek) d Warrack Women 0 (best S Williamson, E Williamson, J Boyd, E Eichberger); Dimboola Roos 1 (goal E Baldock; best J Hauselberger, A Baker, C Hadzig) d Nhill Thunderbirds 0 (best K Clark, R Clark, C Shurdington); Yanac Women 5 (goals E Alexander 2, E Wheaton, C Alexander, S Chittick; best E Alexander, A Famers, S Chittick) d Kaniva Women 0 (best I Williams, N Hutchins, B Williams)
Under 16: Warrack Revengers 3 (goals S Williamson 3; best E Williamson, M Bentley, R Bish, S Williamson) d Horsham Bombers 1 (goal J Mackereth; best J Di Pietro, J Schwarz, M Taylor-Carmen, J Luy); Nhill Leopards 4 (goals B Clark 3, C Bone; best T Bee, Z Wilson, B Clark) d Dimboola Kangaroos 0 (best A Pretorius, V Ward, T Hauselberger, R Williams); Yanac Warriors 3 (goals L Cramer, H Zanker, S Farmers; best S Pedie, H Zanker, L Cramer) d Kaniva Raiders 1 (goal F Dodson; best F Dodson, J Beattie, L Hauselberger)
Development program: Warrack Avengers 0 v Horsham Black Hawks 4 (goals C Claassen, L Hobbs, C Lynch, A Neumann); Dimboola Kookaburras 4 (goals L Hauselberger 3, I Ward) v Nhill Bandits 0; Kaniva Rampagers 0 v Yanac Lowan Stars 4 (goals E Alexander, M Dart, S Hedt, P Dart)
