Whangārei Boys' High School will hope to see some of star player Luke Trigg (centre) in between his rugby commitments while Bream Bay's Greg Jackman (left) will press his side's cause. Photo / File
Whangārei Boys' High School will hope to see some of star player Luke Trigg (centre) in between his rugby commitments while Bream Bay's Greg Jackman (left) will press his side's cause. Photo / File
With just hours left until the start of Northland's premier hockey season, here is the final instalment of the two-part look at the local men's and women's premier hockey competitions.
Profiled below is the men's premier competition with comments from coaches on how they see their season progressing and what players will play big roles come finals day. Fixtures for round one can be found at the end of the article.
2018 season result: 1st. Round robin finish: 2nd - Played 15: (Won: 6, Lost: 2, Draw: 4)
Springfield men's coach of about three years, Grant McLeod was pleased with his side's competition-winning performance in 2018 after an inconsistent start to the season.
"The further the year the went on, the better we got at avoiding those implosions but we've had a bit of turnover this year losing some older guys, so it'll be about moulding the guys into a team that is competitive," he said.
McLeod wanted his players to enjoy their hockey this year and knew results would come if they kept that mentality.
Leading figure: Thomas Keogh (Midfielder)
A former national-level player and Hockey Northland player of the year, Thomas Keogh had been with the club for about five years and would be a great asset to the team, according to McLeod.
"All-around, Tom is a pretty good player, he's got a good skill set and he works hard so he will probably be one our leading players," he said.
Emerging talent: Thomas Lindsay (Striker/Midfielder)
Thomas Lindsay last played for Springfield in 2016 before playing for Whangārei Boys' High School for two years. Coach McLeod said he was glad to have young chargers like Lindsay back at the club.
"[Tom] has got good skills, he just needs to get that wise head on the shoulders and that's a part of the learning curve playing for us."
Dempster and Hill Electrical Maungakaramea
Coach: Sam Webb Manager: Murray Mortimer
2018 season result: 2nd. Round robin finish: 1st - Played 15: (Won: 8, Lost: 3, Draw: 1)
Taking home the silver medal after a dominant performance in the round robin was still fresh in the mind of coach Sam Webb, who said the team was motivated to live up to the success of recent years.
"It never tastes quite as good when you come second so this season we've put a bit more pressure on our guys to commit and try to get some new blood as well," he said.
Leading figure: Cam Hellier (Striker)
The 30-year-old striker has been a mainstay of this Maungakaramea side of a number of years now and Webb said Hellier's progress as a leader was developing.
"Cam is getting to a position where he does need to become a leader, which he has done in the last couple of years so he has stepped up," Webb said.
Webb hoped Bint, a former Auckland player, would have a big impact on the team this year as one of the newer players in the side.
"[Bint] has just been looking pretty sharp at training and you can just tell he's a hard grafter and won't complain too much which is exactly what we want," he said.
Maungakaramea's Cam Hellier will be one of the team's leaders as they look to go one further than their second-place finish in 2018. Photo / File
Morris and Morris Mangapai
Coach: Mark Thorne Manager: Dan Clark
2018 season result: 3rd. Round robin finish: 3rd - Played 15: (Won: 6, Lost: 3, Draw: 3)
With a goal of finishing top of the table after the round robin, player/coach Mark Thorne knows his side will need to be firing from game one and keep consistent.
"We want to be more dominant and more clinical so we win those tight games and don't stumble at the final hurdle," he said.
Leading figure: Stephen Buntain (Midfielder)
A former North Harbour age-group player, Buntain will be a welcome member of this year's Mangapai team, a player Thorne hoped could be a real leader.
"Stephen is a very skilful, young player and he's had some experience so we'll be looking for him to really step up in our midfield and dominate it," Thorne said.
Emerging talent: Frederick Zentner (Striker)
Nicknamed 'Freddie' and coming off the back of a successful campaign in Germany, Zentner was one player who Thorne felt could be a real example for his team.
"Freddie is a striker that can create and execute opportunities and he will definitely add to the guys around him," he said.
Whangārei Boy's High School 1st Xl
Coach: Warren Litchfield, Matt Lawson Manager: Shelly Williamson
2018 season result: 4th. Round robin finish: 4th - Played 15: (Won: 4, Lost: 6, Draw: 2)
Litchfield was in his first year coaching a young side who he felt had a lot of potential in 2019.
"They'll be competitive and I don't think any team is going to find us easy to play against because we'll be fit and fast but the experience and skills of the older teams will be tough as well," he said.
Sam Webb had been in the school's top team for a few years now, which had Litchfield hoping his young defender could lead by example.
"Sam has got a natural eye for hockey and he reads the game well so we'll be relying on him big time to hold our defence together," he said.
Emerging talent: Hayden Ganley (Goalkeeper)
A young student new to the premier team, Ganley was one to look out for according to Litchfield, who said his natural talent could shine through this season.
"Hayden's got really good hand-eye co-ordination and that natural ability combined with the technical skill."
2018 season result: 5th. Round robin finish: 5th - Played 15: (Won: 1, Lost: 11, Draw: 0)
The last five years hadn't been the best for Bream Bay in the premier competition but coach Vicki Gribble was confident a new crop of young players could turn it around.
"We've just got to focus on what our process is and our structure, getting away from being really specific about what the focus is for each game," she said.
Harry Lamb, formerly in the New Zealand under-18 hockey mix, was one of a few players who Gribble would like to see step up and take a leadership role.
"He's certainly got the potential and I'm hoping he will grow into a leadership position within the team."
Emerging talent: Jacob Attwood (Midfielder)
Gribble said Jacob Attwood, a Kamo High School product, had potential if he put the work in."
"[Attwood] is quick, he's got really good skills and he's got ears that work which is always a plus for young players, so it's just about bringing him along and developing him," she said.
Round one fixtures (all games at Kensington turf):
