LADIES’ HOCKEY

Southland Times, Issue 20538, 14 July 1928, Page 7 (Supplement)

LADIES’ HOCKEY

(By Long Corner). Financial position shaky; playing power good. Money is certainly the curse of the Southland Association’s existence. First instalments for Princess Carnival funds to be in on Monday. Miss Mina Low has been appointed the popular princess for Otautau. TWO TEAMS TO SEND AWAY? A rather bold suggestion was made by Mr. Gilfedder at last Tuesday night’s meeting of the Southland Association fhen he moved that Mr. Surgnor be asked to select a second team for possible sending away to Timaru. The selection would not necessarily imply that the team would be sent away, but Mr. Gilfedder’s opinion was that the team should be picked chiefly from the Western and Southern Districts. In this way, the country clubs would be given a greater chance and more encouragement. A proviso that clubs who had not saved £lO would not be eligible to nominate members of the team would be an incentive to working more for the financial side of the project. In the case of this team of course other boarding and travelling arrangements would have to be different and the members would probably have to be billeted. In these circumstances, the average cost would not be above £3 per head. Mr. Surgenor disagreed with the idea; when an associaition was in a financial position similar to what they were in, it would be madness to embark on the project of sending a second. team away when they had enough to do to send one away. In any case it was really only buoying up the hopes of girls unduly and gaining money under false pretences. If he thought there was any possibility of them gaining sufficient funds to send both teams away, he would support the motion but as it was he did not.

I am inclined to agree with Mr. Surgenor. The idea of Mr. Gilfedder of course was to encourage the country clubs, but the associ-

ation seems to be in such a poor financial position that there really could not be any chance of sending two teams away. Moreover as Mr. Surgenor explained, the inclusion of a weaker Southland team in the rounds to be played off at Timaru, would give a redoutable opponent, such as Ruahine, a much better chance. Much better to concentrate on one team than to spread one’s forces over two indifferent ones. Union is strength. THE PRINCESS CARNIVAL.

