Have a Go at Hookin2Hockey

Have a Go at Hookin2Hockey

Boys and girls aged 5 to 12 are invited to come and join a Hookin2Hockey program. It doesn’t matter if you haven’t played hockey before because the Hookin2Hockey program is aimed at beginners. We are happy to teach you some skills and show you what it’s all about.

Hockey is a game which provides great fun, teamwork, camaraderie and the opportunity to excel. It is also an inclusive sport, as players of all ages and skill levels can enjoy participating in this great game.

Beginners Welcome

A Hookin2Hockey program allows children to see if this is a sport they might like to try without any expensive initial outlay.  It’s free to try at your first session, so you can just turn up. There is no commitment to continue – unless you really enjoy it.

Cost:       Free to attend the first session or $60 for the whole program

Equipment:  We will have a hockey stick available for you to use for these sessions. You will need to wear shoes or sneakers and comfortable clothing for running in. A mouthguard is great if you have one. We are very careful about maintaining a safe environment, but it’s good to minimise any risks. If you would like to buy your own hockey pack (stick, ball, shinguards), we have equipment available for sale.

The fee of $60 provides personal accident insurance until 31/12/24, and membership with Hockey Victoria for the 2024 year. This means that if you decide to join a team and continue playing, your Hockey Victoria membership is already covered.

At the end of the program, if participants would like to continue playing hockey, we can offer a range of ways to participate – in both summer and winter seasons.

If you have any questions, please contact us.

Enquiries: Claire Barnes, ph 0417 015130

2024 Hockey Season – June 15 & 16

2024 Hockey Season – June 15 & 16

June 16 was Newtown Hockey Club Day, with most teams playing their games on the same day. The day provided some great performances for spectators to watch and applaud.

Highlights this week included:

⭐ A close game between U12 Strikers and U12 Spirit

⭐ U14 Strikers continuing to improve each week

⭐ A win for U17 Strikers in a tight game against Torquay

⭐ Great game by the U10 Lloyd Reserve teams, with the first game on synthetic surface for many of the players.

Under 10 Stead Park

Newtown Strikers vs Saints 5-0

Under 10 Lloyd Reserve

Newtown Spirit vs Newtown Rockets 6-3

Newtown Spirit played Newtown Rockets on Saturday. It was a high quality game with 9 goals scored. For Spirit, Leila scored a goal and Hugo scored several goals. Spirit have improved markedly during the season.

In the weekend’s game we took passes quickly, led into space, attacked the ball and did many other things well. The one thing to work on next week is not passing across goal in defence.

Newtown Dynamos vs Newtown Rebels 5-1

The first half was very closely matched. A number of attempts at goal were made by both sides. Eliza in particular had a number of opportunities then capitalised with a goal. Edward was assisting the forward drive with his long hits enabling the forwards to create their attacks. 

Kiarah stood out with her determination to tackle and push forward no matter how many defenders were in the way. Great to watch. Miriam went for a couple of notable runs into the scoring area and continued to pressure the Rebels.  Due to the Rebels forward pressure Flynn was kept on his toes dealing with each attack. At the end of the first half the score was even at 1:1

Caspar was part of the Dynamos team in the second half and made a significant difference with his running play and accurate assisting passes. He also scored the first goal and had leading roles in others that were scored.

The second goal was an accidental ‘own’ goal while the defending Rebels were under pressure in front of the Dynamos’ goals. Next Edward scored a goal. The third goal was an accurate pass in from Caspar to Flynn, who wasted no time in hitting a goal.  The Rebels defense, particularly Harry, were very good and made each attacking play from the Dynamos difficult. Similarly Kiarah was controlling play with her determined approach.

The final score was 5:1 for the Dynamos. The most valuable players (MVP) award was given to Flynn and Edward.

Newtown Rockets vs Newtown Spirit 3-6

Despite some great efforts in the first half by the Rockets defenders, Spirit were able to push forward into attack with strong hits and determined approach to the goals. Tom showed great focus in defending the goal, and denied Spirit’s attempt to score on many occasions, followed by great clearances to team mates on the wings.

