A tough one goal loss to the Warrack Hoops and a solid win by the Kaniva Cobras in the two late games on Saturday evening resulted in the only significant change to the line up of the finals after the last round of home and away games in the Wimmera Hockey Association winter competition.
With these results the Cobras have risen to second on the Open division ladder and will square off against the undefeated Yanac Tigers next Saturday for a place in the grand final, whilst the Hoops will have to play the Dimboola Burras, the team that defeated them on Saturday evening, to stay alive in the 2017 premiership race.
The match-ups for the finals in the Under 16 and Women's competitions had already been decided before the start of the last round, so teams were either enjoying their last hit out for the season or perfecting their play in preparation for the finals
The first games of Round 15 hit off on Friday evening in very cold conditions at Dimboola, with the two Nhill senior teams bowing out of the 2017 season with close losses to their Yanac counterparts who are now looking forward to taking their winning form into the finals.
In the Women's game, both teams were short of players so they agreed to play only nine players on the field, instead of the regulation eleven, which led to an open free flowing game.
Yanac proved too strong with both Carmel Beattie and Carmen Trenery scoring twice each and Susan Hedt scoring a fifth goal whilst the Thunderbirds were kept scoreless.
Fullback Jeanette McLeod played another solid game for the Thunderbirds, thwarting many more Yanac attempts to score, and her team mates Ameilia Rintoule, despite missing the most of the second half with an injury, and Kellie Farquharson also played well.
The Nhill Rangers went into their Open division game with the rare luxury of two players on the interchange bench, but the Tigers were relentless in their attacking and although the Nhill team defended courageously the sheer number of attacking moves resulted in the Tigers winning by two goals.
Seth Croot and Simon Farmers were the goal scorers for the Tigers, and Mika McCarthy, Sam Bone and Mont Miller played well for the Rangers.
Open
Most interest in the last round centred on the battle for second place on the Open ladder.
The Warrack Hoops needed a win or a draw to remain in second place and were on track by half time in their game against the Dimboola Burras with both teams evenly matched and in a fast moving game neither team had scored.
There were plenty of opportunities to score after the break but both teams held strong until Lachlan Schultz was able to slip the ball through the Hoops' defence to break the deadlock.
The Hoops fought valiantly to even the scores, and the game even went down to a short corner played out after the final whistle which the Burras successfully kept out to win the game.
Beau Lovett and Talor Dent were named as the best players for the victors and Cameron Bardell and Jarrod Knoop stood out for the Hoops.
This result opened the door for the Cobras to steal second place if they could defeat the Horsham Hurricanes in the following game.
Another scoreless first half meant that it came down to the last 35 minutes of the regular season to decide second place, and these two teams put on a fitting finale in which a total of six goals were scored. Cobra Karl Glasgow was responsible for three of them, and his team mate Luke Shalders scored another in reply to two scored by Hurricanes Jarryd Bannan and Tom Roberts.
This victory allowed the Cobras to finish two points ahead of the Hoops and earn a place in the second semi-final against the undefeated Yanac Tigers next week.
Women
The Horsham Jets and Kaniva Women were both playing for form in the lead into the finals and a single goal to the Jets' Sophie Robinson mid way through the first half was the only difference between the teams.
The second half saw solid play by both teams but neither could score again, and the Jets enter the finals with a win, but the Kaniva Women can also take some confidence into their first finals series since 2006.
Robinson and Robyn Creek were named best for the Jets and Lisa Stimson and Sharon Williams played well for Kaniva.
The result of the game between the ladder leading Dimboola Roos and the sixth placed Warrack Women mirrored their respective seasons.
The Roos go into the finals as favourites for the premiership after a solid six goal win whilst the Warrack Women can reflect on a season rebuilding and look forward to more success in 2018.
Adina King led the scoring with two goals, with Vicki Smithyman, Kelly Smithyman, Jennifer Klinge and Jess Revell all scoring a single goal each. Regular leading players for Warrack, Kelly Krahe and Donna Robinson earned their teams' umpire votes.
Under 16
Although it would not change the match ups for the semi finals, the Warrack Revengers had the incentive of finishing the season in top place on the ladder when they took on fellow finalists the Dimboola Kangaroos on Saturday morning.
Two goals to Oskar Bennett of the Revengers matched goals by Teo Haines and Lachlan Geary of the Kangaroos for the game to finish as a draw, although the Revengers did control more of the play, with double the number of plays into the circle than their opponents.
This draw earned the Revengers the title of minor premiers, but in a very even season, they will still have to play well to earn the ultimate title, whilst the Kangaroos have shown that they too will have to be taken seriously in the finals.
The Yanac Warriors were only playing for pride when they took on the dominant Nhill Leopards, but they fought out a solid game in which both teams showed good skills and teamwork, and although the Leopards took the points, they had to play at their best to overcome the tenacious Warriors.
Blake Miller scored twice, and earned the title of best on the ground, for the Leopards and Nathan Colbert was the sole scorer for the Warriors.
