All eyes will be on the National Hockey Centre in Canberra this weekend as the best of Australian hockey battles it out for the JDH Hockey One League women’s and men’s titles.
Everything will go on the line with the top four women’s and men’s teams featuring in elimination semi finals on Saturday. The winners will go on to play off in the respective grand finals on Sunday to decide the 2023 champions.
Team lists have been increased to 17 players (up from 15) for the finals, allowing an additional goalkeeper and field player for the blockbuster Finals Main Event.
Saturday’s semi finals begin with Brisbane Blaze and Perth Thundersticks women to face off for the second time in a week.
The Blaze secured top spot with a 6-3 win over the Western Australians in Brisbane last Sunday. After spending much of the season in the top two, the result relegated the Thundersticks to fourth as they conceded as many goals in that game as they had in total across their previous five matches.
The Thundersticks has been bolstered by the return of captain Rachel Frusher and Hockeyroos defender Karri Somerville, while the Blaze have added Ruby Harris, Kyra Livermore and goalkeeper Ivy Matthews.
NSW Pride, chasing a historic three-peat, and Tassie Tigers meet in the men’s first semi final. The Pride, who were the only team not to lose a game, go in as hot favourites against a Tassie team that scraped into the top four.
Making the Tigers’ task even more challenging is the return of Kookaburras duo Ky Willott and Flynn Ogilvie plus in-form goalkeeper Ash Thomas. Furthermore, the Pride have also made a surprise addition naming former Kookaburra Ben Craig (brother of current Kookaburra Tom).
Ben played the first two seasons for Canberra Chill and has not played at all in this campaign but has responded to an SOS from coach Brent Livermore due to the Pride being without their Burras contingent.
However, Tassie will take heart and confidence being the only team to take points from the Pride this season when they drew 1-1 before losing the shootout back in Round 5.
The Canberra locals are certain to be in full voice when the Chill meet defending champions NSW Pride in the women’s second semi final.
The Pride finished a point above the Chill at the end of the regular season and this encounter promises to be just as tight with both teams showing they have what it takes to beat anyone on their day.
The Chill, with their impressive Irish trio Roisin Upton, Katie Mullan and Sarah Hawkshaw, recorded a 5-2 win over the Pride back in Round 4 at the National Hockey Centre and will be hoping history repeats.
However, led by Hockeyroos quintet Jocelyn Bartram, Grace Stewart, Kaitlin Nobbs, Greta Hayes and Mariah Williams, the Pride will have their sights set on going back-to-back.
Brisbane Blaze and HC Melbourne men conclude Saturday’s semi final action in a clash full of intrigue. Together with NSW Pride, the Blaze were the other standout team in the men’s competition and will enter the contest against HC Melbourne expecting to progress.
HC Melbourne were impressive in their win over Canberra last weekend, but head into the finals without their star quartet of Burras who are on Junior World Cup duty.
With Josh Simmonds and Damon Steffens, the Victorians have the drag flick arsenal to match it with the Blaze, who were boosted with the return of Kookaburra and last season’s leading scorer Joel Rintala last Sunday.
The Finals Main Event will also be the final chance for players to stake a claim for inclusion in the 2024 Hockeyroos and Kookaburras squads leading into the Paris Olympic Games, adding to the reasons why the action at the National Hockey Centre will be the hottest ticket in Canberra.
Every match of the JDH Hockey One League 2023 Finals Main Event will be LIVE and free on 7plus. Tickets are available now through Intix.
JDH Hockey One League 2023 Finals Main Event
25-26 November 2023
National Hockey Centre, Canberra
Tickets: Available through Intix
Broadcast: Every match in the finals will be LIVE and free on 7plus #HockeyOneFinals
Semi Finals (Saturday 25 November 2023)
Women’s Semi Final 1 (1v4) – Brisbane Blaze v Perth Thundersticks
Start Time: 11:00am AEDT