Excellent efforts by the whole team to keep their sticks on the ground saw Rockets gain possession and great running by Austin to provide cover for team mates was very pleasing.

In the second half, Rockets were able to make more ground and move into attack. Good co-operation between Harry and Elspeth on the left wing brought the ball to our forward zone on a number of occasions, putting pressure on the Spirit defence. Great positioning by Nora and Lily on the right created opportunities to move forward and persistence in following up allowed Rockets to score 3 goals in the second half.

Best Team Player awards to Tom and Nora. Great work everyone!

Under 12

Newtown Strikers vs Newtown Spirit 1-0

A hard fought 1-0 win over Spirit.  The team maintained great shape with all players demonstrating a greater understanding of how to play their positions. Special mention to Eliza and Georgia who played the wing position well all game and with a little more luck would have got greater reward for their efforts.

Mitch played his best game of year with countless attacking moves from defence. Eva and Albie were solid in defence and teamed up well all game to stop multiple Spirit goal scoring opportunities.  We had a lot of play in our half with Eddy, Jack and Alex hunting the ball in the middle which made it hard for Spirit to get past.  Cooper and Fraser also provided good targets up forward all game.

Newtown Spirit vs Newtown Strikers 0-1

Unbeaten Strikers v 2nd place Spirit. The first half was very even with Spirit creating some counter attacking chances down the field. Strikers got into the circle a couple of times and scored with an individual goal from Jack.

Second half had Spirit camped inside Strikers half for long periods and dominated possession. Spirit had 5 short corners to 1 for the match but could not capitalise. Late in the half with tired bodies Strikers dominated territory. Full time. Spirit 0-1 Strikers.

Under 14

Newtown Strikers vs Geelong Jaguars 3-5

U14 Strikers continue to find their rhythm on game day, showing lots of improvement week to week. Whilst this week was another loss to the Jaguars, the margin on the scoreboard was just 2 goals – an impressive effort, given the margins of 7 and 10 in previous rounds this year!

Jaguars had two quick goals in the opening minutes of the game before some good defense from Emily and Kassidy had the ball heading back towards our end. Throughout the half Strikers had a few opportunities to score with no luck, until 5 minutes before the break when Cormac was able to find the back of the net. The score at half time: 1-4.

An unlucky Jaguars in the second half (they were short some players!) meant Strikers had plenty of opportunities for scoring. Parker was keen to make the most of the crowd on Club Day, scoring early in the half.

With some new-found confidence and a tighter scoreline, Strikers continued to pressure the Jaguars’ defense keeping the ball up our end. Binuli was always in the play and applying pressure when it was needed most – some great efforts!

Jaguars were only able to add one more goal to their tally mid-way through the second half thanks to great defensive work from Liz and Oliver clearing the ball out of their attacking zone.

Late in the half Jess and Parker both had chances, but it was Cormac who found his second goal for the game, and the third for Strikers. A final short-corner went begging – the game ending with a final scorecard 3-5.

Under 17

Newtown Strikers vs Torquay 1-0

In another thrilling encounter, Newtown triumphed over Torquay in a closely contested match. Both teams, fielding reduced players, saw an open field that led to aggressive passing and a focus on driving the ball through the middle to create opportunity.

Newtown’s defence was exceptional, particularly in their strategy of pushing Torquay’s attackers wide, effectively containing them and preventing entry into the circle. This defensive discipline was spearheaded by Riley and Georgia at the halves, with strong support from Kayla, Amelia, and Winter at the back. Madden was outstanding in goal, making crucial saves to keep the first half scoreless.

The third quarter saw Newtown breaking the deadlock, with Zac capitalizing on a short corner to score the decisive goal. The defenders moved in synchronized waves, pushing up to support the attack and showcasing impressive two-way running despite the reduced numbers.

Although both teams created numerous opportunities in the final quarter, neither could find the back of the net, and the match concluded with a well-earned 1-0 victory for Newtown. The team’s effort in maintaining high energy and effective one-on-one defending throughout the match was commendable.

Overall, it was fantastic to see Newtown close to full strength, delivering an impressive performance and securing a terrific win.

