Hockey
8 August, 2025
Hockey sides jostle for finals spots
With several pieces of the Wimmera hockey finals puzzle yet to fall into place, the teams will gather in Kaniva on Saturday for round 13 matches, where several teams might have their fate decided.
The most interest will be in the ongoing three-way battle for the last two places in the under 16 finals, but the match-ups for the semi-finals in the other grades may become clearer by Saturday evening.
Open
Recent form and current ladder positions suggest that this round in the open competition may be a foregone conclusion, but even if it is there will still be some questions to be answered before the finals.
Although they are sitting second on the ladder, the Warrack Hoops will still be missing several key players so they are unlikely to seriously challenge the dominant Yanac Tigers’ undefeated record this week, while the Kaniva Cobras, who are striving to overtake the Hoops, take on the winless Nhill Rangers in a game that may not be a straight forward as it would appear.
The Cobras have shown some patchy form recently and the Rangers have gone close to defeating several teams, so this game will be intense and could go either way.
Even if the higher-ranked Tigers and Cobras both win this will bring Kaniva within two points of the Hoops, but if either game goes the other way it will almost confirm the Hoops will finish the season in their current position.
The Horsham Hurricanes have the bye this week but will be following the Cobras’ fortunes closely, as if they lose, the Horsham team has a greater chance of overtaking them on the ladder before the finals.
Women
The women’s matches feature the top three taking on the lower three, and despite Warrack registering their first win for the season last weekend, form suggests that the higher teams should all prevail.
The closest encounter will pit Kaniva against the Nhill Thunderbirds.
Although holding third place, Kaniva have shown some patchy form and will need to play their best if they are to overcome the improving Nhill team, who are just below them on the ladder.
Yanac will claim the minor premiership with two rounds remaining if they continue their undefeated season by defeating Warrack, and the Dimboola Roos will confirm a top-two finish with a win over the Horsham Jets.
A Thunderbirds win combined with a Jets loss would finally shut the door on the Horsham team’s chances of making the finals, but no combination of results can see any positional chances on the ladder this week.
Under 16
The game with the most significant impact on the under 16 competition will be between the Dimboola Kangaroos and the Horsham Bombers, with the other two teams fighting for the last two places in the finals looking at a lean weekend as they take on the top teams.
If the Kangaroos can defeat the Bombers, which recent form would suggest, the Dimboola team remains in the mix for a finals berth, but a loss will condemn them to rely on an unlikely combination of results over the last two rounds for them to make the top four.
If the Nhill Leopards and Yanac Warriors continue their dominant form, which has seen them only lose one game each, and defeat the Kaniva Raiders and Warrack Revengers respectively, there will be no movement on the ladder.