Greater Northern League Round 4 Preview

Round 4 of the Greater Northern League promises to be a bumper weekend of hockey, with both the Men’s and Women’s competitions featuring top-of-the-table clashes.

The weekend action gets underway with more Friday night hockey, as Tamar Churinga hosts the South Launceston Suns in a double-header.

In the Women’s competition, both sides will be eager to rebound from Round 3 defeats. The Suns were edged 2-1 by City Marians, while Tamar went down 3-1 to Launceston City. It was South Launceston’s second narrow loss in succession following an opening-round victory, while Tamar is still searching for its first win of the season.

Saturday’s action in Launceston features the match of the round, with second-placed Queechy Penguins taking on ladder leaders South Burnie in a top-of-the-table showdown. The defending champions will need to keep a close eye on Meah Poke, who leads the league scoring with six goals already this season.

On the Coast, Smithton will be chasing its first win of the year when it hosts City Marians, who defeated South Launceston last week thanks to goals from Monique Moore and Suzanna Gibson. West Devonport will also be looking to break through for its first victory when it takes on Launceston City at Meercroft Park.

In the Men’s competition, Tamar Churinga and South Launceston will both have the opportunity to kick-start their seasons when they meet at the Northern Hockey Centre. With both sides winless through the opening three rounds, this looms as a crucial clash as each looks to get some much-needed points on the board.

On Saturday, West Devonport and Launceston City face off in a mid-table battle that gives both teams the chance to climb the ladder. Devonport was unable to match South Burnie last week, while City overcame Tamar Churinga 1-0 courtesy of a Joshua Demarco goal.

Smithton will be looking to bounce back from last week’s defeat at the hands of Queechy.

The headline clash of the weekend takes place at McKenna Park, where South Burnie and Burnie Baptist meet in a Grand Final rematch from last year’s thrilling decider. Both sides have picked up where they left off in 2026, opening the season with three comfortable victories apiece to set the stage for a mouthwatering contest.

Women

Friday 8 May

Tamar Churinga v South Launceston Suns, 7:30pm, Northern Hockey Centre

Saturday 9 May

Queechy Penguins v South Burnie, 12:30pm, Northern Hockey Centre 1

Smithton v City Marians, 2:00pm, Smithton

West Devonport v Launceston City, 12:30pm, Meercroft Park

Men

Friday 8 May

Tamar Churinga v South Launceston Suns, 6:00pm, Northern Hockey Centre 1

Saturday 9 May

Smithton v City Marians, 12:30pm, Smithton

West Devonport v Launceston City, 12:30pm, Meercroft Park

Burnie Baptist v South Burnie, 2:00pm, McKenna Park