Division 1 Women

Newtown Falcons vs Torquay 2-3

In what was a very fast paced game, Newtown took to the field with a full side and players on the bench (which for us is a novelty which will hopefully continue).  This allowed us to have fresh players on the pitch which resulted in consistent pressure and the ability to defend Torquay’s attacking plays while making many of our own.

From the backline, Beth, Ainsley, Neve and Ruby along with Rachel (who had a standout game in goals), constistently repelled Torquay, while they cleared the ball wide and set up the midfield with some solid passes.

Audrey, Hailey, Jane and Georgia (with some cameos from Neve pushing up from defence) were able to move the ball freely to get the ball into attack while equally applying pressure when there was a turn-over.

On the forward line, Charlotte, Amber, Grace and Tess stretched the Torquay defence, making a number of scoring opportunities, two of which Grace was able to put in the back of the net.

Although Torquay were able to score 3 of their own goals, the game was very competitive and a good sign of what we’re capable of with a full side.  Being that we’re about half way through the season, these are the types of games that we’ll be able to build upon in the lead up to the finals.

All in all, very well played. 

Division 2 Women

Newtown Strikers vs Torquay 4-5

A very competitive game which saw the scoreboard change frequently, with both teams countering with a goal each time the opposition team scored. The score at half time was 4-4, a high standard game.

Strikers’ defence was excellent, led by Kirsty, and well supported by Kayla with a great debut senior game. With Rachel, Hannah and Claudia always in the right position and maintaining possession of the ball in the midfield, Torquay were not able to dominate.

Tash provided a focus point in attack, and Georgie, Charlotte, Sofia, Hanna and Kim worked well together to move the play forward. Andie even played a cameo role on the wing. Great ball control skills and passing from the forwards was very pleasing, and there were a number of additional scoring chances narrowly missed.

Both teams continued to work hard in the second half, with neither team able to score until late in the game when Torquay found an unmarked player in front of the goal. Overall, another excellent game from Strikers.

Division 2 Men

Newtown Falcons vs Saints Red 1-6

Newtown Falcons played Saints Red on Club Day (Sunday). The first half was very even. We defended strongly and manage to shutdown the Saints’ forwards. We scored first thanks to good play into the D, attack on the goalie and Cal putting the ball across the line.

In the second half the Saints were too strong and converted several corners to win 6-1.

Newtown Hockey Club Day

One club, one aim! Every team in action – bringing our hockey family together for an unforgettable Club Day!

Newtown Hockey Club: Where Every Family Member Finds Their Home on the Field

🏑 🏆 #UnitedWePlay #ClubDay #TeamSpirit

Come and join the fun on June 16, and celebrate the fantastic hockey family and club we are all part of.

The sausages will be sizzling on the BBQ at Stead Park, and there will be some special treats and give aways and a Raffle too. If you need new socks or uniform, or want to pick up a Newtown hoodie for those cold days on the sideline, we can help you out.

There will be 8 Newtown teams playing on the day so there’s plenty to cheer about. The U10 Lloyd Reserve teams are invited to be part of the fun too, with time set aside for them to play on the turf.

Games will begin at 9.15 am with the last Newtown game beginning at 3.30 pm.
9.15 am – U12 – Newtown Spirit vs Newtown Strikers
9.15 am – U10 Lloyd Reserve teams – mini Carnival
10.10 am – U10 Stead Park – Saints vs Newtown Strikers
10.15 am – U14 – Newtown Strikers vs Geelong Jaguars
11.15 am – U17 – Torquay vs Newtown Strikers
12.30 pm – D2 Men – Newtown Falcons vs Saints Red
2.00 pm – D1W – Newtown Falcons vs Torquay
3.30 pm – D2W – Torquay vs Newtown Strikers

2024 Hockey Season – April 27 & 28

Another beautiful weekend for some great hockey.

Under 10 Lloyd Reserve

Newtown Dynamos vs Newtown Rebels 4-1

Dynamos were 2 players short this week however Rebels generously let Caspar assist for the first half and then Charlie for the second half.

