After the penultimate round of games in the Wimmera Hockey Association regular season over the weekend, the teams to contest the finals in all three competitions have been set, and although most games finished according to ladder positions this did not signify a series of one-sided games.
The highlight of the round was a maiden 2019 victory for the last-placed Dimboola Kangaroos in the Under 16 competition, as they finally lived up to their potential and scored a win in their second last game for the season.
Open
The round began on Friday evening with the Nhill Rangers, who have already qualified for their first final’s appearance in six seasons, receiving a reality check from the competition leaders.
The Yanac Tigers displayed why they are the top team as they put on a polished display that yielded two early goals in each half to overcome the otherwise strong Rangers defence, but the Nhill team now knows what they are up against if they are to progress beyond the first round of finals.
The Warrack Hoops registered a comfortable win over the Kaniva Cobras on Saturday evening to maintain their hold on second place on the ladder for another week.
Four separate goal scorers for the Warrack team highlighted their versatility, but the Cobras were able to exploit a lapse in concentration to breech the Hoops’ defence to score once.
The Dimboola Burras continued their quest for a top two finish with a strong six goal victory over the Horsham Hurricanes, putting themselves in a position where a draw (combined with a big loss to the Hoops) could be enough for them to claim the coveted second chance in the finals in the last round next weekend.
Five players shared the goal scoring, with the Hurricanes’ defence unable to close off all of the Burras avenues into attack.
Women
All of the games in this division reflected ladder positions, and the slim chance that the Horsham Jets had of overtaking Kaniva for the last place in the finals has now gone with the latter team failing to get any points against the Dimboola Roos, and the latter team finally putting their place in the semi finals beyond doubt with a win over Warracknabeal.
The Dimboola Roos enjoyed a comfortable win over the Jets, with field goals to Adina King and Jennifer Klinge in the first half giving them a two goal advantage at the break, but the highlight of the four goals they scored in the second half was a run by Adina King covering three quarters of the field to create a one-on-one contest with the Jets’ goalkeeper, which she won to score the third, and last, of her three goals for the game.
Determined defence by the Horsham players was not enough to combat all of the Roos’ attacking options and the game finished with a six goal score line.
Kaniva have finally settled the debate about which team would earn the fourth place in the Women’s finals, with a two goal win over Warracknabeal.
The winning margin was established in the first half, although to their credit the Warracknabeal players rallied after the break and were able to prevent any further scoring.
The game on Friday night saw the Nhill Thunderbirds put up a spirited performance against the strong Yanac team, but they were unable to combat all of Yanac’s forward options which resulted in three field goals and two converted penalty corners for a total of five goals.
Under 16
The Dimboola Kangaroos broke through for their first win for 2019 with a narrow victory over the Horsham Bombers, and it was fitting that one of the Kangaroos’ most consistent players, Tom Krelle, scored the goal that secured the win. This has been very trying season for the Dimboola under 16 team that has regularly played with less that a full complement of players on the field.
In a very even game, Krelle got the ball past the Bombers’ goal keeper with just over two minutes of play remaining in the first half to earn the lead, and in an equally close second half neither team was able to score against some solid defence at both ends of the ground.
Although the win does not move the team off the bottom of the ladder, it will give them a great boost in confidence as they look forward to next season.
A five goal win by the undefeated Yanac Warriors over fellow finalists the Nhill Leopards reinforced why they will go into the finals as favourites.
Even when the Warriors’ coaches experimented with players in unfamiliar positions, they still looked potent and will prove a great challenge for the teams they will encounter in the finals in the coming weeks.
Two other finalists clashed on Saturday morning with the Kaniva Raiders finishing just ahead of the Warracknabeal Revengers in a very close game.
Raider Max Goodwin scored a field goal mid-way through the first half, which proved to be the only score amongst some very even hockey by both teams, with many more attacking moves repelled by well-coordinated defences at both end of the field.
Under 12 Development Program
Sixty young players took to the turf at the Dimboola Health and Fitness Centre on Saturday afternoon for the second last day of the Under 12 Development Program for this season and three very close games were played out.
