Premier League Round 19 – Match of the Round Preview

Published Fri 11 Aug 2023

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Round 19 – Match of the Round Preview

Seacliff Hockey Club v Port Adelaide District Hockey Club

Preview by Bevan Jones

Premier League Women

As the minor round hockey season reaches its climax, fans and enthusiasts alike are gearing up for a thrilling encounter in a top of the table contest that promises to be a spectacle.

The spotlight will be firmly fixed on the top placed Port Adelaide District Hockey Club and last year’s competition runners up with a 15-3 record against the Seacliff Hockey Club, last year’s premiers who sit second with 15 wins, one draw and two losses.

The two teams lock horns in a clash that could well shape the destiny of this year’s premiership.

It was contrasting results for the two teams in round 18 with the Port Adelaide Magpies thumping Forestville 12-0 and the Seacliff Tigers going down 3-1 against Adelaide.

Port Adelaide and Seacliff met in round 18 with the Magpies getting the victory 3-1 on that occasion.

Port Adelaide coach Paul Finnie said they anticipated a fierce contest against Seacliff.

“The team and I have the utmost respect for Seacliff women’s side, they are talented and well coached/organised, as evidenced by their success thus far this year,” Finnie said.

“It's been an interesting comp this season with probably more unpredictability in the results across the comp than in a long time.

“We anticipate yet another tight battle with the Tigers, who have too many good players and are dangerous in too many areas to become narrow focused.

“We will be focusing on executing well both with ball and without, the key to our game has been our synergy and the connections between our girls have been top-notch.

“We'll need to be tenacious in all aspects of our defence and we're all excited by the match up.

Prediction: In conclusion, fans can look forward to a thrilling encounter when these two championship contenders compete in a potential grand final preview. The result could go either way and it’s a roll of the dice, but I am tipping the Magpies in a thriller 3-2.

Premier League Men

Hockey enthusiasts, strap yourselves in for a riveting clash as table-toppers, Seacliff Hockey Club with a 15-3 record in 2023 and looking to go one better after finishing third in 2022 take on the last year’s champions, Port Adelaide District Hockey Club who sit third on the table with 11 wins, three draws and four losses.

This eagerly anticipated match promises to be a beauty and in their last meeting in round 12 it was the Seacliff Tigers proving too strong for the Port Adelaide Magpies with a 3-1 victory.

Seacliff's meteoric rise to the top of the league table this season has been nothing short of spectacular and they are coming off an impressive 3-0 victory over Adelaide Hockey Club in round 18.

Port Adelaide are also coming off a victory, they defeated Forestville 2-1 last week.

Port Adelaide coach Mark Victory said there were some key focuses this week for beating Seacliff and in preparation for finals which is around the corner.

“We are using the next 3 weeks to make sure we are prepared for our first final,” Victory said.

“We will have a few personnel changes this week but are looking forward to playing Seacliff at Seacliff again for the second time this season.

“They have a talented list as evidenced by the fact that they remain undefeated this late in the season.

“We need to be at our best defensively and make the most of our attacking opportunities.”

Prediction: In closing, the Seacliff vs. Port Adelaide clash is a mouth-watering contest and it is a very tough one to pick. With Seacliff only losing the three games in 2023, I am expecting them to be a little too strong for last year’s premiers and the Tigers to win 3-1.