Brisbane Blaze Women’s team: 1.Savannah Fitzpatrick, 2.Rosie Malone, 3.Kendra Fitzpatrick, 5.Morgan Gallagher (c), 8.Dayle Dolkens, 9.Casey Dolkens, 10.Madison Fitzpatrick, 11.Morgan Mathison, 13.Rebecca Greiner, 14.Stephanie Kershaw, 17.Camryn Mathison, 21.Emily Kingston (gk), 22.Britt Wilkinson, 23.Ruby Harris, 24.Ivy Matthews (gk), 25.Kyra Livermore, 30.Georgina West
Ins: 23.Ruby Harris, 24.Ivy Matthews (gk), 25.Kyra Livermore
Outs: 16.Keeley Walker
Perth Thundersticks Women’s team: 1.Pippa Morgan, 3.Neasa Flynn, 4.Elyssa Melville, 6.Sarah Byrnes, 7.Penny Squibb, 8.Georgia Wilson, 9.Shanea Tonkin, 10.Jesse Reid, 11.Rachel Frusher (c), 12.Liné Malan, 13.Lexie Pickering, 14.Elizabeth Duguid (gk), 17.Annie Gibbs, 18.Renee Rockliff, 19.Georgina Dowd, 20.Karri Somerville, 23.Lou-Ellen Edwards (gk)
Ins: 4.Elyssa Melville, 11.Rachel Frusher, 20.Karri Somerville, 23.Lou-Ellen Edwards (gk)
Outs: 15.Belle Ramshaw, 24.Britney DeSilva
Men’s Semi Final 1 (1v4) – NSW Pride v Tassie Tigers
Start Time: 12:30pm AEDT
NSW Pride Men’s team: 1.Lachlan Sharp, 2.Tom Craig, 3.Nathan Akroyd (gk), 5.Ash Thomas (gk), 7.Daine Richards, 8.Nathanael Stewart, 13.Blake Govers, 14.Dylan Martin, 15.Miles Davis, 19.Jack Hayes (c), 20.Ky Willott, 22.Flynn Ogilvie, 23.Ryan Woolnough, 27.Ben Craig, 28.Sam Gray, 29.Tim Brand, 34.Thomas Miotto
Ins: 5.Ash Thomas (gk), 15.Miles Davis, 20.Ky Willott, 22.Flynn Ogilvie, 27.Ben Craig
Outs: 9.Nathan Czinner, 32.Callum Mackay, 36.Michael Taylor
Tassie Tigers Men’s team: 1.Magnus McCausland (gk), 4.Hayden Beltz, 5.Ewan Vickery, 6.Josh Brooks, 7.Josh Mardell, 8.Joseph Murphy, 9.Jeremy Edwards, 12.Sam McCulloch, 13.Josh Beltz (c), 14.Jack Welch, 16.Alex Hogan-Jones, 19.Tim Deavin, 20.Ehren Hazell, 27.Gobindraj Gill, 30.Alistair White, 32.Jeremy Hayward
Ins: 1.Magnus McCausland (gk), 8.Joseph Murphy, 16.Alex Hogan-Jones, 23.Henry Chambers (gk)
Outs: 25.Max Larkin (gk), 28.Lachlan Rogers
Women’s Semi Final 2 (2v3) – NSW Pride v Canberra Chill
Start Time: 2:30pm AEDT
NSW Pride Women’s team: 1.Alice Arnott, 3.Jocelyn Bartram (gk), 7.Laura Reid, 8.Greta Hayes, 10.Chelsea Holmes, 11.Estelle Hughes, 12.Grace Jeffrey (gk), 15.Hannah Kable, 17.Miri Maroney, 20.Kaitlin Nobbs, 24.Maddison Smith, 25.Emma Spinks, 26.Grace Stewart, 27.Kendelle Tait, 29.Meike van Haeringen, 30.Mariah Williams (c), 31.Abby Wilson
Ins: 11.Estelle Hughes, 12.Grace Jeffrey (gk), 25.Emma Spinks, 30.Mariah Williams
Outs: 2.Ellie Baldwin, 4.Ella Carr
Canberra Chill Women’s team: 1.Mikalya Evans, 2.Katie Mullan, 5.Claudia Johnston, 6.Roisin Upton, 7.Naomi Evans, 8.Sarah Hawkshaw, 9.Samantha Economos, 11.Tamsin Bunt, 13.Edwina Bone, 17.Kaitlin Cotter, 18.Olivia Martin, 21.Mikaela Patterson, 23.Kalindi Commerford (c), 25.Lauren Yee, 28.Catriona Bailey-Price, 32.Rene Hunter (gk)
Ins: 1.Mikalya Evans, 28.Catriona Bailey-Price, 31.Sarah Steinhardt (gk)
Outs: 29.Madeline Dooley
Men’s Semi Final 2 (2v3) – Brisbane Blaze v HC Melbourne
Start Time: 4:00pm AEDT
Brisbane Blaze Men’s team: 2.Shane Kenny, 3.Corey Weyer, 5.Lucas Brown, 8.Adam Imer, 10.Cale Cramer, 11.Michael Francis, 12.Jake Whetton (c), 13.David Hubbard, 14.Tyler Gaddes, 16.Tim Howard, 17.Scott Boyde, 18.Aaron Weiss (gk), 19.Luke Randle, 21.Max Harding, 23.Daniel Beale, 27.Joel Rintala, 32.Mitchell Nicholson (gk)
Ins: 11.Michael Francis, 18.Aaron Weiss (gk), 19.Luke Randle, 23.Daniel Beale
Outs: 1.Will Mathison, 24.Diarmid Chappell
HC Melbourne Men’s team: 5.Douglas Buckley, 6.Damon Steffens, 7.Nathan Ephraums, 8.Lachlan Steinfort, 9.Nathan Copey, 10.Brad Marais, 12.Connar Otterbach, 13.Jayshaan Randhawa, 14.James Knee, 15.Josh Simmonds (c), 17.Kiran Arunasalam, 18.Johan Durst (gk), 19.Jordan Rees, 22.Ben White, 26.Eden Davis, 29.Nicholas Fitzgerald, 88.Ben Hooppell (gk)
Ins: 9.Nathan Copey, 10.Brad Marais, 13.Jayshaan Randhawa, 17.Kiran Arunasalam, 29.Nicholas Fitzgerald, 88.Ben Hooppell (gk)
Outs: 1.Craig Marais, 4.Liam Henderson, 11.Cooper Burns, 20.Nye Roberts
Grand Finals and 3v4 play-offs (Sunday 26 November 2023)
11.30am AEDT Women’s 3rd v 4th playoff
1.00pm AEDT Men’s 3rd v 4th playoff
3:30pm AEDT Women’s Grand Final
5:30pm AEDT Men’s Grand Final
Finals Umpiring Team
Women’s – Aleisha Neumann, Emily Carrol, Nicola Brown, Cassidy Gallagher
Men’s – Zeke Newman, Steve Rogers, Jim Unkles, Aaron Gotting
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