The Princess Carnival which promised so brilliantly and which undoubtedly should (succeed, at the present moment seems to be as much a dream as it was at the beginning of the drive. Only one club, the Collegiate, has reported on its activities and it has been able to bring £lO into the depleted coffers of the association. During the week, Miss. C. McGregor, the indefatigible secretary, sent all the teams 40 books of 6d tickets, each ticket to be valued at a vote towards the clubs’ respective princesses. Each book contains (or should contain) 10 tickets. By means of selling these tickets and by dances and entertainments every team should be able to raise at least £lO to £2O. Something must be drastically wrong with hockey in Southland if teams cannot raise as much as that. THE TOURNAMENT. In connection with the forthcoming tournament at Timaru, it may be interesting to note the position at the tournament held in 1926 in Invercargill and at last years’ tourney at Palmerston North. In 1926, the teams entered were Ruahine, Wellington, South Canterbury, Eastern (2), Canterbury, Otago, Southland (2). The two Southland teams were:— Southland B: Misses M. Leek, K. Hamson, R. Burt, M. Fowle, J. Humphries, O. 1 Bell, G. Clark, N. Thomas, W. Clark, E. Melvin, J. Winsloe, M. Mclntyre, H. Ashley, ' H. Horman and F. Gardner. | Southland B: Misses M. Leek, K. HamI ilton, A. Hart, L. Egerton, M. Kilby, B. | Morton, A. Smith, K. Hunt, R. Geddes, i K. Muir, M. Gardner, M. Roy, M. Clark, 1 I. Bell. Out of those 30 players, several names will be found to be missing to-day among ■ the ranks of the hockey players. Miss Ashi ley (now Mrs. Gilman) and Miss Melvin are two who returned recently after a fairt ly protracted absence and are quickly re- ! gaining their old ability. The rules regulating the running of the I tournament in 1926 will still probably be used for the 1928 tourney and should be •remembered. They read as follows: I 1. Matches should commence promptly j according to time table. ; 2. Any protest arising from any match ' must be handed in, in writing, to the sec- • retary, not later than 11 o’clock on the day immediately following the match. j 3. All members of the respective teams i must play in theip registered uniform. All j skirts must be at least 12 inches off the j ground, and only broad, low heels may be worn. Any player disregarding this rule . will not be allowed to take part in any ! match. ■ Last year, the tourney was held in Palmerston North and the team included Misses D. Hawke, O. Bell, R. Burt, M. Watson, G. Clark, M. Fowle, K. Hunt, W. Clark, j M. Mclntyre, J. Winsloe, H. Horner. The Northern District Sub-Association has written to the Eastern Association ask- , ing for permission to send a team to the i tournament, the team to be comprised of 1 Northern District players only. While it is probable that the sub-association’s applii cation will be granted it may nevertheless i be suggested that the policy of allowing sub-associations to send their own teams j to the tournament is not altogether a sound one. The association should have the right to select its own representative ■ team from any of the players coming under ■ its jurisdiction, and by limiting it in this j direction what will be generally regarded as the Eastern Southland team at the tour- | nament, may be considerably weakened. If it is desired that two teams should be sent to compete, then the wisest course to follow is to select what in the opinion of : the selector or selectors is the strongest { team it is possible to get, and from the ; remaining players choose the next strongest j team. It will be found that every major • association represented at the tournament i will place its best team in the field and unless Eastern if in a position to do the same it cannot have any great hope of success. If the Northern team goes it will have to compete as an Eastern Southland B team, and it cannot altogether be regarded as that. However, the experience ■ the Northern girls will gain will serve to i strengthen hockey in their district and if I , in future seasons the claim of the Association on northern players is not overlooked, I i no great harm will be done. SOUTHLAND FORM At Tuesday night’s meeting of the Southland Association and at Otautau on Wednesday, great confidence was expressed by I all in authority that Southland had an | excellent chance of annexing the “K” Cup and that there never had been a better combination of good players in the history of hockey. It is obvious that the difficulty to the selector will not be the searching out for good players but the pruning of such an abundant supply. Difficulty is experienced from the goalie —it had generally been thought that Miss D. Hawke was absolutely incomparable in that position but on Wednesday, Mrs Cantrick gave a wonderful display of defence work. Her footwork was particularly good and it soon became apparent that the only way to get past her was to hit high. It was in this way that Miss Hislop was able to get her third goal. Miss Hawke I imagine, has lost a certain amount of nerve through the accident to her nose, and probably when that is completely healed her old form will return. Although Miss Burt played rather disappointingly in her Saturday’s game, she completely regained her old form on Wednesday at Otautau. Her stick work was wonderful and her energy apparently boundless. Miss M. Watson (Winton) played rather mediocre hockey at- Otautau. Although her defence work is consistent it lacks enthusiasm and force. Miss N. Thomas showed a great improvement on her Saturday’s play last Wednesday. She is of course famous for her keenness and may be relied upon to be on the ball if it is at all possible. Miss I. Burrell played a good game on Wednesday. It had been suggested that she was not as quick as she should be but in that respect she has improved immensely. Miss B. Egerton (Winton) played a good right wing game on Wednesday. Her stick work is good and she has learnt the art of centering but it is extremely doubtful if her form is up to Miss W. Clark’s. Miss M. Hislop played a wonderful game on Wednesday when she shot all of the town team’s goals. Prominent in every forward movement, she was able to time her passes splendidly. She was of corurse assisted immensely and unselfishly by her fellow forwards. Miss M. Clark, playing inside right, was a pillar of strength on Wednesday and is worthy of a place in the team. She is an unselfish player and combines well. Mrs Gilman, inside left, has regained all her old form despite her retirement from

the game and although she did not shine as brightly on Wednesday as she has done, it is obvious that she will be very useful in the Southland team. Miss Huia Horner (Winton) also did not play with quite her usual dash last Wednesday but her play is so well known that no further need be said on the subject. EASTERN DISTRICT NOTES (By “Circle.”) —A Grade.—

The Eastern Southland Association’s fixtures will conclude on Wednesday next and as it has a three point lead the Wyndham A team cannot be deprived of the premiership. On its play during the season the Wyndham team has thoroughly deserved its success, the more so because the standard of club hockey in the Eastern part of the province this season has been particularly good. In its more recent games the combined play of the Wyndham team has been excellent and it is due to this fact, rather than to the individual merit of its players, that it has taken first place in the competition. The Wyndham team is to be congratulated upon its win and upon the fact that although it has had many strenuous contests, it has always played open, fast and clean hockey.

On Wednesday last against Hokonui the Wyndham team played what was probably its best game of the season. The forwards timed their passes very accurately and the Hokonui backs found it very difficult to ward off their passing rushes. The stick work of the whole team was also excellent and was in marked contrast to that of several of the opposing players.

P. W. L. Goals. D. for agst Pts. Wyndham 9 8 1 0 52 21 16 Ex-High .. .. 9 6 2 1 35 21 13 High School 9 6 3 0 33 20 12 Mataura .. .. 9 6 3 0 15 12 12 Hokonui .. 9 4 4 1 35 25 9 Edendale .. .. 9 4 5 0 43 19 8 Wyndham High 9 1 8 0 7 36 H. &. J. Smith’s 9 0 9 0 1 71 0 B Grade.Mat aura .. .. 8 6 o 0 25 11 12 Wyndham 8 4 2 9 <) 13 10 Hokonui .. .. 8 3 3 0 11 24 6 High School .. 7 1 4 2 5 9 4