In an ominous sign to the other teams, the Kaniva Raiders scored a comfortable six goal win over the Horsham Bombers. After an inconsistent start to the 2017 season, the Raiders are finding form at the right time and are eyeing off the chance of playing in a sixth grand final in a row.
With Luke Shalders in good form with three goals and their remaining three goals shared between Tyson Mitchell, Olivia Williams and Deegan Clark, the Raiders are showing that they have good depth and will be hard to beat over the next three weeks.
Under 12
The 2017 Under 12 competition was concluded on Saturday with three close games which were followed by presentations of certificates to all of the players and the acknowledgement of the hard work done by a regular band of volunteers.
Mitch Hughes scored twice and Logan Krelle, Evie Simpson and Jamie Clark once each to compile the Dimboola Kookaburras 5 goals, when they defeated the Warracknabeal team. Jamie Clark was named the best player for the winners and Sam Williamson was best for Warracknabeal.
Deegan Clark scored both of the goals for the Kaniva Rampagers when they defeated the Horsham Blackhawks. Kiera Jewell was player of the match for the Rampagers and August Koch earned that honour for the Blackhawks.
The Yanac Lowan Stars and Nhill Bandits played out a scoreless draw, with Lacy Cramer and Tamara Rowe named as the best players for the two teams respectively.
Round Fifteen Results
Open
Yanac Tigers 2 (Goals - S Famers, S Croot; Best - T Alexander, B Alexander, S Croot) defeated Nhill Rangers 0 (Best - M McCarthy, S Bone, Mont Miller)
Dimboola Burras 1 (Goal - L Schultz; Best - B Lovett, T Dent, L Schultz) defeated Warrack Hoops 0 (Best- C Bardell, J Knoop, J Dean)
Kaniva Cobras 4 (Goals - K Glasgow 3, L Shalders; Best - D Shalders, L Shalders, L Clark) defeated Horsham Hurricanes 2 (Goals - J Bannan, T Roberts; Best - J Bannan, E Hayden, P Mackereth)
Final Open Ladder
| | Pts | GD
| | Yanac Tigers | 54 | 39
| | Kaniva Cobras | 40 | 10
| | Warrack Hoops | 38 | 22
| | Dimboola Burras | 24 | -9
| | Horsham Hurricanes | 14 | -26
| | Nhill Rangers | 10 | -36
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Women
Yanac Women 5 (Goals - C Beattie 2, C Trenery 2, S Hedt; Best - C Beattie, S Hedt, S Alexander) defeated Nhill Thunderbirds 0 (Best - T McLeod, A Rintoule, K Farquharson)
Dimboola Roos 6 (Goals - A King 2, J Revell, V Smithyman, K Smithyman, J Klinge; Best - V Smithyman, B McMaster, R Lovett) defeated Warrack Women 0 (Best - K Krahe, D Robinson, K Voight)
Horsham Jets 1 (Goal - S Robinson; Best - S Robinson, R Creek, S Foot, L Schilling) defeated Kaniva Women 0 (Best - L Stimson, S Williams, R Clark)
Final Women's Ladder
| | Pts | GD
| | Dimboola Roos | 56 | 43
| | Horsham Jets | 44 | 26
| | Yanac Women | 30 | -3
| | Kaniva Women | 28 | -5
| | Nhill Thunderbirds | 12 | -32
| | Warrack Women | 10 | -29
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Under 16
Warrack Revengers 2 (Goals - O Bennett 2; Best - O Bennett, L Eilola, S Schultz) drew with Dimboola Kangaroos 2 (Goals - T Haines, L Geary; Best - D Danisch, T Krelle, N Krelle)
Nhill Leopards 2 (Goals - B Miller 2; Best - B Miller, E Murden, S Delaney) defeated Yanac Warriors 1 (Goal - N Colbert; Best - M Farmers, S Pipkorn, H Honeyman, L Farmers)
Kaniva Raiders 6 (Goals - L Shalders 3, T Mitchell, O Williams, D Clark; Best - L Shalders, O Williams, T Mitchell) defeated Horsham Bombers 0 (Best - S Hallett, C Dodson, S Foot)
Final Under 16 Ladder
| | Pts | GD
| | Warrack Revengers | 46 | 24
| | Nhill Leopards | 44 | 39
| | Kaniva Raiders | 38 | 17
| | Dimboola Kangaroos | 34 | 15
| | Yanac Warriors | 12 | -35
| | Horsham Bombers | 6 | -60
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Under 12
Dimboola Kookaburras 5 (Goals - M Hughes 2, L Krelle, E Simpson, J Clark; Best - J Clark) defeated Warracknabeal 0 (Best - S Williamson)
Kaniva Rampagers 2 (Goals - D Clark 2; Best - K Jewell) defeated Horsham Blackhawks 0 (Best - A Koch)
Yanac Lowan Stars 0 (Best - L Cramer) drew with Nhill Bandits 0 (Best - T Rowe)
Final Under 12 Ladder
| | Pts | GD
| | Yanac Lowan Stars | 40 | 23
| | Kaniva Rampagers | 42 | 21
| | Dimboola Kookaburras | 36 | 21
| | Horsham Blackhawks | 28 | -11
| | Nhill Bandits | 24 | -15
| | Warracknabeal | 10 | -39
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Semi Final Preview
The semi finals are to be played on Davis Park at Nhill on Saturday, and with the top four teams in each division being evenly matched, six close games are anticipated.
