Sport
25 April, 2023
Wimmera hockey hits off
The Wimmera Hockey Association’s 2023 winter season hits off this weekend with a full round of matches on the turf at Dimboola. With all clubs playing their pre-season recruiting close to their chests, Saturday will provide the first opportunity...
The Wimmera Hockey Association’s 2023 winter season hits off this weekend with a full round of matches on the turf at Dimboola.
With all clubs playing their pre-season recruiting close to their chests, Saturday will provide the first opportunity to assess their opponent’s strengths and weaknesses for the season ahead.
For the first time since the early 1980s, Dimboola will not enter a team in any of the competition grades this year after making the tough decision to withdraw their Open team after struggling to regularly put eleven players on the field last season. They have not fielded Women’s or Junior teams for several years.
Their iconic yellow and green uniform will still occasionally appear this season in a partnership that will see some former Dimboola players line up with the Warracknabeal club that will also wear Dimboola’s strip for several matches. With an eye to rebuilding their club for the future, Dimboola will encourage the next generation of players by continuing to participate in the Under 12 Development Program.
When the action gets underway for the season on Saturday, the feature game of the opening round will see a replay of last year’s Women’s Division grand final, with Kaniva enjoying the opportunity to begin a season as the reigning premier for the first time after winning their maiden title last year.
Their opponents, the Horsham Jets, will look to reverse the result and set themselves up for a tilt at the 2023 title.
The combatants in the other Women’s match, the Nhill Thunderbirds and Warracknabeal, both struggled in 2022 and will see Saturday as an opportunity to start this season on a positive note.
The reigning premiers in the Open competition, the Yanac Tigers, will have to wait another week to begin their title defence as they have the bye on Saturday, but there will still be plenty of action in this division. The evening match-up between the Horsham Hurricanes and Kaniva Cobras will still provide plenty of action between two evenly matched teams capable of mounting a challenge to perennial competition leaders in the Yanac Tigers and Warrack Hoops.
Although the Nhill Rangers did not enjoy much success last season, and they face the challenge of taking on last year’s grand finalists in the Warrack Hoops, both teams start this year with a clean slate, and the Rangers should not be underestimated.
In the Under 16 competition, the Horsham Bombers and Kaniva Raiders will open the season, followed by the match-up of last year’s two defeated semi-finalists, involving the Nhill Leopards and Warrack Revengers, and the Under 12 Development Program will take over the pitch at 12.30pm for an hour.
Wimmera Hockey Association - Round One Fixture
Saturday, April 22 2023, at the Dimboola Health and Fitness Centre
9.30am - Under 16 - Horsham Bombers v. Kaniva Raiders
11.00am - Under 16 - Nhill Leopards v. Warracknabeal Revengers
12.30pm - Under 12 Development Program - Nhill Bandits v. Kaniva Rampagers, Yanac Lowan Stars v. Horsham Black Hawks, Dimboola Kookaburras v. Warracknabeal Avengers
1.30pm - Women - Nhill Thunderbirds v. Warracknabeal Women
3.00pm - Women - Horsham Jets v. Kaniva Women
4.30pm - Open - Nhill Rangers v. Warracknabeal Hoops
6.00pm - Open - Horsham Hurricanes v. Kaniva Cobras