The Kaniva Rampagers and Warrack Avengers played out a scoreless draw, the Horsham Black Hawks and Dimboola Kookaburras both scored one goal in another drawn game, and the Yanac Lowan Stars scored four goals to the Nhill Bandits three.
Round Fifteen Preview
As the teams go into the last round of the regular season before the top teams embark on their finals campaigns, all the finalists have already been set so the most interest will be in whether the Dimboola Burras can leap over the Warrack Hoops into second place on the Open competition ladder and earn the valuable second chance in the finals.
Open
The Hoops will be the first of these teams to take to the field at Yanac on Saturday when they face off against the Horsham Hurricanes, and although this latter team goes into this game on the bottom of the ladder, they still have the incentive of the opportunity to avoid the wooden spoon if they can register a last round win, and the Cobras suffer a loss.
The Hurricanes have shown some promising form at times this season and have played better than their modest return of one win and two draws would suggest, so if the Hoops are to score a win, and confirm a top two finish, they have to play well to earn it.
Regardless of the result of the second Open division game the Yanac Tigers will once again go into a finals series as minor premiers, and the Kaniva Cobras will miss the finals, but like the Hurricanes, the Cobras are capable of some good hockey and will give the Tigers a good workout.
If the Hoops lose their game earlier in the day, the result of the final game will determine who finishes second. The fourth placed Nhill Rangers have earned their first finals appearance in six seasons with some impressive hockey in recent weeks, so are quite capable of causing an upset if the Dimboola Burras do not play at their best.
If the Hoops win or draw their game they will finish second, but if the Burras are to snatch second place they need the Hoops to suffer a loss and score a win themselves.
Women
The Women’s top four cannot change irrespective of the results on Saturday, but there is still some interest in all three games.
Both the Horsham Jets and Warracknabeal will put away their hockey sticks after this weekend’s game and although neither can rise into the top four, both will be looking to finish the season on a high so this should be a close game.
The other two games see match-ups within the top four, with all eager to score a psychological advantage before they potentially meet in the finals.
The Dimboola Roos take on the Nhill Thunderbirds, and Yanac play Kaniva, but the only possible change in ladder position would require an unlikely combination of results. For Dimboola to steal top spot, Yanac would have to lose only their second game for the season, and by a substantial margin, and the Roos would need to register a big win. If this were to happen we will have witnessed a great day of hockey.
Even with losses the Thunderbirds and Kaniva will finish in third and fourth places on the ladder respectively.
Under 16
The feature game in the Under 16 competition will see the top two teams meet in a preview of the second semi final, when the second placed Kaniva Raiders take on the Yanac Warriors who have not yet lost a game in 2019.
It is difficult to imagine the Warriors losing at this point of the season on their home ground, but it will be a great opportunity for these teams to size up each other before they meet again the following week in the second semi final to play for a place in the grand final.
The clash between the Warrack Revengers and Horsham Bombers will also provide some interest as although Warrack has already booked a place in the first semi final, and the Bombers will finish fifth regardless of the result, the latter team is another to have played better this season than their ladder position would suggest and they could finish with a win if the Revengers do not play at their best.
The other game will see the Dimboola Kangaroos, coming off their first win for the season, take on the Nhill Leopards, who need a confidence boost before they embark on their finals campaign.
Under 12 Development Program
The Under 12 Development Program will come to an end for 2019 on Saturday with the annual presentations at 12.30 pm before the last round of games are played at 1 pm on field two at Yanac.
