After the semi-finals last Saturday provided six high-quality games of hockey, the preliminary finals this Saturday are set to raise the bar even higher.

The turf pitch at the Dimboola Health and Fitness Centre will be the venue to decide the remaining grand finalists, where any result in any of the three matches would not be considered an upset.

Open - Warrackanbeal Hoops v Kaniva Cobras
Head to Head this season –

Round 4 - Warrack Hoops 2 drew with Kaniva Cobras 2
Round 9 - Warrack Hoops 2 defeated Kainva Cobras 0
Round 12 - Warrack Hoops 1 defeated Kaniva Cobras 0
The head-to-head record this season between the Hoops who finished second on the ladder and Cobras who finished third suggests that the former team will go into their preliminary final as slight favourites, but it would be unwise for them reckless to think this will be an easy game.

Both are coming off intense matches last weekend, so they have had similar preparations, and both will feature several potential match-winners on the team sheets who will all present a challenge for their opponents to mark the entire game.

Their play contrasting styles, with the Hoops’ game plan focused on regularly stringing together a series of short passages of play, while the Cobras have earned considerable success with their long, solid hitting style, both of which have proven successful on this surface.

Either team would be worthy of a place in the grand final, so it will come down to which fires on the day to earn a crack at the Tigers in the ultimate match.

Women - Yanac v Warracknabeal
Head to Head this season -

Round 2 - Yanac 7 defeated Warracknabeal 0
Round 6 - Yanac 5 defeated Warracknabeal 0
Round 13 - Yanac 4 defeated Warracknabeal 1
This game could provide on of the surprises of the season.

Yanac has enjoyed a consistent year, only dropping two matches to the undefeated Kaniva but successfully holding off all other challengers, and with a one-sided record against Warracknabeal in their favour, can justify going into this game with confidence, but should also be cautious of taking this game too lightly.

Warracknabeal has struggled recently, having last played finals in 2018, and their most recent season-decider was in 2009, but after an inconsistent start to this season, they have shown steady improvement leading up to the finals, and although they had spent twelve of the fifteen rounds in fifth place on the ladder, reclaimed a place in the top four on the result of the last game of the last round.

With confidence from this late-season surge and then holding their nerve to win their semi-final last week in a shootout, in a game where more pressure will be on Yanac, it is not inconceivable that Warracknabeal could continue their dream run for another week.

Regardless of who wins, this will be a match worth watching.

Under 16 - Kaniva Raiders v Horsham Bombers
Head to Head this season -

Round 1 - Horsham Bombers 5 defeated Kaniva Raiders 1
Round 7 - Kaniva Raiders 3 defeated Horsham Bombers 0
Round 11 - Horsham Bombers 2 drew with Kaniva Raiders 2
Three teams dominated the Under 16 competition this year, including the Yanac Warriors, who have already qualified for the grand final, and the two teams that will face off in the preliminary final.

Two teams could not be much more evenly matched over three meetings throughout a season, with one win each and a draw, with the Bombers scoring seven goals against this opponent and the Raiders scoring six against the Bombers.

On the field, both teams feature several dominant older players who regularly catch the eye but also have a roster of keen younger ones capable of doing their bit to influence the result and cannot be underestimated.

With all of this information available, it is still impossible to confidently predict a winner, and it will take something special on the day to separate two otherwise very evenly matched teams.
Wimmera Hockey Association - Preliminary Final Fixture

Dimbooal Health and Fitness Centre - Saturday, 2 September, 2023

11.00 am - Under 16 - Horsham Bombers v. Kaniva Raiders
1.00 pm - Women - Yanac v Warracknabeal
3.00 pm - Open - Warrack Hoops v. Kaniva Cobras