HOCKEY

Nelson Evening Mail, Volume LVI, 16 June 1923, Page 8

HOCKEY

j (By “Sticks”) ‘ Onlooker’s” notes last evening are ! full of interest and give evidence-of (au intimate knowledge of the game locally. j Tho two teams to" do battle to* ; day were well ciio.sen ,and although i it, is Certain at tlie time of writing that the ground will bo. very bad, ! some good practice should be obtain- | ed. With only four weeks to go, the selectors should choose a .tentative team and let it get going together with the right to make an alteration , if necessary within say the next fortnight. What about approaching the j Marlborough Association for a rep. game here, say, on tho 7th P Tlie game is booming down thero again, and Hie game would do a great deal of i good. Failing that perhaps a match could be arranged with tho Wairarapa or Feildiugs Associations. It is possible of courso that Nelson may have t) go to Napier as Hawke’s Bay have first say. 1 Reading through “Onlooker’s” notes brings home again the necessity j for a better playing surface locally For instance, K. Deo .is criticised for .not fielding tho ball on tho wing; Granted it is a necessity on our rough ! ground, the fact remains that a wing ' forward should never have to field tlie bail first; ho should be able to take it on his stick at top, if the ground were good enough. This as a point where our team is handicapped every time, for on good grounds thero is , very little fielding with the hand j arm tlie opposing player gains yards 4

every time. Tho goal sliootiiig is father weak this season, hut is due largely to the muddy ground. Still chances don’t come very often in Shield games, and practice at this ampul taut section is very necessary. With Hawke and Harris out of commission, and M. Giblin a doubtful. tho full backs may cause some thinking; in fact the whole defensive division is a. ticklish problem. A\ ith the exception of a left wing and a left half, tho rest will probably bo fairly easy. In selecting the seven halves, Scott (Federal) might have been given a hearing. “Onlooker” remarks that Jellyman’s following in should gain him a place, and with this I heartily agree. Dozens of goals are lost every season through the failure of forwards to follow into tho goal after a shot to take advantage of the rebound or of a scuffle. This is particularly so from corner hits. A junior player last- week gave an indication of its value by scoring four goals ,three of which were solely the result of rushing in before tho keeper could clear. [n watching games locally, there are ono or two points on which many players seem a little hazy. Sticks is given if tho stick rises above the shoulder, cither at the beginning or the end of the stroke. This latter part is not watched as carefully as it should be. A penalty corner is given if a defender “deliberately” hits behind, many being of opinion tli-it a penalty corner is given if the ball is hit behind while in the circle only. If a ball glances off a defender and goes behind, from within tho 25, a long corner is given, and not 25 out as is often seen. Offside, of course, is tho great trouble, and always will be. The test for offside is where the player was “when the hall was last played,’ ’and not where ho may be when ho receives it.