Round Fifteen Fixture
- at the Yanac Recreation Reserve
Field One
9:30 am - Under 16 - Horsham Bombers v Warracknabeal
11:00 am - Women - Horsham Jets V Warracknabeal Women
12:30 pm - Open - Horsham Hurricanes v Warracknabeal Hoops
2:00 pm - Open - Yanac Tigers V Kaniva Cobras
3:30 pm - Women - Yanac Women V Kaniva Women
Field Two
9:30 am - Under 16 - Yanac Warriors v Kaniva
11:00 am - Under 16 - Dimboola Kangaroos v Nhill
12:30 pm - Under 12 Development Program - Dimboola Kookaburras v Nhill Bandits
12:30 pm - Under 12 Development Program - Horsham Black Hawks v Warracknabeal Avengers
12:30 pm - Under 12 Development Program - Yanac Lowan Stars v Kaniva Rampagers
2:00 pm - Women - Dimboola Roos v Nhill Thunderbirds
3:30 pm - Open - Dimboola Burras v Nhill Rangers
Round Fourteen Results
Open
Yanac Tigers 4 (Goals - J Cramer 2, A Magrath, N Alexander; Best - J Cramer, T Alexander, A Magrath) defeated Nhill Rangers 0 (Best - S Bone, L Marra, J Reichelt)
Warrack Hoops 4 (Goals - C Bardell, M Williamson, O Bennett, R Bennett; Best - C Bardell, S Schultz, H Wagenknecht) defeated Kaniva Cobras 1 (Goal - J Hendy; Best - C Beattie, M Goodwin, D Cole)
Dimboola Burras 6 (Goals - L Schultz 2, J Williams, L Geary, C Baldock, Z Slater-Collard; Best - J Lovett, C Baldock, L Schultz) defeated Horsham Hurricanes 0 (Best - J Kube, H Knights, S Hoffman)
| | Pts | GD
| | Yanac Tigers | 52 | 33
| | Warrack Hoops | 38 | 22
| | Dimboola Burras | 36 | 20
| | Nhill Rangers | 22 | -10
| | Kaniva Cobras | 12 | -32
| | Horsham Hurricanes | 8 | -33
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Women
Yanac 5 (Goals - C Beattie 2, S Shurdington, N Harding, E Wheaton; Best - E Alexander, N Penhall, C Beattie) defeated Nhill Thunderbirds 0 (Best - K Clark, B Cuming, C Kessler)
Kaniva 2 (Goals - C Shurdington, L Stimson; Best - O Williams, C Shrdington, L Stimson, H White) defeated Warracknabeal 0 (Best - K Krahe, R McNamara, T Bull, T Engelbrecht)
Dimboola Roos 6 (Goals - A King 3, B McMaster, K Smithyman, J Klinge; Best - J Klinge, E Klinge, K Smithyman) defeated Horsham Jets 0 (Best - L Schilling, C Lawson, S O’Connor)
| | Pts | GD
| | Yanac Women | 50 | 50
| | Dimboola Roos | 46 | 44
| | Nhill Thunderbirds | 32 | -1
| | Kaniva Women | 24 | -6
| | Horsham Jets | 16 | -22
| | Warrack Women | 0 | -65
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Under 16
Yanac Warriors 5 (Goals - C Hassall, Caleb Zanker, Chloe Zanker, M Farmers, J Croot; Best - A Farmers, N Colbert, C Hassall) defeated Nhill Leopards 0 (Best - K Rowe, D Clark, K Clark)
Kaniva Raiders 1 (Goal - M Goodwin; Best - M Goodwin, N White, C White) defeated Warrack Revengers (Best - B Williamson, H Johns, T Engelbrecht)
Dimboola Kangaroos 1 (Goal - T Krelle; Best - F Eilola, T Krelle, S Pedie) defeated Horsham Bombers 0 (Best - B Brooks, K Schwarz, S Foot)
| | Pts | GD
| | Yanac Warriors | 56 | 115
| | Kaniva Raiders | 38 | 13
| | Warrack Revengers | 28 | -13
| | Nhill Leopards | 26 | -6
| | Horsham Bombers | 16 | -52
| | Dimboola Kangaroos | 4 | -57
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Under 12 Development Program
Yanac Lowan Stars 5 (Goals - S Pedie 2, Asher Zanker, Archie Zanker) defeated Nhill Bandits 4 (Goals - V Maloney, T Maloney, K Chequer; Encouragement Award - T McBride)
Kaniva Rampagers 0 (Encouragement Award - D Stimson) drew with Warrack Avengers (Encouragement Award - A Mills)
Horsham Black Hawks 1 (Goal - J Nuske; Encouragement Award - T Shanaughan) drew with Dimboola Kookaburras 1 (Goal - J Ward)
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