Hockey season underway
• Mehki Jones and Nick Hill charge for the ball in front of Gregory Coker-Williams and Lachie McNeven.
By Janine Williams,
APRIL 28, 2021
Hockey has resumed in the North-East for 2021 after an off-season with some significant team changes and player movements bringing a host of new players into the competition.
Although there appears to be no such thing as standard mixed hockey rules, the local association has ruled that it will fall in line with other known competition practices where each team can have five female and five male field players with the goalkeeper being either female or male.
The first game was between the Devils and Frogs. Last year’s Opposition team has merged into the Devils and they have fielded a strong seasoned team with just two junior players.
The Frogs, formed this year from Andrew and Nic Hill branching off from the Sloths, with seven juniors playing their first game among the remaining 10 players.
The Frogs defence tried hard as the Devils were awarded eight short corners in the first half, mostly resulting from inexperience defence errors.
The Devils’ Amber Jones and Caleb Beane scored nine goals between them, but the Frogs goalie, Dom Quinn, although under enormous pressure, made some good blocks in the second half.
First game juniors, Devils’ Reagan Colgrave and the Frogs’ Byran Hill with Lorissa Dobson presented well in their first game.
While this game was a miss-match so early in the season, there were a lot of positives for the Frogs and with a few more matches under captain Andrew Hill, they will likely find a stronger team game.
The second game was between Rovers and Sloths.
Due to unavailability, both teams were missing key players from last year’s finals clash.
The Rovers have picked up Sam Sandhu and two of the 2020 seasons best first year players, Jayden Knight, and Xavier Ritson.
The Sloths fielded newcomers Grant Haywood, Archie Burke and Mitch Rosier who demonstrated plenty of skill.
This game was a more even match up, but with both teams undermanned, the players had more field to cover which tested their fitness this early in the season.
The Rovers’ Bailey Devonport was all over the ground while Phil Knight did well with four goals and Sam Sandhu’s vocal direction from defence was outstanding.
The Sloths’ Grant Haywood and Mitch Rosier ran well and Kerry Kershaw was solid in defence.
From Saturday, May 1, to comply with the Public Health Directions all players and spectators will have to sign into the Scottsdale Recreation Ground.
When sharing the complex with the NTFA, to relieve a bottleneck at the main gate, the hockey association will have a sign-in facility at its ground.