Greater Northern League Round 12 Preview

In the Men’s GNL, Burnie Baptist continued their perfect season in Round 11, making it 10 wins from 10 matches with a 5-1 victory over West Devonport. This week, they face third-placed South Burnie in a rematch of last year's grand final epic, who kept themselves firmly in contention for a top-two finish with a thrilling 4-3 victory over City Marians last week.

Smithton climbed into second place on goal difference after a comfortable 3-0 win over South Launceston Suns. They now sit level on 20 points with both South Burnie and Queechy Penguins, setting up a fascinating race for ladder position over the back half of the season. Smithton travel to face City Marians, knowing another victory would strengthen their grip on a finals berth.

Queechy Penguins also kept pace with the top, earning a hard-fought 4-3 victory over Launceston City despite a hat-trick from Oli Stebbings. The Penguins are level on points with Smithton and South Burnie but currently sit fourth on goal difference.

City Marians, despite their narrow loss to South Burnie, remain mathematically in the finals race and face a crucial clash against Smithton. A victory would close the gap on the top four and keep their hopes alive heading into the final rounds. With the gap currently at eight points, this is a pivotal clash for their finals hopes.

At the Aurora Energy Northern Hockey Centre, Launceston City take on West Devonport. Both sides will be looking to bounce back after narrow defeats in Round 11 and collect valuable competition points in the battle to avoid last place.

Finally, the South Launceston Suns host Tamar Churinga, with the Suns and Tamar chasing their third wins of the season and looking to bounce back from last week’s respective defeats.

In the Women’s GNL, Queechy Penguins maintained their unbeaten record in Round 11 with a commanding 5-0 victory over West Devonport to maintain their lead at the top of the ladder that sits at three points. This weekend, they face bottom-placed Tamar Churinga and will be expected to continue their unbeaten campaign.

South Burnie remain Queechy's closest challenger after edging City Marians 2-1 in a hard-fought contest last round. They kept the pressure on the ladder leaders, and they now face fifth-placed South Launceston, who were held to a 1-1 draw by Smithton in Round 11, missing the chance to make up ground on the top four with City Marians loss having opened the door.

Launceston City strengthened their grip on third place with an emphatic 5-0 victory over Tamar Churinga, with Jo Brumby scoring four times. They now sit on 20 points, two clear of City Marians, and have an excellent opportunity to consolidate their position when they meet seventh-placed West Devonport. West Devonport are coming off a heavy defeat to Queechy and will be aiming to bounce back with an upset here.

One of the most intriguing matches of the round sees sixth-placed Smithton host fourth-placed City Marians. Smithton picked up a valuable point with their draw against South Launceston last weekend but remain seven points adrift of the top four. City Marians, meanwhile, will be eager to respond after their narrow loss to South Burnie and strengthen their hold on a finals berth. The two will meet twice over the next 3 weeks, with Smithton knowing if they want to play finals, they likely need to win both.

Round 12 Fixtures

Men

South Burnie v Burnie Baptist, 12:30pm, McKenna Park

Launceston City v West Devonport, 12:30pm, Aurora Energy Northern Hockey Centre 2

City Marians v Smithton, 2:00pm, McKenna Park

South Launceston Suns v Tamar Churinga, 3:30pm, Aurora Energy Northern Hockey Centre 1

Bye: Queechy Penguins

Women

Tamar Churinga v Queechy Penguins, 11:00am, Aurora Energy Northern Hockey Centre 1

Smithton v City Marians, 12:30pm, Smithton

South Launceston v South Burnie, 12:30pm, Aurora Energy Northern Hockey Centre 1

Launceston City v West Devonport, 2:00pm, Aurora Energy Northern Hockey Centre 1