Hockey WA CEO Update - July 2024

To the Hockey WA Membership,

I trust you all have had a rejuvenating break from our regular competitions.

It's been great to witness suuch strong participation in recent events like the CBH Group Country Championships, National Championship tournaments, and the Fuel to Go & Play Club Championships.

As we gear up for the final stretch of the season, I wanted to bring you up to speed with some off-field updates.

Perth Thundersticks

Excitement is continuing to build around the Perth Thundersicks ahead of the 2024 Hockey One season as we recently revealed the list of athletes that will form our Men’s & Women’s teams this year.

I would personally like to congratulate the athletes that have been named in the teams and say well done to our head coaches Phil Hulbert and Stephen Davies, along with the selection panels, for their work in putting these squads together.

Now that our list of athletes for 2024 has been revealed, we are very keen to drum up as much support as possible for our Perth Thundersticks as we open player partnership opportunities for businesses and individuals.

We also have several corporate partnership opportunities still available to sponsor the team.

In addition to this, we are calling on you to get ready to ignite the atmosphere and stand with the Perth Thundersticks this season, with memberships available.

We also have several prize draws running with some special prizes up for grabs so now is the perfect time to join the rumble.

Finally, we are inviting you to join in all the excitement as we get ready for our highly anticipated Perth Thundersticks 2024 Season Launch event.

This will take place at the prestigious River View Room at Optus Stadium on Friday 6 September, with unique opportunities to mingle with Perth Thundersticks athletes and alumni.

Stiles Electrical Premier League

We’re approaching the home stretch of the 2024 Stiles Electrical Premier League season, with plenty of drama still to unfold across the grounds over the next few weeks.

With six rounds to go until the finals for the Men’s competition, and five rounds for the Women’s competition, there is still all to play for.

As it stands, reigning premiers Hale and 2023 grand finalists Melville look set to return to the Men’s finals, along with UWA, YMCC, and WASPS.

In the Women’s competition, teams that look set to qualify for the finals are 2023 grand finalists UWA, Westside Wolves, Victoria Park, and Hale.

Along with opportunities to show your support for your club by attending games, there are still plenty of chances to watch your club on the screen with several broadcast fixtures planned for the next month and a half.

These matches can be viewed on Streamer or Live Hockey.

Broadcast Fixtures

Round 16 – Melville vs Reds Men’s @ Melville Toyota Stadium: Thursday 18 July from 7pm

Round 17 – Reds vs Suburban Lions/Fremantle Cockburn @ Aquinas College: Sunday 21 July from 2.30pm

Round 16 – Mods-OGM vs Hale Men’s @ Guildford Grammar School: Tuesday 23 July from 7pm

Round 18 – Victoria Park vs Melville double-header @ Perth Hockey Stadium: Saturday 27 July from 3.30pm

Round 19 – Whitford vs Suburban Lions/Mods-OGM @ Troy Pickard Hockey Centre: Sunday 4 August from 2.30pm

Round 20 – YMCC vs WASPS Men’s @ Lemnos Field: Saturday 10 August from 5pm

Round 21 – UWA vs Hale double-header @ UWA Superturf: Saturday 17 August from 4pm

Round 22 – North Coast Raiders vs Reds double-header @ Troy Pickard Hockey Centre: Sunday 25 August from 1pm

Respect the Official

As we come out of the mid-season break, I would like to remind you that we need to remember our hard-working officials are people as well, just like our great hockey players and coaches.

We are continuing to call on our WA hockey community to spread the word about the importance of respecting our officials and umpires through our Respect: It’s Your Call campaign.

Respecting our officials is not just about following the rules, it’s about creating a positive environment that benefits everyone involved in our game.

Without our officials, there is no game.

To help spread the message, there are several digital assets available for clubs to use.

Asian Engagement

It has been a very exciting time in our Asian Engagement space, with teams from Japan and the Malaysian state of Pahang visiting Perth recently.

The Pahang Under-21 Men’s & Women’s teams, the Coca Cola Red Sparks and Sony HC Bravia Women’s teams visited for a series of competitive matches and cultural exchanges.

These initiatives highlight Hockey WA's commitment to fostering ties with Asian counterparts, providing local players with valuable opportunities to compete against top-tier international teams.

These exchanges not only promote sporting excellence but also strengthen cultural understanding and collaboration within the broader hockey community.

This initiative underscores Western Australia's growing role as a hub for international hockey engagement in the Asia-Pacific region.

For more information about opportunities for future tours to Perth and sponsorships in the Asian Engagement space, please contact General Manager – Asian Engagement & Special Projects, Graham Reid.

Olympics

Saving one of the biggest updates for last, I am proud to see the some of Western Australia’s finest hockey talents off as they get ready to represent the Hockeyroos and Kookaburras at the Paris 2024 Olympic Games.

Congratulations to Karri Somerville and Penny Squibb for forming part of the Hockeyroos squad, as well as to Aleisha Power who will be travelling to Paris as a reserve athlete.

In addition, congratulations to Aran Zalewski, Jake Harvie and Tom Wickham, who will be part of the Kookaburras’ Olympic squad.

On behalf of the WA hockey community, I am certain each of you will represent your home state and country on the world stage with pride and excellence.

We are incredibly proud of our athletes and their dedication, hard work and passion for the sport has truly paid off.

While the overall Olympic Games will take place from Friday 26 July to Sunday 11 August, the Hockey tournament will take place from Saturday 27 July to Saturday 10 August.

You can watch all the action unfold through the Nine Network, there will also be opportunities to watch on the big screen in Yagan Square.

Please find fixtures below to help you set your alarms.

Fixtures (all times in AWST)

Kookaburras vs Argentina (Pool stage): Saturday 27 July 7.15pm

Hockeyroos vs South Africa (Pool stage): Sunday 28 July 6.45pm

Kookaburras vs Ireland (Pool stage): Monday 29 July 4pm

Hockeyroos vs Great Britain (Pool stage): Monday 29 July 11pm

Kookaburras vs Belgium (Pool stage): Wednesday 31 July 1.45am

Hockeyroos vs United States (Pool stage): Wednesday 31 July 7.15pm

Kookaburras vs New Zealand (Pool stage): Thursday 1 August 4.30pm

Hockeyroos vs Argentina (Pool stage): Friday 2 August 2.15am

Kookaburras vs India (Pool stage): Friday 2 August 7.15pm

Hockeyroos vs Spain (Pool stage): Saturday 3 August 6.45pm

Men’s Quarter Finals: Sunday 4 August 4pm/6.30pm/11.30pm/Monday 5 August 2am

Women’s Quarter Finals: Monday 5 August 4pm/6.30pm/11.30pm/Tuesday 6 August 2am

Men’s Semi Finals: Tuesday 6 August 8pm/Wednesday 7 August 1am

Women’s Semi Finals: Wednesday 7 August 8pm/Thursday 8 August 1am

Men’s Bronze Medal: Thursday 8 August 8pm

Men’s Gold Medal: Friday 9 August 2am

Women’s Bronze Medal: Friday 9 August 8pm

Women’s Gold Medal: Saturday 10 August 2am

I’ll see you at the hockey!

Kind regards,

Fabian Ross

Hockey WA CEO