HOCKEY

Otago Daily Times, Issue 23225, 24 June 1937, Page 4

HOCKEY

By Centre-half FIXTURES July 3—Otago v. North Otago, at Dunedin. July 24.—Otago v. Southland, at Dunedin. August 21.—Otago v. Southland, at Invercargill. MATCHES CANCELLED Owing to the unplayable conditions of the grounds last Saturday, all men’s hockey matches were cancelled, and the second round will now be commenced this week. AUSTRALIAN TOUR Complete confidence in the New Zealand hockey team to tour Australia is expressed by hockey officials. The side, it is said, is the best that could be selected from the available material. The team will sail from Wellington on July 8, and should fully maintain the reputation of former teams both on and off the field.

A. Mahoney (Hawke’s Bay) and S, Robertson are the logical men for the positions of captain and vice-captain respectively. Mahoney has had long experience in representative hockey, though it is doubtful, because of his age, if he will participate in all the State matches. The side which toured Australia in 1932 won 15 matches in 18 played, three games being drawn; and. while exact predictions are impossible because of the improvement in the standard of Australian hockey, it is exnected that New Zealand will enjoy at least equal success on the coming tour. After some discussion, an itinerary of 22 games extending over a period of six weeks has been agreed to. After the last tour of five weeks, the itinerary was said to be too strenuous. As several of the games on this tour are described as “ picnic " fixtures, however, and as the initial matches will not extend the players, the draw is not expected to be too trying. The only matches which should extend the team are the State matches and the test. New South Wales is numerically the strongest State with 2000 senior players; but Western Australia was the winner of the interstate tournament last year. Test matches have proved to be of a surprisingly low standard, which may be due to the selection system. On the last tour New South Wales was beaten s—o, and Queensland was defeated 4—l; but New Zealand won the test with a margin of seven goals. The average age of the team, 24J years, is the same as that of the previous side, and represents an excellent balance of youth and experience. On this season’s form the younger players should excel in speed and fitness, especially as former teams have appreciated the harder and faster Australian grounds. v GROWTH OF HOCKEY IN SUVA The suggestion by the Suva Men’s Hockey Association that a team visit New Zealand in the near future is one that should be readily acceptable to the New Zealand Hockey Association (states the Evening Post). The Suva Association suggested that the tour should be organised for 1938, but the New Zealand Hockey Association is negotiating with India for a visit in that year. It would be out of the question for the parent body to entertain a team from Suva on the same occasion, and the Suva Association has been asked to submit some idea of what financial arrangements might be made for a tour if it could be arranged for some other time. The last time that New Zealanders had experience of the hockey ability of players in Suva was a year or two ago. when a New Zealand University hockey team toured Fiji. The tour was a highly successful one and the New Zealanders benefited greatly by their experience. Likewise, the players in Fiji added to their knowledge of the game as a result of the visit. It is 20 years since the game of hockey was introduced to Fiji, when in 1915 two ladies’ teams were formed. They were known as “The Vitis” and “ Service.” The following year three men’s clubs were formed, the Service, Cadets and Star (now the Wanderers). Regular competitions were started under the Suva Men’s Hockey Association the following year. The first competition was won by the Cadets Club, and the Star Club, subsequently renamed the Imperials, won the competition the second year, and for the following nine years. In recent years it has been won by the Grammar Old Boys, and for the last three years by the Marist Old Boys, both clubs being of recent formation. The present Wanderers’ Club is the only remaining club of the three original clubs affiliated to the Suva Men’s Hockey Association. During the war a representative team of the Suva Men’s Hockey Association played many games against teams from visiting warships, and most of these games were won by Suva. After the war the first important game was played against a team from the Special Service Squadron which visited Suva in 1924, under the command of Admiral Field. The squadron team contained three English international hockey players, and the team as a whole was considered a strong combination, having defeated New South Wales and Victorian teams and most of the New Zealand teams.

