The Goulburn Valley’s highest-ranking outfit stepped out on to the ‘smurf turf’ of the Shepparton Regional Hockey Complex Saturday afternoon as Mooroopna’s women got stuck into their Vic League 2 season.
The girls entertained the long-travelling Greater Dandenong Warriors in their round one clash, notably lining up without former playing coach Hannah Vibert.
Mooroopna’s side had to cancel out Aria Ranui’s goal for the visitors, but ended up legging out a 1-1 draw to open the 2025 account.
It seemed an apt result for an outfit which spent the vast majority of last season almost mathematically stranded in the middle spots of what is now a seven-team competition, off the pace of a clear-cut top two but never threatened by the bottom three teams.
“They’ve had several changes in the team with some young players coming in on Saturday who might have played one game last season,” Mooroopna’s Kim Starkey said.
“It was a good mix of experience and youth.
“Because we don’t offer A- and B-grade women’s comps anymore, those players who feel like they’d like to challenge themselves come to this club now, and it’s welcome to any woman in the GV.”
Up next for the side now skippered by Renee Davison is the first of many long trips down the Hume Hwy, set for a Saturday afternoon meeting with La Trobe University in Bundoora.
On a more permanently close-to-home note, the Goulburn Valley Hockey Association announced Tuesday it would again participate in the Hockey Victoria Senior Country Championships.
The annual King’s Birthday weekend showcase pits older representatives from around the state against one another from June 7-9.
The GVHA will send four contingents to the event — men’s and women’s Masters sides (open to ages 35 and up) and men’s and women’s Open sides.
It’s set to run under a split-hosting model, with Hockey Victoria currently projecting that, if expected attendance proves accurate, matches on June 7 would take place in Ballarat before the remaining two days are hosted by the Bendigo Hockey Centre.
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