Hockey
25 August, 2026
Rangers gain edge ahead of semi-final rematch
The final round of the Wimmera Hockey Association regular season held different significance for each of the three competition divisions in the context of the upcoming finals series, creating an intriguing mix of games.
The matchups for the semi-finals in the Open and Women’s competitions have been set for some weeks now, and so no result on Saturday was significant from that perspective.
Still, it gave the teams one last chance to tweak their game plans before the serious games begin.
In a warm-up before they meet again next week in the first semi-final, the Nhill Rangers gained the psychological advantage over the Kaniva Cobras in a high-scoring game in which nine goals were scored.
After a very even, scoreless first quarter in which neither team could assert dominance, the Rangers opened the scoring soon after the first break, but the Cobras equalised less than five minutes later. Another Rangers’ goal gave them the lead at half-time.
Two more goals, including a converted penalty stroke by Nhill, and one from Kaniva, gave the Rangers a comfortable, but not insurmountable, lead of four goals to two at the final break.
The scoring continued as the game clock ticked down, with another two goals for the Rangers, but the Cobras could only counter with one more, which set the final margin at six goals to three.
This result did not change the fact that these two will meet again next week in the elimination semi-final, where more is at stake, and if they put on a show half as entertaining as this one, it will be well worth watching.
The Yanac Tigers are primed for their attempt at an eleventh consecutive title after a solid victory over the Horsham Hurricanes.
While the Horsham team played some strong hockey, the Tigers had too many scoring options when they got the ball into attack.
Once they got on a roll after half-time, the score blew out from three goals at the long break to eight goals by the final whistle, which was not a true indication of the effort the Hurricanes put in.
The Warrack Hoops had the bye and will now play the Tigers next week for a place in the grand final.
There was also nothing significant at stake in any of the Women’s matches, but some top hockey was still on display.
Friday evening’s match was quite a relaxed contest, with Dimboola just needing to win to confirm they would claim the minor premiership, and Warracknabeal was enjoying their last competitive hit-out for the season as they had come to terms with a sixth-place finish to 2026 quite some time ago.
While the Roos got the win they were after, Warrack also ended with a positive, celebrating a rare goal in a season in which they struggled, but still fronted up each week to fulfil their commitment with enthusiasm.
Nhill Thunderbirds and Kaniva Women played out a tough one-all draw in a preview of next weekend's Women’s first semi-final.
In a very even game, Nhill controlled marginally more of the play in the first half, leading the penalty corner count by five to one by half-time, and late in the second quarter, they were the first on the scoreboard with a field goal at the 23-minute mark.
As the second half got underway, the balance of play swung to Kaniva’s favour, which resulted in them equalising the scores with a field goal seven minutes after play resumed.
Nhill earned the opportunity to take the lead with a penalty stroke late in the quarter, but despite a solid shot, it was blocked by the Kaniva goalkeeper and the scores remained deadlocked.
Kaniva continued to attack into the last period of play, earning the only two penalty corners for the last quarter.
However, they were unable to convert either of them, and the scores were still at one-all when the final whistle blew.
Yanac enjoyed a comfortable win over the Horsham Jets, who, like Warracknabeal, will not progress to the finals this season.
Every match in the Under 16 competition this round influenced who would play who in the semi-finals.
On Friday evening, the Warrack Revengers claimed a top-two finish by defeating the Dimboola Kangaroos, who can now pack away their gear, as although they were competitive this season, they finished fifth.
The Kaniva Raiders moved to the top of the ladder, which looked unlikely after they only broke into the top four in round five, with a win over the Nhill Leopards, who then slipped from first to third.
While the Yanac Warriors remained in fourth spot despite a win over the Horsham Bombers, they will take some confidence into the finals from the five-goal-to-one scoreline.
The highlight of the round was the annual celebration of the players, coaches, and officials who take part in the Development Program, which enables the next generation of hockey players to learn the game in a friendly, non-competitive environment.
All players present received a certificate, and the WHA encouragement awards were presented before the final matches of the season.