Kookaburra aces add fire to Premier League

THE Premier League men’s competition will spark up this weekend with the news that Eddie Ockenden and Jeremy Edwards will play for their club sides.

The star pair were linchpins in a Kookaburras line-up that clinched the Commonwealth Games gold medal with a 2-0 defeat of New Zealand.

Ockenden is tipped to be named Australia’s next captain.

Edwards, 26, never misses an opportunity to don the OHA strip and is excited to be back among teammates against University at 6pm, while Ockenden will play for North-West Graduates against Derwent at 4:30pm.

“I always keep tabs on the competition and this year the women’s seems to be very even, which is a great sign for the future and I’ve noticed the key players in a lot of the men’s teams are the youth prospects,” Edwards said.

“Hopefully junior players can see the pathway to go on to bigger and better things because hockey in Tasmania has made great strides.”

The primary school teacher is also keen to see Tasmania continue to field teams in the Australian Hockey League.

“It’s still the great unknown but I do know I want to play for Tasmania, or any side that represents our state,” he said.

Ockenden is expected to lead the Kookaburras at June’s Champions Trophy and November’s World Cup.

Hockey Tasmania will host a special function from 5pm, with the duo to be joined by fellow hockey identities Hock- eyroos assistant coach David Guest and Commonwealth Games umpires manager Minka Woolley.

Tasmanian sensation Maddison Brooks reaped a fourgoal haul at the National U/15 Championships in Wollongong, making her equal top of the scoring charts, and helping her side to a 5-2 defeat of Northern Territory. Lilly Ansell was the other scorer.

The boys team backed up a 1-1 draw with Queensland on Friday with a 2-2 draw against Northern Territory. The goals came from Lachlan Murfet and Keenan Johnson.