Friday night lights the feature of Hockey WA’s Premier Division season

Hale will host reigning premiers Melville in a blockbuster Premier League clash on the opening night of Hockey WA’s winter season on 31 March.

This year, the Men’s Premier Division 1 season will see two fixtures played before the Easter break - round two of which will be played Midweek

The season will then ramp up on 14 April when the Women’s Premier Divisions and remaining Men’s Premier Divisions commence. That weekend will feature the 2022 Grand Finalists matching up for the first time in 2023, with Hale hosting Wolves in a replay of the Women’s Premier Division 1 Grand Final, and Melville men hosting Reds.

Clubs will also be the beneficiary of a revamped broadcast in 2023, with broadcast matches to be spread across many of the club’s home facilities on Friday nights.

Every Premier Division 1 club will feature in broadcast across the year, with additional broadcast matches allocated for Hockey WA’s themed rounds, including Anzac Day fixtures, Lizzie Watkins Organ Donor Round, RUOK Round, Pride Round, Indigenous Round, Breast Cancer Care Round and Telethon Round.

In 2023, Hockey WA’s Regional Round will head south to Busselton, with Westside Wolves men & women hosting YMCC and Suburban Lions respectively.

The day will be another exciting instalment of a Regional Roadshow filled with activities that promote hockey and the South West community.

The increased club support behind Indigenous Round will be on show on Sunday 2 July, with teams sporting their Indigenous strips to celebrate the culture and traditions that Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islanders have brought to clubs and hockey in Western Australia.

Hockey WA CEO Fabian Ross said clubs and fans should be excited for a highly competitive season of hockey across Western Australia.

“We are really excited for another action-packed season, for not only our Premier Divisions, but across hockey in Western Australia,” Ross said.

“In a really pleasing outcome, this year’s broadcast of the Premier League will fall on a prime-time Friday night timeslot and will remain free to watch for everyone on Live Hockey.

“We are also exploring the possibility of our Premier League broadcasts on alternative platforms, to really drive engagement with WA’s top-flight competitions.

“I encourage all sports fans to catch some Premier League action, whether that is at the grounds or through our broadcast.

“The Premier League really is one of the world’s strongest domestic competitions, with Hockeyroos and Kookaburras stars, along with WA hockey legends, all putting on a show across Perth.”

The gruelling season will conclude on 27 August as teams make their final push for places in the 2023 Finals Series.

The full Premier Division fixtures are now live on the Hockey WA website and the Premier Division 1 competition page.