Perth Thundersticks will face Hockey Club Melbourne without Hockeyroo Georgia Wilson this weekend in a clash that could stamp them as tournament frontrunners.

The firing Thundersticks have scored 15 goals in their first two games of the season and are unbeaten after a 5-3 win over Tasmania in Perth at the weekend.

Wilson is unavailable for the clash due to prior commitments and young gun Belle Ramshaw has returned to the side after she played the season-opener but was dropped last week.

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The Thundersticks’ men’s team have made two changes, with former Adelaide Fire goal-keeper Christian Starkie to feature in a Hockey One match for the first time since 2022.

Matt Bird also comes into the side with Josh Bowen dropped after a one-on-one shootout win over Tasmania. Ben Rennie is unavailable.

Starkie missed all of 2023 as he recovered from hip surgery, but returned and played for UWA this season, leading them to a premiership with a goal in their shootout victory over Melville.

“It will be great to play with some guys I haven’t played with in a long while, since junior state tournaments, as well as guys from my club which is always fun,” he said.

“It’s been a while since I’ve represented WA so I’m very excited.

“We found that my pelvis wasn’t shaped properly for goalkeeping, so I had surgery and was in bed for about eight weeks and managed to get back after about 10 months and then played my first hockey game almost exactly 12 months since the operation.

“It’s been a long road but I’m excited to be back playing high-level hockey again.”