After three hotly contested preliminary finals played out in ideal conditions on the Kaniva hockey field on Saturday, the race for the 2024 premierships has been reduced to two teams in each division for the grand finals next Saturday.
All three games were worthy of the penultimate games for the season, with all close and even contests that could have gone either way, but in the end, it was the Nhill Leopards in the Under 16s, Kaniva in the Women’s, and the Warrack Hoops in the Open competitions who have qualified to meet their Yanac counterparts to decide the premierships next Saturday.
- Open -

Horsham came into this game chasing their first grand final appearance since 2008 and had the better form coming into the finals, while the Hoops were after another chance to redress multiple grand final losses to the Yanac Tigers but had not displayed their best form over recent matches, which set the scene for an enthralling contest.

Not wanting to repeat their mistake in the semi-final by letting their opponent take control of the game early, the Hoops started strongly, but the Hurricanes rose to the challenge. Between them, they put on a fine display of hockey with a very even first quarter in which the Horsham team may have claimed the ascendency, earning the only penalty corner for the quarter, but they could not convert this, and the scorecard remained blank at the first break.

The second quarter saw the Hoops begin to wrest control, although they had to work hard to counter a determined opponent. This quarter featured many fast strong attacking moves, with the Hoops’ effective short passing game giving them the edge, and this paid off when Isaac McPherson scored a goal from field play to have the Hoops ahead by the long break.

A third very even quarter was played out with neither team giving the other a break, but the Hoops held onto their lead at three-quarter time, and in a final intense period of play, McPherson found the goals to increase the Hoops’ lead, which despite fighting the game out to the end at full pace, the Hurricanes were unable to overcome.

Royce Bennett played a top game in defence for the Hoops, while McPherson and Jayden Smith stood out in attack, and Will Gulline, Tom Batchelor and Jonathon Horsfall played well for the Hurricanes.

This sets up a seventeenth grand final between the two most dominant teams in the thirty-four years that the Open/Men’s competition has been contested, and with the head-to-head record in these matches in favour of the Tigers by sixteen wins to the Hoops’ four, but this is a chance for the Warracknabeal team to begin to correct this imbalance.

- Women’s -

In another game fitting of a preliminary final, Kanva and the Horsham Jets played out four quarters of hard-fought, even hockey, with both teams earning periods of possession, but solid defence at both ends of the ground prevented any scoring from field play or the eleven penalty corners awarded during night game.

The play that separated the two teams was a penalty stroke awarded to Kaniva early in the third quarter, which Kaniva’s Haley Pearse was able to get past Horsham Jets’ goalkeeper Jennifer Taylor to record the only score for the game.

Kaniva defenders Sharon Williams and Nyree Hutchins controlled their backline with authority, and attacker Sigourney Williams added a spark up forward, while Jets’ defenders Hannah Werner and Launa Shilling did well to repel many Kaniva attacking moves, and forward Maddy Spano created opportunities in their forward line.

Kaniva now has the chance to avenge their loss to Yanac in the 2023 grand final when they face off in this year’s season decider next Saturday.

- Under 16s -

The win by the Nhill Leopards was set up with a two-goal opening quarter, which yielded a scrappy field goal to Chelsea Bone after eight minutes of play and another off a solid hit by Barrett Clark just before quarter time, while they were able to nullify the Raiders strong forward line.

The rest of the game was very even, but the young Kaniva team could not maintain enough pressure to make up the deficit on the scoreboard, although Logan Krelle did get one back for the Raiders in the second half, they ran out of time to score an equaliser and send the game into a shootout.

Deegan Clark played a strong game at centre half-back for the Leopards, and Oliver Bone added some pace to their forward line. The reliable Thar Shue Bee played a solid game at full-back.

Charlie White and Jonas Beattie played well for the Raiders across their half-back line, and defender Logan Krelle was effective, whether in defence or attack.

The Leopards now face the dominant Yanac Warriors to decide the Under 16 title.

All three grand finals will be played at the Dimboola Health and Fitness Centre next Saturday, followed by the awards presentation function and celebration of fifty years of the Wimmera Hockey Association in the evening at the Dimboola Memorial Secondary College Hall.



Wimmera Hockey Association - Preliminary Final Results

- Open -

Warrack Hoops 2 (Goals - Isaac McPherson 2; Best - Royce Bennett, Isaac McPherson, Jayden Smith) defeated Horsham Hurricanes 0 (Best - Will Gulline, Tom Batchelor, Jonathon Horsfall)

- Women -

Kaniva Women 1 (Goal - Haley Pearse; Best - Sharon Williams, Nyree Hutchins, Sigourney Williams) defeated Horsham Jets 0 (Beset - Hannah Werner, Maddy Spano, Launa Schilling)

- Under 16 -

Nhill Leopards 2 (Goals - Barrett Clark, Chelsea Bone; Best - Deegan Clark, Oliver Bone, Thar Shue Bee) defeated Kaniva Raiders 1 (Goal - Logan Krelle; Best - Charlie White, Jonas Beattie, Logan Krelle)