In the first half we had Edward, Eliza, Kiarah starting in the forward line. Caspar, Miriam and Flynn held defense positions. Some very good passing was demonstrated which was great to see. The Rebels held off some very fast attacking play with strong defense work. Caspar and Edward were the goal scorers with 2 goals each.

In the second half we switched some positions around. Edward and Kiarah went to defense with Flynn and Miriam moved into the forward line. Charlie switched places and joined Dynamos. Caspar went back to Rebels. It was much tougher to score goals in the second half. There was plenty of short and long corner practice with everybody getting a turn at passing the ball and receiving. Plenty of goal scoring opportunities for both sides however Caspar was the only goal scorer for the second half while playing for Rebels.

Kiarah really stood out with some excellent defense work holding back the Rebels forward line multiple times. Overall all the team played well together and it was good to see passing being prioritised again.

Newtown Spirit vs Newtown Rockets 0-4

Newtown Spirit played Newtown Rockets on Saturday. We welcomed Mathilda to the team. Thank you to Leila for filling in for the Rockets (there were several great contests between Leila and Saskia).

We did some nice passing and won several penalty corners but unfortunately we didn’t score. We will continue to work on hard passing at training and during games. Most importantly, everyone had fun. 

Newtown Rebels vs Newtown Dynamos 1-4

Another fabulous effort from Rebels this week. They were beaten 4 -1 in a tough game against Dynamos. Dynamos scored three goals in the first half and kept Rebels to no goals. Much of the first half was played in the Dynamos half and Rebels all had to work together defending. Caspar scored the only goal for the Rebels in the second half, and it was a much-deserved goal, he worked hard and was determined! There were some great goal saves from both Harry and Florence who both worked hard in defence. Charlie played a great attacking game and was relentless in his attempts to get the ball into the Rebels half. While Abigal and Beatrix both displayed some great tackling in the centre.  Freddie and Ester both did a great job with their passing. It was great to see all the players working together and hear them communicating, it was great to hear the kids all calling for the ball as they tried to get into free space. Great work Rebels!

Newtown Rockets vs Newtown Spirit 4-0

There were 6 players today for the Rockets: Austin, Elspeth, Harry, Lily, Nora and Tom. Leila from team Spirit filled in for us for the whole game.

The focus on passing in training this week and the warmup really showed in the round this week with strong passing and good use of calling out to each other. Austin scored the first goal for team Rockets followed by Lily with the second.

At half time Claire talked to the team about going wide when passing to each other and letting the ball come past to control it, instead of trying to stop the ball and then keep going.

Second half showed great positioning by Elspeth and Leila. More great passing and running into position. Harry scored a goal and so did Lily.

All over a really good game with lots of teamwork, keeping the ball on the stick and great use of space. Great second game Rockets!

Under 10 Stead Park

Newtown Strikers vs Torquay 5-1

A fantastic team effort from the U/10 Strikers team in their first match at Stead Park! A short corner early in the game was converted to a goal, thanks to a beautifully timed pass from James to Felix. Lots of strong passes and tackles led to another goal by Felix shortly afterwards. There were some fantastic tackles and great strategic plays by Henry in defence, before Felix and Harry combined to score another beautiful team goal. There was also some great team defence in the face of many short corners over the course of the first half – we lost count after 6!!

Early in the second half, James showed some amazing stick work and, with Edward in support, scored a great goal off a quick run up the field. Dot, Edward and Henry all made some really strong passes, with Dot and Harry positioning themselves really well out on the wings. Great defensive work by Edward and Thomas, in his first outing as Goal Keeper, saved many of Torquay’s efforts on goal, but one slipped through despite a great effort by Thomas.

Again, our team defence was strong against a run of short corners. James made another great few runs up to our forward line, always ably supported by Harry who ran alongside. A final goal to James as we transitioned out of defence saw the final score 5-1 to Newtown.

Under 12

Newtown Strikers vs Newtown Spirit 3-0

Another great contest between the 2 Newtown teams.  A feature of the game was our strong tackling in our defensive half and our ability to find players in space, which set up several goal scoring opportunities and several near misses too.  Eva, Eliza and Fraser teamed up well all game down back and stopped a lot of the Spirit’s forward game.  Well done to Albie as goalie who kept another clean sheet!

