Tournament director expects high level of competition at Hockey Australia Country Challenge in Albany

Tournament director Nicola Ogden says Albany will be treated to hockey games like never before as 12 teams prepare for the Hockey Australia Country Challenge. COVID-19 forced the national country hockey championships’ cancellation in the past two years but the wait is over as the popular event officially starts on Saturday. The Lower Great Southern Hockey Association will host the event from August 6-13, comprising women’s and men’s teams from New South Wales, Queensland, Victoria, South Australia, WA and the Australian Defence Force. Ogden is in charge of the operation of the week-long tournament and said residents would enjoy a high-level competition. “We are hoping for some marvellous hockey,” Ogden said. “For a lot of people that are attending, this is their version of the Commonwealth Games which are on at the moment. “The players can put their best performances on show in a country environment. “It is a pretty unique tournament given a lot of national events are played in metro areas. “All the teams are picking the best of the best. “The Eastern States teams are traditionally very strong and there is not going to be any easy wins.” The championships officially start with Victoria and New South Wales playing a women’s fixture at 9am on Saturday. Six matches will be played each day, including some evening fixtures, while Thursday, August 11 will be a rest day ahead of the semifinals and finals. An opening ceremony will be held at 12.30pm on Saturday. WA will begin their campaign against the Australian Defence Force on Saturday, with the women playing at 4.45pm and the men at 6.30pm. The top four teams in the men’s and women’s divisions will reach the semifinals, with the two winners progressing to play in the gold medal match and the losers facing off for bronze. The bronze medal matches will be played at 9am and 11am on Saturday, August 13 before the women’s gold medal game at 1pm and the men’s decider at 3pm. WA Country men’s team Jason Vuletich, Ryan McGeoch, Logan Burgemeister, Raine Fisher, Sam Brown, Lachlan Overton, Jarrod Booth, Brayden Dalton (Bunbury), Heath Cremasco, Darren Parkes, Brodie Sarre, Chris Metcalfe (Lower Great Southern), Johnathon Bates, Zane Soper, Chris Souchon (Eastern Goldfields), Nick Corner, Liam Sweeney (Upper Great Southern), Pierce Paynter (Avon), Train On: Hayden Mills (Lower Great Southern). WA Country women’s team Beck Gallimore, Zali Spencer, Laura Archer, Laura Cinanni, Bonnie Crook (Lower Great Southern), Emily Ballantyne, Zeta O’Rourke (Upper Great Southern), Cassie Nicol, Emma Storm, Nelmarie De Swardt (Eastern Goldfields), Melanie Baldwin, Georgia Miller (Eastern Districts), Emily Hegney (Esperance), Lauren Newman, Camryn McKoy (Geraldton), Bellwyn Fairclough (Avon), Jamie Beckett (Bunbury), Bella Connelly (Roe Districts).