Bumper season ahead for Lower Great Southern Hockey Association which is set to host national country champs

An exciting new Lower Great Southern Hockey Association season starts this week with four teams contesting the women’s and men’s A-grade competitions. The same four clubs will compete in the two premier divisions with the LGSHA season officially starting this week before the first A-grade matches are played on Saturday. There has been an increase in junior teams this year and the LGSHA is buoyed by the fact it will host the Australian Country Hockey Championships in August. Ron Hodgson will remain president of the LGSHA for 2022 with Hudson Field vice-president. Field said there was plenty of excitement at both junior and senior level after a long summer. “We are not sure how we will go with COVID, it is just a bit of wait and see,” he said. “Everyone is just eager to get out there and play. “We have a few more junior teams and got some players from Denmark and that sort of area which is a real good thing for our association.” In the women’s A-grade competition North Albany will set out to win a third straight premiership and face off against Mt Barker, Spencer Park and Manypeaks. Redbacks finished 5-2 winners in last year’s grand final and a top-three finals system will again be used with the team that ends on top after the 15-round regular season progressing directly to the decider. A preliminary final is then played between second and third place to determine their grand final opponent. The men’s A-grade competition will also use the same 15-round regular season and top-three finals system with Manypeaks, Spencer Park, North Albany and Vikings to do battle for the prized title. Peaks enter the season as defending premiers after a comprehensive 3-0 victory over Park in last year’s grand final. Field expected both A-grade competitions would be hotly contested this season. “The men’s is looking like a really good year,” he said. “Spencer Park have done some good recruiting and have a few guys that are down here from Perth. “Vikings should be up there and North are quite a young team. “At the end of last year it was a very even competition, anyone could have won it, so we are really looking forward to it. “In the women’s, Manypeaks have a very young team but they still have Kathryn Slattery playing for them. “If she fires, it will be great to get people down to watch her play.” Field said teams had been encouraged to give players to an opposition team if they were short due to COVID to ensure games go ahead. He also said the Australian Country Hockey Championships on August 6-13 would cause a delay in regular LGSHA fixtures but the event was a huge positive for the local region. “It will be a really big thing for the town and people to get behind,” Field said. North Albany and Manypeaks face off at 6pm in the first women’s A-grade game on Saturday before Spencer Park and Mt Barker clash at 7.30pm. Earlier in the day in the men’s A-grade Spencer Park and Manypeaks meet at 3pm before North Albany tackle Vikings at 4.30pm. LGSHA ROUND ONE A-GRADE FIXTURES Men’s A-grade, Saturday Spencer Park v Manypeaks — 3pm North Albany v Vikings — 4.30pm Women’s A-grade, Saturday North Albany v Manypeaks — 6pm Spencer Park v Mt Barker — 7.30pm