Youngsters impressive as League resumes

PREMIER League hockey restarted on Saturday and there were strong hints of a changing of the guard among the competition’s match winners.

While Kookaburras skipper Eddie Ockenden made a bigname appearance, it was several future national team prospects that stole the show.

Canterbury’s Sam McCulloch, University’s Josh Brooks and North-West Graduates’ Gobindraj Gill were all unplayable at times in their side’s respective matches, with the former netting an exceptional hat-trick.

With the Hockey One competition postponed, the trio will be out to stamp themselves in the Tassie Tigers 2021 starting eleven.

Derwent duo Ewan Vickery and Magnus McCausland, along with University’s Ashby Bingham also impressed.

Derwent premiership coach Nathan Fitzpatrick says both Vickery and McCausland have risen their game to a new level post-COVID.

“Ewan won the Premier League Best and Fairest last year and his maturity is like a ten-year veteran,” Fitzpatrick said.

“Magnus was exceptional in preserving our lead with a number of incredible goalkeeping saves in the first three quarters against University.”

DiamondBacks’ Oscar Pritchard and OHA’s Mackenzie Winch both sit in the younger age bracket, but both also caught the eye of emerging talents coming through the Premier League ranks.

In the women’s competition, talented trio Philly Bridley (DBACKS), Julia Gunn (OHA) and Ruby Bayley (DER) looked in impressive form and will have a big say in their respective club’s season prospects.

Tasmanian Institute of Sport Scholarship holder Bridley has been training alongside Ockenden in recent weeks and appears to have developed her ball retention and finishing skills.

Gunn’s two goals helped OHA overcome North-West Graduates 3-1 and took her top of the goal scoring charts with three goals from two matches.

University’s Becky Payne, Derwent’s Felicity WilsonHaffenden and DiamondBacks’ Lucy Cooper were others to shine in round two.