Semi Finals - Davis Park, Nhill - Saturday 26 August
Field 1
11.00 am - Under 16 - Dimboola Kangaroos v. Kaniva Raiders
1.00 pm - Women - Horsham Jets v. Dimboola Roos
3.00 pm - Open - Dimboola Burras v. Warrack Hoops
Field 2
11.00 am - Under 16 - Warrack Revengers v. Nhill Leopards
1.00 pm - Open - Kaniva Cobras v. Yanac Tigers
3.00 pm - Women - Kaniva Women v. Yanac Women
Open
First Semi Final - Warrack Hoops v. Dimboola Burras
Considering their victory last Saturday over their semi final opponent, the Dimboola Burras should go into their game next week as favourites, but the Warrack Hoops comfortably won their two earlier encounters.
The Hoops are a proud team and will not enjoy the idea of bowing out of the premiership race in the first week of finals for the first time since the early 1990s, whilst the young Burras team have gone close to qualifying for a grand final in recent years and will be eager to stay in the race to go at least one better this year.
Head to Head so far this season -
Round 5 - Warrack Hoops 4 defeated Dimboola Burras 0
Round 11 - Warrack Hoops 3 defeated Dimboola Burras 0
Round 15 - Dimboola Burras 1 defeated Warrack Hoops 0
Second Semi Final - Yanac Tigers v. Kaniva Cobras
It is hard to tip against the Yanac Tigers considering that they have not been defeated yet this season, but the Kaniva Cobras have played some good hockey recently and if any team is currently in the form to challenge this dominance.
The Tigers have played in the last eleven season deciders and have a wealth of finals experience in their team but this will be matched by the Kaniva Cobras who have not fared well in finals but have earned the opportunity change this record this year.
Head to Head so far this season -
Round 1 - Yanac Tigers 1 defeated Kaniva Cobras 0
Round 6 - Yanac Tigers 2 defeated Kaniva Cobras 1
Round 10 - Yanac Tigers 3 drew with Kaniva Cobras 3
Women
First Semi Final - Kaniva Women v. Yanac Women
The Kaniva Women will be playing finals for the first time since 2006 when they lost the preliminary final to Warracknabeal Women, whilst the Yanac Women lost the grand final last year to the Dimboola Roos.
Kaniva has the motivation of working towards qualifying for a grand final for the first time and Yanac has the desire to erase the memory of their loss last year.
Finals experience may be the only thing to separate these two teams.
Head to Head so far this season -
Round 1 - Kaniva Women 0 drew with Yanac Women 0
Round 6 - Kaniva Women 1 defeated Yanac Women 0
Round 10 - Yanac Women 2 defeated Kaniva Women 0
Second Semi Final - Dimboola Roos v. Horsham Jets
As with the Yanac Tigers in the Open competition, the Dimboola Roos have played well enough this season to go into the finals as favourites for the title, and their opponent on Saturday, the Horsham Jets, has had an inconsistent season.
The Jets will have to play at their very best if they are to challenge the depth of the Dimboola Roos and earn the direct path into the grand final.
Head to Head so far this season -
Round 1 - Dimboola Roos 2 defeated Horsham Jets 1
Round 6 - Horsham Jets 1 defeated Dimboola Roos 0
Round 10 - Dimboola Roos 1 defeated Horsham Jets 0
Under 16
First Semi Final - Kaniva Raiders v. Dimboola Kangaroos
With only three wins separating first and fourth on the Under 16 ladder the finals in this division promise to be very close and it is difficult to pick a favourite for the premiership.
The Dimboola Kangaroos have won two of their three encounters against their semi final opponent, but the Kaniva Raiders form has improved significantly over recent rounds, so the most recent meeting which was a comfortable win by the Raiders is a better indication of their current form.
Head to Head so far this season -
Round 3 - Dimboola Kangaroos 5 defeated Kaniva Raiders 3
Round 8 - Dimboola Kangaroos 2 drew with Kaniva Raiders 2
Round 14 - Kaniva Raiders 6 defeated Dimboola Kangaroos 2
Second Semi Final - Warrack Revengers v. Nhill Leopards
The Under 16 second semi final will be one of the best games of the season as both the combatants have shown consistent form this year and have both spent significant time on the top of the ladder.
The Revengers have earned the minor premiership title but this will not mean anything when these two evenly matched teams meet on Saturday, and with whichever team that wins the other semi final more that capable of challenging either of these teams, a win in this game will be the only way to guarantee a place in the grand final.
Head to Head so far this season -
Round 1 - Nhill Leopards 1 defeated Warrack Women 0
Round 6 - Warrack Revengers 2 defeated Nhill Leopards 0
Round 10 - Warrack Revengers 2 defeated Nhill Leopards 1
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