3-0 win was well deserved with even contributions from all players.

Newtown Spirit vs Newtown Strikers 0-3

Strikers played Spirit in what was a competitive match but the experience of Strikers prevailed. The first half Strikers dominated territory and had quite a few chances and Eddie R scored for Strikers just before half time.

In the second half Spirit had a few chances deep in attack but couldn’t score. The game opened up and Jack scored twice for Strikers.

Best for Spirit were Ved and Mitch (who was lent from Strikers for the match) who controlled well in the mid field, Chelsea’s defence and long hits through the middle and Harriett’s goal keeping.

Under 14

Newtown Strikers vs Torquay 7-1

U14 Strikers really focused on working as a team this week – and it paid off with a good win over Torquay.

The ball stayed in our half for much of the first 10 mins of the game, which resulted in early goals from Cormac, Jess and Parker. When Torquay did get the ball down their end for a shot at goal, Kassidy was ready – saving a high shot at goal from reaching the scoreboard.

Lucas Y. provided excellent support in the middle to keep the ball in our control, which led to another goal for Cormac late in the first half. This was a great team goal from a nice passage of play involving Lucas Y, Audrey, and Parker.

Torquay came back from the break looking for a goal, but were met with strong defense from Emily and Liz. Kassidy had another great save in goal, before Torquay managed to get on the scoreboard from a second attempt.

Jess added two more goals to our score, and in the last few minutes of the game we applied good pressure in our D allowing Kayden to break through for a final goal – 7-1 and some very happy Strikers. Great work team!

Under 17

Newtown Strikers vs Kardinia White 13-1

Newtown Strikers claimed a resounding victory against Kardinia White, scoring an impressive 13 goals to 1. The game kicked off with a bang as Newtown notched up 3 early goals, including a superb deflection goal by Serena. Their performance showcased excellent movement within the circle, creating numerous scoring opportunities.

The goals were evenly spread, with Nate, Zac, and Surry each contributing 3 goals, with Max and Will also getting on the board. The team demonstrated effective use of width, a tactic honed in training, particularly in bringing the ball out of defence, and we thank Kassidy from the U14 team for filling in again as goalie. This well-deserved win sets a strong tone for the upcoming games, and the Strikers are eagerly anticipating their next game.

Division 1 Women

Newtown Falcons vs Torquay 2-7

In what was a second week of unseasonably warm weather and again running with only 11 players with a number doubling up, this was always going to be a challenging game. That being said, the end scoreline didn’t represent the competitive nature of the game, with Newtown having a number of scoring opportunities, with Hailey converting a short corner and being able to finish off one of the team’s many attacking plays.

Out of defence, Ainley was able to clear Torquay’s offensive press with some great passes to our mid and forward lines. Thanks again to Georgie for playing and organising additional players for the game.

With some of our missing players returning in the coming weeks (hopefully), this will give the team some additional depth and assist with managing player fatigue on the field. Similar to the first week, some good takeaways from the game which we can continue to work on next week.

Division 2 Men

Newtown Falcons vs Geelong Blue 3-2

Newtown Falcons had a sluggish start against Geelong, conceding two early goals in first quarter. We were probably lucky not to concede a couple more. A great strike off a penalty corner by Harry near the end of the first quarter closed the gap, and we were 1-2 at quarter time.

We lifted during the second and third quarters through more talking and pressure. We equalised in the third quarter through a penalty stroke, awarded after Geelong’s keeper collected all of AJ and none of the ball. The final quarter was tight. Both teams played well. With two minutes to go we won a penalty comer and converted, then held on for the las two minutes to win 3-2.

Division 2 Women

Newtown Strikers vs Saints Red 6-0

The warm sunny afternoon made it a great day to play hockey. A bit of reverse psychology from the coach must have worked, and when he told the team that he wanted them to lose the game, there were some strange looks back at him. But the team took to the field, and despite the confusion, were ready to start playing.

