What we learned from Round 2 of the Salters Hire Premier League

Ex-players haunt old sides

Round two of the women’s Premier League hockey action saw two outstanding individual performances from players competing against their former teammates for the first time. North-West Graduates recruit Beth Dobbie secured a hat-trick in a romping 8-0 win against Derwent and appears to have taken her game to a whole new level after adding some end-product. Meanwhile, Canterbury’s Alice Maddock appears to be relishing the greener pastures of Lionland, producing a near best afield display against ex-club DiamondBacks to help the underdogs to a fighting 4-4 draw.

Rogers’ fighting fire with even more fire

The Kenny Rogers song ‘Fightin’ fire with fire’ aptly represents the start to the Premier League season of Canterbury’s namesake Lachie Rogers. The Australian Under 21 international and reigning league best and fairest has lifted his outputs a notch, with a pair of best on grounds performances in the Lion’s back-to-back victories. Lightning quick, with agility and guile this doctor-in-training appears almost unstoppable now, so opposition club’s will need a specific-plan to “keep it (Rogers) from breaking their heart…” as the classic goes.

Wind in the Ships sails

OHA is the talking point of the women’s competition after a calculated off-season recruitment drive by coach Susan Brooks. If Brooks was to assess herself against Patrick Lencioni’s six types of working genius, I’m certain her profile would include galvanising as a working genius. Brooks has assembled a motley crew with Sofie McLeod, linking up with Julia Reid after a ten-year hiatus, Julia Gunn and Millie Smith to establish the clear title rivals for Graduates seemingly overnight. With Isabelle Kruimink seemingly back to her best, the Ships could be charting a course to the promised land.

Introducing Johnson Jnr

The name ‘Tyson’ is derived from the word firebrand, and this lively appellation is a perfect fit for the vibrant and energetic University recruit. With older brother Keenan sidelined with injury, Tyson made his debut for the Stuies and immediately looked at home with his physicality bossing the Ships midfield in a 7-2 win. Likely to juggle Tasmanian Under 18 training commitments with playing for Burnie Baptist in the Greater Northern League, the Students will be looking forward to whenever Johnson is available to wear yellow and black.

Kookaburras laugh their way to series clean sweep

The Kookaburras have climbed to fourth in the FIH world rankings after a convincing 5-0 series win against India in Perth. Tassie Tiger Jeremy Hayward was the standout with seven goals, but it was the performances of Jack Welch late in the series that could see him rocket into Olympic Games selection contention. 120 days from Paris, flick-specialists Joel Rintala was sighted in a moonboot and Blake Govers rested, enabling Welch to potentially leap ahead of RIntala, Craig Marais and Jacob Anderson due to his set piece skills after scoring a penalty corner in game four.