General News
11 September, 2025
Premiership glory up for grabs in Wimmera Hockey Association
The battle for supremacy in the Wimmera Hockey Association for 2025 is now down to two teams in each division, and by Saturday evening, all that will be left will be the three premier teams.
Each grand final will feature two teams that have proven, over fifteen rounds of the regular season and two weeks of finals, to be evenly matched.
With all teams reaching the peak of their form at the right time, any combination of results would not be considered an upset.
Adding to the intrigue of the day, each team has its own motivation to strive for success, such as extending an already enviable record, ending a lengthy premiership drought, or just ensuring they have something to show for all the hard work over the last five months, and for some players, the realisation of a career-long ambition to earn a gold medallion.
The Yanac club is aiming for a fourth trifecta (winning premierships in all three competitions in the same season); the Tigers are eying a record-extending 10th consecutive premiership.
Yanac Women are chasing their tenth title in their 50-year history, and the Dimboola Roos are aiming forare chasing their eighth.
Yanac's Under 16 Warriors can extend their domination to seven consecutive premierships, while the Leopards could win their first since 2016.
Open: Yanac Tigers vs Horsham Hurricanes
The Yanac Tigers have not lost a game in their last 69 outings dating back to 2019, and although they drew two matches this season, they have plenty of big-game experience within their squad and have held firm under pressure in recent close matches.
The Horsham Hurricanes had a vastly different path to the ultimate match of the season, winning four and drawing two of their twelve regular-season matches.
Still, after an inconsistent start, their form has been slowly building as the season has progressed to a point where they believe they have a serious chance of denying the Tigers a premiership for the first time in a decade.
It is difficult to tip against the Tigers’ record, but the Hurricanes' present form, highlighted by their ability to endure the strong challenge from the Hoops to win the preliminary final, and the game taking place on their favourite surface at Dimboola, means this match could go either way.
Women: Yanac vs Dimboola
Yanac went through the regular season undefeated, but then stumbled against the Dimboola Roos in the semi-final before regaining their form with a hard-fought win over Kaniva in the preliminary final.
Meanwhile, the Roos’ only defeats were to Yanac, demonstrating that they were clearly the best two teams in the division throughout the season.
They also share a strong recent rivalry, having met in six grand finals for three titles each between 2013 and 2019, with Yanac winning two more premierships since then, but this will be the Roos’ first season decider in six years.
On Saturday, Yanac will have the incentive to reap the rewards from their undefeated regular season, while after rejoining the competition last year after not fielding a team in 2022 or 2023, a premiership would be a fitting reward for the hard work put in to revive the team and reach such a high standard of performance in this short period of time.
Both teams enter this encounter with a realistic chance of victory.
With a mix of experienced campaigners and novice players, it will come down to composure under the pressure of playing in a high-stakes final.
Under 16: Yanac Warriors vs Nhill Leopards
The Yanac Warriors and Nhill Leopards dominated the Under 16 competition in 2025, being the only teams to spend time at the top of the ladder, with the Leopards spending seven rounds there and the Warriors eight.
After fifteen rounds, there was a twenty-eight-point gap between the top two and third place on the ladder.
Head-to-head, the Warriors lead by three wins to one, although their last meeting in the semi-finals required a penalty shootout to separate them, suggesting that they are difficult to separate.
It will be composure under pressure that gives one of them the edge on the day.
The day will conclude with the awards presentation function at the Dimboola Memorial Secondary College Hall, where the Annual General Meeting will take place along with the presentation of the individual awards for the season.