The game in Suva, after a fast and exciting struggle, was won by Suva by four goals to two. Two members of the team selected to play against the New Zealand University players were members of the team which played the squadron team and have represented Suva in all subsequent matches. It is creditable that in the, course of 19 years, up to the visit of the University team, Suva’s representative eleven had suffered but one defeat. WOMEN’S HOCKEY TABLE OF TEAMS The following table shows the positions of the teams in the women’s senior hockey competition at the conclusion of the first round of matches:—

M. Bewley and N. Cannon, centrehalves respectively for Momona and College, played very good games last Saturday. Stopping and placing to best advantage was practised by both and there was no dallying with the ball. N. Cannon has a slieht tendency to speculate when “pushed,” and she would be well advised to drop this entirely.

I. Palmer is a player of possibilities She is very fit, but her stick play is altogether faulty. She does not, when striking, carry her stick right through but instead stops the stroke the moment her stick connects with the ball Consequently her hitting is mostly weak and not placed She iust stops

and hits. Tins is by no means sufficient. Halves in particular must have the positions of all other players constantly in mind. Mere stopping and hitting by any player at all, without employing all advantage possible, is, in 50 per cent, of cases, simply wasted energy. ,

B. Campbell is another youthful halfback with a great future if she paya attention to the foregoing remarks. If the Morton sisters would take a longer grip of the stick instead of keeping the right hand so far down the shaft they would impart much more speed and power to the stroke with more accurate placing and less,,, of a tendency to give “sticks." Keeping the right hand far down the shaft ia all right for cutting in and getting the ball out of a tight corner, but it should be immediately afterwards recovered to a position nearer the end of the shaft. This avoids the necessity of a cramped style and stooped position when clearing. If these girls would adopt the upright stance when clearing they would be of much more value to their team. At present they are sacrificing speed, accuracy in placing, and power in hitting. M. Fisher shows distinct possibilities as a full-back, bul must train constantly to get much more speed, which is very necessary. H. Robinson is one of the most effective halves in Dunedin this season, but I would also like to see her with more pace. She is keen, and this will, no doubt, be apparent shortly. H. Johnson has also been doing good work in the half line this season. A. Mackie is showing her wellknown judgment. A likely rival for A, Hanley at centre-forward is J. Hamer, of University, who works freely with either side without giving notice of her intentions to an alert opposition. E. Blackwood is another improving forward with a nice free style. She should improve a lot. E. Sonntag is still the same hardworking forward; about the best in Dunedin at following in, but with a distinctly bad feature in the habit of trying to ram the ball through when the opposition is too tight; instead of using the pass or back pass. Most of our forwards this season have the same tendency. After all. what is the use in wasting energy and throwing away opportunities in this fashion’

muub LU an aiert opposition. E. Blackwood is another improving forward with a nice free style. She should improve a lot. E. Sonntag is still the same hardworking forward; about the best in Dunedin at following in, but with a distinctly bad feature in the habit of trying to ram the ball through when the opposition is too tight; instead of using the pass or back pass. Most of our forwards this season have the same tendency. After all. what is the use in wasting energy and throwing away opportunities in this fashion’ K CUP TOURNAMENT Once again the New Zealand women's hockey tournament will be held in Southland, the last occasion being in 1930, when Eastern Southland A and Wellington drew for the K Cup, Otago winning the Holden Cup. This was fortunate for Southland, but it must be remembered that the province’s team has had to travel considerable distances for the last three years, to Christchurch in 1934, Gisborne in 1935, and Blenheim last year, and so this year Southland will be able tp prepare for the expenses of next year’s tournament. Also it is. about time that Southland had a turn (writes “Full-back” in the Southland Times), as seven years is quite long enough for the tournament to be held away from a centre. The. last occasion on. which Southland won the tournament was in 1929, and it should be possible to select a team from the material available which will be able to win the tournament. The date of the tournament, which has not yet been decided, will probably be late in August. It is to be hoped that a big number of entries will be received from northern centres, as it will give the game here a great fillip

P. W.L. D. Goals F. A. Pts. Otago King's 6 6 — — 17 3 12 6 5 1 — 17 6 10 Momona fi 3 2 1 8 0 7 Training College 5 2 3 — 17 17 4 University .. .. 5 2 3 — 7 9 4 Dunedin 6 1 4 1 5 19 3 Taicri .. .. 2 — 2 — 1 9 -