Round 4 Preview

Round 4 of the Wimmera Hockey Association will take place on Saturday at Yanac.
The day starts with a showdown between the two Nhill junior teams, Leopards and Bandits. Both teams are doing really well this year and are near the top of the ladder. The Leopards have a broad range of goal scorers such as Adrian Creek, who has scored every game so far, and with Captain Tom Cook playing well, the Leopards look to really put on a show. However, the Bandits also have many potential goal scorers such as Tim Braendler, and providing they can hold off the Leopard’s attack, will be in with a very good chance. This game will be high in the minds of all the players, as they know every one of their opposition and a lot of reputation is at stake.
In other junior games, younger sides Yanac Warriors and Horsham Black Hawks will face each other. The Black Hawks have had a week off and will be hoping for a new revival and perhaps some goals this week. Captain Shaun Creek will be urging his players on and key players Allie Salter and Andrew Valentine will be instrumental in their team’s achievements. They will, however, find it hard to get past the Warriors tough defence which includes Jess Wheaton, Erin Blackwood and goalie Ryan Smith, who have only let 4 goals through this season.
The women’s competition sees another rivalry match, in a grand final replay between Nhill Thunderbirds and Warracknabeal. These teams have again showed their dominance in the competition this year and are sitting first and second on the ladder. This will be a high quality game and the Thunderbirds will be looking to make amends for last year’s disappointing grand final defeat. Laura Wallis, Grace McLeod and Holly Kennedy will be looking for quick goals for the Thunderbirds, whilst Alana Argent and Kate Nikkelson will be key players for Warracknabeal. This is an important game for both teams to really get ahead and prove their worth early in the season.
In the men’s competition, the bottom two teams, Kaniva and Dimboola will play with both teams longing for a win. Kaniva have a lot of depth in their team and seem unlucky not to have a win yet. If they can get their team working together they will probably win this game, but as a new side in the competition, it may be a while before they can really match the other more experienced teams. Dimboola, on the other hand, had a pretty bad loss in the first round but came back after the bye to record a competitive game against Horsham with minimum players. If they have a full strength team they will be able to match Kaniva and create a great game.
In the other men’s match, top sides Yanac Tigers and Horsham Hurricanes will play a very evenly contested match. This will be a good test for Horsham because they haven’t yet had the bye, whereas the Tigers are coming off a week’s rest and will be fired up to play. With Kim Croot firing for the Tigers and Paul Mackereth and Luke Dunn in form for the Hurricanes, this looks to be a tightly contested match.
The other matches for Saturday will be between Kaniva and Dimboola women, Yanac Women and Highlanders, Raiders and Bombers, and Revengers and Kookaburras. Kangaroos and Hoops have the bye.