Saints attack broke down due to some great defence by Tash, Andie, Rickie, Paige and Deanne. The solid defence prevented Saints from capitalising on any forward moves, with no defensive short corners awarded for the whole game, and not a touch needed from our goalkeeper.

Our forwards, lead by the amazing Ainsley playing in the unfamiliar position of centre as recommended by the assistant coach Parker, were a well co-ordinated team moving the ball into attack frequently. Great teamwork and positioning by all saw Ainsley often lay the ball off for others to run onto and carry the ball into the circle. Good ball skills saw us earn many short corners.

Fantastic vision from Tash and plenty of space given to our forwards allowed some well directed passes to penetrate the midfield and find our forwards with room to move. Georgie, Claudia, Hanna and Charlotte combined well, switching play from one side to the other. With the ball doing the work, the team had plenty left to give and continued to keep the pressure on the Saints defence. In her first game in 11 years, Kim positioned herself well on the post and finished with a hat trick of goals! A short corner goal from Tash set the team up well for a great win.

If we keep doing the basics well, and with such good co-ordination between backs and forwards which keeps things quiet for the keeper, we can look forward to a very enjoyable season.

2024 Hockey Season – April 20 & 21

Round 1 for the 2024 hockey season began with a lovely sunny weekend, just right for playing some great hockey.

Under 10 Lloyd Reserve

With a new competition format for the U8 and U10 players, being spread between Stead Park and Lloyd Reserve, it was fantastic to see 4 teams take to the field (1/2 size) at Lloyd Reserve. The range of ages in the teams, from 5 to 9 in most cases, didn’t faze the players and the standard of play and hockey smarts was excellent.

Newtown Dynamos vs Newtown Spirit 4-0

It was a very evenly matched start to the game, with no scoring for the first half, but plenty of opportunities for both sides. Both teams were passing well and letting less experienced players participate.

Penalty/Short corners were enthusiastically participated in, although a lot of players hadn’t
experienced these before.

In the second half, Dynamos began to break away. Eliza assisted in an excellent first goal that was scored by Edward. There was plenty of action at both ends of the ground with players having to run the entire
breadth of the oval regularly. Dynamos converted another three attacks into goals which were all scored by Edward.

Overall, the game showed great defense by both teams. Even though the score was 4:0 the game was very competitive. Miriam, Albert and Flynn worked well in defense. Felix, Edward and Eliza saw a lot of action in the forward line with Eliza in particular providing some great assistance work in the scoring shots. Players were encouraged to work on bringing the ball to their strong side and to clear
the ball in defense situations to players on the wing.

Newtown Spirit vs Newtown Dynamos 0-4

A fun game to begin the season, with some great play by the Spirit players. The sausage at the end of the game is always an attraction!

Newtown Rebels vs Newtown Rockets 5-2

In their first game for the season the Rebels played the Rockets at Lloyd Reserve and won 5 -1. It was not only the first game for the winter season, but for many of the players it was their first game ever! In the first half Charlie played in attack, he was running hard the whole first half and scored the Rebels first 2 goals. Beatrix played in attack for the whole game and showed some great passing skills. Abigail was involved in an epic tackle, stealing the ball from the Rockets. While Esther showed herself to be a great team player, with some lovely passes to her teammates.

Caspar worked hard in defence in the first half keeping the Rockets from scoring, and then in the second half he played in attack and scored three goals. One of those goals was thanks to a great steal and goal assist from Harry. Florence did some great passes and defended well, stopping a goal from the Rockets in the second half.

Freddie showed his skills with some great passes throughout the game, in particular there was a noticeably great pass close to the sideline. All the players did the most important thing and had a great time while building not only their hockey skills but their skills as team players. Well done Rebels!

Newtown Rockets vs Newtown Rebels 2-5

There were 6 players today for the Rockets: Nora, Tom, Elspeth, Lily, Austin and Harry. For the first half we borrowed Harry from the Rebels to play for us and the second half we borrowed Charlie.

The first half the team did some really great passing while staying out nice and wide giving everyone space. They did well looking for their teammates. No goals for Rockets in the first half and 2 goals for Rebels.

