Hockey One After Round 5: Perth Women and HC Melbourne Men Already Through, Adelaide Out in Both

Five rounds down, two rounds to go, and the Hockey One finals picture is already taking shape. Two sides have booked their semi-final spots. One side is out in both competitions. And the fight for the last two places in each is going to be tight.

Start with the women. Perth Thundersticks are perfect: five wins from five, 14 goals scored, three conceded. Their 1-0 win over Brisbane Blaze on Saturday, Jolie Sertorio scoring from a penalty corner in the 55th minute, sealed their semi-final place with two rounds to spare. They’ve only conceded three goals all season. That’s the story of their campaign right there.

HC Melbourne sit second on 12 points, four wins from five, after a 6-1 win over Tassie Tigers on Friday. Mihaylia Howell scored twice in that one and now has five for the season, level at the top of the scoring charts with NSW Pride’s Amalia Patterson and Perth’s Courtney Schonell.

NSW Pride and the Melbourne Cobras are tied on nine points in third and fourth. NSW beat Canberra Chill 2-0 on Saturday, while the Cobras beat Adelaide Fire 2-0 in Bendigo on Sunday, Claire Colwill and Delfina Thome scoring from corners. Canberra are fifth on six points, Brisbane sixth on five, Tassie seventh on four. Adelaide are bottom on zero, five defeats from five, four goals scored and 24 conceded. They’re out.

The men’s table is even more clear-cut at the top. HC Melbourne are also perfect: five from five, 33 goals scored, and their semi-final spot is booked. They beat Tassie Tigers 5-1 on Friday, with Nathan Ephraums scoring twice. Ephraums now has 13 goals for the season. Nobody else is close.

Behind them it’s a proper scrap. NSW Pride are second on 11 points after a 3-3 draw with Canberra Chill on Saturday that they won 3-1 in the shootout. Canberra are third on 10. Tassie Tigers and Perth Thundersticks are tied on nine points in fourth and fifth, separated only by goal difference. Perth’s men beat Brisbane Blaze 9-2 on Saturday, Tom Harvie scoring twice from penalty strokes and Daykin Stanger twice as well.

The Cobras and Brisbane are tied on three points in sixth and seventh. The Cobras beat Adelaide 10-3 in Bendigo on Sunday. Adelaide’s men are also out: five defeats, six goals scored, 39 conceded. That’s the worst defensive record in the league by a distance.

So with two rounds left: Perth’s women and HC Melbourne’s men are through. Adelaide are gone in both. The other six places across the two competitions are still live, and Round 6 starts on Friday in Melbourne, where HC Melbourne host NSW Pride. That’s first against second in the men’s league, and second against third in the women’s. If you’re only watching one Hockey One weekend, make it this one.