Hockey
22 May, 2026
Hockey thrillers likely at Warrack
After a brief break for the junior country championships last weekend, the Wimmera Hockey Association competition will resume on Saturday at Anzac Park in Warracknabeal, with the feature game the top-of-the-ladder clash in the women’s division.
The Dimboola Roos and Yanac enter the round undefeated, and both will be determined to gain an advantage over an opponent they could challenge for the premiership.
An added incentive is to perform well on the ground where the grand finals will be played in September.
The other two women’s matches will be equally intriguing.
Kaniva lost their first game of the season in the last round to Yanac, and they take on the Horsham Jets, who won for the first time over Warracknabeal.
The former team will be looking for a win to reinforce that they deserve to be in the top half of the ladder, while the Jets will need to follow up their first win with another against a stronger opponent if they are to be a serious challenger.
While competitive so far this season, the Nhill Thunderbirds have had to play the top three teams and are yet to earn a win, while Warracknabeal have struggled and may find their first hitout on their home ground is the motivation to ‘click’ and score their first win.
[CROSSHEAD]Open
With the competition-leading Yanac Tigers having another week off with the bye, the other four teams take the spotlight this week in two entertaining matches.
The Nhill Rangers have had one draw from their two matches and take on the home team, who are currently second on the ladder.
Recent results suggest that the Warrack Hoops should have the edge, but if they approach this opponent lightly, the Rangers have the firepower to prevail, as some recruiting since last season and the maturing of some younger players have made them more competitive than their modest performances over recent years might suggest.
Kaniva were impressive in their last outing and were not disgraced in their narrow loss to the Tigers, who have not lost a game in the last six years.
If they can replicate that performance, they should be able to overcome the new-look Horsham Hurricanes, who are yet to reach the form that took them to the 2025 grand final.
[CROSSHEAD]Under 16
The evenness of the under 16 competition over the opening three rounds will make round four a top series of games in this division, where no combination of results would be considered an upset.
The four teams that go into the round equal on points all play another from within this group, and even a modest win could see any of them top the ladder by Saturday evening, and the two teams outside the top four clash in what should be another closely contested game.
The Dimboola Kangaroos have been the surprise team so far this season, currently leading the ladder after missing the finals last season, but they will have to play at their best to finish ahead of the more experienced Yanac Warriors.
With almost identical form heading into their game, it is impossible to separate the Warrack Revengers and Nhill Leopards until the availability of several key players is confirmed, with home-ground advantage the only factor that might tip the game in favour of the Revengers.
The third game should be as exciting as the first two, despite it being sixth challenging fifth when the Kaniva Raiders and Horsham Bombers play to stay in touch with the leaders.