Second half again really nice work passing and good play and stops. 1 goal by Charlie in the second half and 3 goals for the Rebels.

Next week will try and focus on passing the ball quicker and being aware of where your teammates are. Great first game Rockets!

Under 10 Stead Park

Newtown Strikers

A bye for this team for the first round but they are keen to get on the field next week.

Under 12

Newtown Strikers vs Kardinia 8-0

A fantastic way to start the season with an 8-0 win over Kardinia.

From the start of the match Newtown controlled the game and territory.  Our players held their positions well, which created space for many attacking opportunities. Our passing was a feature of the game with the ball shared to players in better or more attacking positions. A signifiant amount of scoring opportunities were created but we were unable to convert a lot of these due to Kardinia’s great goal line defence.

Goals Scorers : 3 Jack, 2 Joey, 2 Eddy, 1 Eva

Newtown Spirit vs Torquay 4-0

The first game of the season and the players were a bit nervous to come up against last year’s premiers. Spirit started off strong from the outset and set up camp in their forward half. There were numerous half chances in the first half and three short corners but the team didn’t quite have the polish to score.

The second half was dominated again by Spirit and Torquay rarely got out of their half. This time Spirit passed the ball to teammates more confidently. Georgia R got the scoring underway, followed by goals from Joe I, Chelsea O and Ishe T to finish off a much better second half.

Under 14

Newtown Strikers vs Geelong 1-11

U14 Strikers had a tough start to season 2024, scoring 1 goal to Geelong Jaguars’ 11.

Despite the loss, the Strikers put in some great team and individual efforts. Our defence was kept busy, including good efforts from Lucas O. and Isobel to keep the ball out of the D. And when the ball did get through it didn’t always make its way to the goals thanks to some great saves from Kassidy!

Up the other end we saw some nice attempts towards the goal from Jessica and Audrey, but  Kayden had the most luck and put our first and only goal on the board.

Our team will take away plenty from the game, and aim to come back stronger next week!

Under 17

Newtown Strikers vs Torquay 0-6

Division 1 Women

Newtown Falcons vs Geelong 3-1

On what would turn out to be an seasonably warm day, the D1 Falcons took to the field, a player down, against a formidable Geelong side.

The game was played at a fast pace with Newtown applying a lot of pressure to force mistakes from the opposition which resulted in a penalty corner goal from Hailey.

Against the run of play, Geelong were able to counter this goal, bringing the scores back one apeace.

At quarter time the team was boosted with the arrival of Ruby, back from playing in Melbourne, and provided immediate results when she was able to break away from the Geelong defence and taking on the goalie pushed the ball into the back of the net.

As the game progressed, with no bench, fatigue started to become a factor, but instead of dropping their heads, everyone doubled down playing smarter hockey and making every play a challenge for the opposition.

This tenacious style of play paid off when Georgie was able to score the team’s 3rd goal in the later part of the game, providing a scoreline buffer which was maintained to the final whistle.

Big shout-out to Paige, Alex, Georgie and Claire (in her 801st game) who doubled up and contributed massively to the win. 

Overall, a fantastic start to the season and something that we’ll be able to build upon in the coming season.

Division 2 Men

Newtown Falcons vs Corio 3-0

The Newtown Falcons defeated Corio 3-0 on a balmy Saturday evening. We had a substantially different team from last year but played well from the start.

We had most of the play in the first half but were 0-0 at half time, thanks in part to great saves from Corio’s keeper. We lifted in the second half and improved our ball movement. Tom P, Tom E and AJ scored goals. Thanks to Brett for keeping at short notice.

Division 2 Women

Newtown Strikers vs Geelong 2-4

A good game to start the season with lots of positive indications.

Some skillful goals scored by Geelong, but good defence prevented further scores. Newtown’s defence was well served by Tash, Peta, Andie and De, with Alex and Rachel making some great interceptions. Unfortunately, injury to Kirsty early in the game saw her take no further part in the match.

Strong forays into the attacking zone by Serena, Claudia, Hanna and Charlotte, working well with Georgie and with Paige providing momentum to get the ball forward meant we were unlucky not to score more.