Hockey
26 August, 2025
Finals picture set after thrilling last round of Wimmera hockey
The last round of the Wimmera hockey last regular season promised plenty of action, and the players across all teams delivered.
With several places in the finals still in the balance in two divisions, a potentially significant positional change on the Open ladder, and the last opportunity for a hit out for the teams that didn’t make the finals, this round had plenty of interest right until the last game, with even the couple of
dead rubbers still proving entertaining.
Open
In the Open competition, the only potential shift from the previous round involved the Kaniva Cobras, who had a slim opportunity to overtake the Warrack Hoops for second place.
This position offered a crucial second chance in the finals, as the Yanac Tigers had already secured the minor premiership and the Horsham Hurricanes were safely in fourth.
Set the unlikely task of a nine-goal victory to claim second place, the Cobras didn’t hold back right from the first whistle, setting a brisk pace which the Hurricanes matched across the field, but neither team could gain an advantage on the scoreboard throughout a very even and fast-paced first half.
Both teams were creating opportunities with swift breaks down the field, with solid defence at both ends of the ground equal to everything thrown at them.
This style of play continued into the second half, and it took a Kaniva penalty stroke conversion by Jordan Clarke three minutes before three-quarters time to break the deadlock,.
But in the style of the game, the evenness was maintained when Horsham’s Traiyth Leffler equalled the scores with a field goal just before the quarter ended.
In a gripping last period of play, both teams put on an excellent display of hockey, and some athletic saves by the goalkeepers were supported by solid work by the defenders at both ends and some quick and skilful passages of play by the strikers, but neither team could add to their tally and the game ended in an entertaining draw.
This result set the final four, with the Cobras and Hurricanes to face each other again in the semi-finals next weekend, promising an entertaining encore, and the Yanac Tigers will play the Warrack Hoops, who had this week off with the bye, for direct passage to the grand final.
There was nothing but pride on the line in the last match of the round, but nobody told the fifth- placed Nhill Rangers, who started strongly against the competition-leading Tigers, and they were the first to score, off Steven Carew’s stick, less than two minutes into the game.
As often happens, this prompted the Tigers to increase their pressure, and they replied within minutes with goals to Archie Zanker and Jamie Harding before quarter time.
A two-goal second quarter by Todd Alexander and scores to Brad Alexander and Jaidyn Honeyman in the third quarter set the scoreline at six goals to one by the end of the game, but the play on the field was much more competitive than this would suggest.
In their last hit out for the season, the Rangers constantly challenged the Tigers’ midfielders and defenders but were unable to breach the wall again before the last whistle.
Women
On Friday evening, the Dimboola Roos had a comfortable win over Warracknabeal, with Jennie Hauselberger scoring four goals and Ellie Baldock three in their total of nine, and Sam Williamson made sure Warrack got on the scorecard with a field goal in the second quarter.
Warrack’s challenging season has now come to an end, but their improvement to register one win and a draw over their winless 2024 shows plenty of promise for next year, while the Roos' focus now moves to taking on the dominant Yanac in the semi-finals.
Both Women’s matches on Saturday had a direct influence on which team would fill the last place in the top four going into the finals.
A win by the Nhill Thunderbirds would keep them in fourth place, but inflicting Yanac’s first defeat was just beyond them on this occasion, as the competition leaders made a big statement as the finals approach with a big win.
Erin Alexander led the scoring with three goals, and Caitlyn Alexander and Mikayla Mackley contributed two each to the eventual total of eleven.
After this result, the scene was set for the last Women’s match of the regular season, in which the Horsham Jets could rise from fifth to fourth with a win over Kaniva, a feat they had not yet achieved this season.
In an otherwise very even contest, a penalty corner conversion by Horsham’s Hannah Mackereth midway through the first quarter proved to be enough for the Jets to overtake the ‘Birds and book a place in the finals.
Next Saturday, Yanac and the Roos will now do battle for a place in the grand final, and Kaniva and the Jets will play off in the elimination semi-final.
Under 16
The most interest in the Under 16 competition was in the Friday evening match, which had the straightforward outcome of the winner progressing to the finals, and the season would end for the vanquished.
The Dimboola Kangaroos were the first to score late in the first half, with Jasper Ward scoring a field goal against some solid defence.
The scores were even again by three-quarter time after Sam Williamson scored a field goal soon after play resumed after the halftime break.
The destiny of both teams would come down to the last seventeen minutes of their regular season, and it was the Revengers who finished the stronger of the two, with last-quarter goals to Noah Eilola and Caleb Peters sealing the result of the game and their place in the top four.
The only other spot to decide was who would finish on top of the ladder when the first-placed Nhill Leopards and second-placed Yanac Warriors met on Saturday morning.
The Warriors came out ahead by one goal to give the Yanac club another trifecta of minor premierships with all three of their teams claiming top spot on their respective ladders.
Sean Pedie and Imogen Hedt were the goal scorers for the Warriors, and Daniel Bee was the sole scorer for the Leopards.
Although there was nothing significant riding on the other Under 16 match, with the Kaniva Raiders already safe in third place and the Horsham Bombers unable to rise from sixth place regardless of the result, these teams were not to be overshadowed, and they put on a very entertaining contest which ended in a thrilling one-all draw.
Best-on-ground Jack Di Pietro put the Bombers ahead in the second quarter with a converted penalty corner, and with both teams otherwise matching each other all over the field, it looked like this might be Horsham’s first win.
But a quick break from the hit off at the start of the last quarter by Jonas Beattie resulted in a goal for the Raiders which evened up the scores which would remain as the last score of a very entertaining and even game.
The Warriors and Leopards will now meet again in the second semi-final, and the Raiders and Revengers will meet in the first semi-final.
