HOCKEY

Southland Times, Issue 22008, 6 May 1933, Page 14

HOCKEY

(By

“Half-Back.”)

Judging by the report made to the ladies’ executive on Tuesday evening by the chairman (Mr D. Burrell), who was deputed to interview the Lady Principal of the Southland Girls’ High School w’ith a view to her granting permission for a school team to enter the competition, it may yet be that the Lady Principal will favourably consider the matter. The High School tedms during the last two years, have shown considerable improvement in the standard of their play and several players have displayed distinct promise in their work. If a full eleven can be mustered at the school such a course would seem to be much preferable to the players being obliged to join up with outside teams every Saturday. The Lady Principal is to be interviewed again by Mr Burrell after the vacation and it is to be hoped the School colours will again be seen at Queen’s Park this season as in .the past. Evidently the ladies’ social committee appointed at the annual meeting are preparing a most comprehensive programme of activities for the season as it has not yet been brought forward for the consideration of the executive. At the next meeting, the chairman of the association is to submit an approximate estimate of the amount which will be needed for touring expenses if a Southland rep. team is to attend the Dominion Tournament to be held in the North Island about the end of August -—only some 14 weeks away now —and it is imperative that the Social Committee should be able to give some indication at such meeting whether there is any likelihood of this amount being forthcoming from the social activities it proposes launching. Whether a team will go and whether the money will be available are inter-related and the question must be tackled both determinedly and without any “putting-off from fortnight to fortnight until there is a desperate last-minute endeavour to raise the expenses. So let’s hear something from the committee to show that the members are not mere “figureheads.” At the very least, the executive is entitled to look for a lead from such committee. The question of one or more selectors will again come up for. review at the next meeting of the ladies’ executive, notice of motion having been given by a delegate of her intention to move that the motion already passed that there should be. three selectors, one to be appointed in the Southern District, be rescinded. A valuable acquisition to local hockey is M. White, the brilliant ex-Eas-tern Southland right inner, who, having enrolled as a pupil at the Southland Girls’ High School, has joined up with the Ex-High Club. This player, is an ideal inner, and, being something more than a mere connecting link, possesses the ability, so eminently essential in a forward—of being able to make the play on her own acount if necessary. Her work in the vanguard of the champion Eastern A team at the New Zealand tournament at Dunedin last year stamped her as being an outstanding inner. L. Fraser (Centre forward) and Zoe Smith (right wing) in the. Ex-High vanguard will have to be wide awake to keep pace with the speedy M. White if the forward line is to possess a dangerous penetrative power as an attacking unit. Tlie centre forward, was fairly aggressive in her work against Technical College last week and when she settles down to a knowledge of her inside mates she should show an improvement. Z. Smith, a reefuit from the 1932 High School A team, impressed last year, and, though a young player, should acquit herself well in her present company. This girl is the daughter of “Syd.” Smith, the Civil Service stalwart. , With further training, the Ex-High A team have the makings of a formidable side and the eleven will not have to be lightly taken by their opponents. W. Belsham is again on the left wing where she was aggressive last Saturday, but she must polish up considerably her control of the ball. Monica Wood, as left half,. infused considerable punch into her work, too, and is a useful type of player in the rearguard. Edna Kerse has also donned the Ex-High blouse again this season. The match last Saturday between Civil Service A (8) and B (1) was much more even than the scores indicated. The Doon street ground was in good order and the play was fast, and full of interest. Unfortunately three Civil Service players were out of town and B had to field only nine men. However, at half time V. Taylor changed over and his sound defence in goal made a better game of it. The B s led off with a strenuous attack which was only foiled by Taylor’s good work in goal. Give and take play followed, offside play by the A wing forwards leading to several penalties, but at last McKelvey scored. In all he put three goals to his credit and showed that he will have to be reckoned with this season. J. Taylor also scored thrice and C. Anderson once. Gordon Hope was very sound and Civil Service are fortunate to have him at centre half. The goal he scored was very fine. Syd. Smith was in great form. For the Bs Renwick and Lithgow were conspicuous, while Woodfield was very reliable. All'the full-backs were frequently penalized for undercutting the ball. Though difficult it was soon seen that the ball could be kept along the turf and some delightful drives were a feature of the second half. Pitting the A’s against the B’s in the first match was an excellent opportunity for referees and players to become acquainted with the new rules. An offer is forthcoming from Mr H. S. Cordery (president of the Referees Association) to deliver a lecture on the revised rules should the players so desire. Last year, hockeyites gleaned not a little valuable aid from lectures, on the game delivered under the auspices of the association and no doubt clubs will again this season be keen to avail themselves of Mr Cordery’s offer. The most important match in the men’s section this afternoon will be that between Collegiate A and Civil Service A at 3 o’clock. Mr Forbes’s eleven has been considerably strengthened this season so the final result of the game is by no means easy to forecast. Provided the ground is in good order, the tussle should be well worth witnessing.

Cupid has just aimed a shaft true and straight at the heart of Gwen Hurle, who is proudly displaying a diamond right on the third finger of her left hand. All hockey players will join with the writer in congratulating this popular Southern District player upon her engagement to Mr H. E. Denny, of Bluff. Last year Miss Hurle won her first rep. blouse but so far this season she has not yet taken the field with her old club of Fortrose. It is to be hoped that at least at any rate until she walks up the aisle for the vow-making she will not forsake the game, especially as her work in the 1932 Southland B team showed such promise. If she again dons a hockey blouse this season there is no reason why she should not be knocking hard at the door when the Southland A caps are given out later in the year. Two old rivals in Collegiate and Union ladies’ team will meet this afternoon and the game should prove an interesting one. The Green eleven is practically the 1932 team intact, and if

the vanguard receive the support from the halves to. which it is entitled to look Union will have to be right on game if they hope to keep their opponents at bay. Rita Burt, the well-known Southland full-back, will again be donning the Union blouse this season, but, as she is off on a holiday trip to Dunedin, she will not be playing in the Yellow rearguard to-day. Union A, the champion 1932 team, is another eleven whose last year’s players have again mostly all rallied to the colours this season. The Robb sisters, who both won rep. honours last year, will again be in the half line, and, keen as mustard, cycle in and back from Brown’s for each game. They are in good fettle so far as fitness is concerned and can deal with all the work that comes their way. M. Balch still retains her place as centre-forward and gives every indication of striking the top of her form in the near future. E. Hope is another useful forward in the Union vanguard while M. Sandri on the wing showed promise in her work. Once the team settles down the combination of tire eleven should strengthen itself materially and last year’s champions will probably be tough nuts to crack. It is to be hoped that K. Hodgetts, a 1932 Thombury player who has. joined up with the Union Club, will be available for this afternoon’s game. A nurse at the Southland Hospital, she was on duty last Saturday, but her presence to-day would prove valuable to her side in its important match against Collegiate for she is a good type of forward. During the last three years her work has steadily improved, and, with a little more attention to the finer points of the game, she should prove even a sharper thorn in the side of teams opposing Union. The captain of each ladies’ team should bear well in mind her obligation to hand in to the referee of the match in which her eleven is playing a list of the names of the players. The executive intends taking strong action against captains defaulting in this respect, as such names are necessary for record purposes. Again, last year’s rule that • an aspirant for rep. honours must have played in 50 per cent of the season’s games before eligible for consideration by the selectors may well be adopted once more this year, and, in case of disput as to the attendances, the weekly records would settle all arguments. EASTERN SOUTHLAND NOTES. With the second series of games on Wednesday in the Eastern Southland competitions players showed improved form and the club matches will soon be up to the usual standard which is very high in this district. A number of last year’s Eastern team which brought back the K Cup from Dunedin were seen in action and showed some of the brilliance which marked their play in the New Zealand tournament. Keen interest' in ladies’ hockey throughout the Dominion has been shown by an Auckland publisher, himself a hockey representative of some renown, who has asked the Auckland Ladies’ Hockey Association to obtain copies of the annual reports of other associations throughout New Zealand with a view to compiling an article embracing the activities of the sport in all provinces. The Eastern Association has been asked to supply a copy of its report and in view of the enviable record established by Eastern during recent seasons, this district should figure prominently in the article eventually published. In their match with High School, Hokonui had something of a walkover, the final score being 11 goals to nil. The School team, however, are a young side and have scarcely reached form, but they can confidently be expected to play bright hockey in the season. They played a good passing game, but were not vigorous enough for their more experienced opponents. Several of their players showed good promise of developing into very good team workers. Miss Turnbull, at centre forward, has improved considerably on last year’s play and may be one of the most prominent forwards in Eastern Southland in a year or two. Miss J. Wilson was in very good form and should be more successful this season than last when she was “knocking” for the Northern team. _ . The Hokonui forward line included four of last year’s Eastern team and they showed some of the brilliancy of their representative play. Mrs Reid, centre forward and captain of the Eastern team, was in her old position in the Hokonui team and showed glimpses of her last season’s form. She will probably reach her top form again as the season advances. Miss K. Bond, at inner left, was responsible for six of the Hokonui goals, but she also shot about another ten wide. Miss K. Donaldson, at outer left, played a good game in the first spell, but in the second was inclined to be selfish and tried to shoot a number of goals herself instead of passing to her inners. Eastern supporters regret the impending departure to Invercargill of Miss M. Gerken, who at left half is one of the most brilliant Eastern players and probably one of the best halves in New Zealand. She showed a lot of her true form on Wednesday in attack. It is hoped that she may be induced to return to Gore before the end of the season. With two additional teams in the Eastern competition, the season promises to be one of the most interesting for some years. Eight teams are contesting the A grade competition and four the B grade. There is considerable satisfaction that the Wyndham club, once the high class team of the competition, has been reformed after a lapse of two years and is once more playing in the competitions. Mataura A had no difficulty in disposing of Mimihau on Wednesday, the final score being seven to nil. Invercargill readers will be interested to learn that Miss Myra Belsham has returned to Gore and has linked up with Ex-High. She was in good form on Wednesday and at centre forward shot five goals during the day.