Greater Northern League Round 6 Preview

The Greater Northern League rolls into Round 6, with the men’s action beginning at Smithton as Smithton hosts Launceston City. Both sides enter the clash with 2 wins and 2 losses, part of a four-team cluster on six points in the middle of the ladder. Smithton went down 2-0 last week against competition powerhouse Burnie Baptist, but it was a commendable performance, and a similar effort will be required here against a City outfit riding high after an impressive 2-0 win over South Burnie.

Next up, Tamar Churinga faces a difficult assignment as they host Burnie Baptist, who remain undefeated atop the ladder following another 2-0 victory last week. Tamar fell 3-1 to City Marians, slipping to eighth on the ladder.

At McKenna Park, South Burnie will hope to bounce back from consecutive defeats as they meet the Queechy Penguins in the match of the round, pitting second against third. The Penguins have been in sharp form recently, thrashing West Devonport 5-1 last weekend, and will be eyeing the chance to leapfrog South Burnie into second place with a win here.

Finally, the South Launceston Suns return to action after last weekend’s bye, taking on City Marians. It’s been a tough start to the year for the Suns, who lost their opening four matches before the break, although they faced several of the competition's heavyweights during that stretch. They will be hoping for a breakthrough against a Marian's side, looking to secure consecutive wins for the first time this season after alternating between wins and losses across their opening four games.

The women’s competition begins with a huge clash at McKenna Park, as third-placed South Burnie takes on second-placed Queechy Penguins. Both sides are undefeated this season, recording three wins and two draws from their opening five matches. South Burnie was held to a rare scoreless draw by Launceston City last week, while Queechy was rampant in a 9-0 victory over West Devonport.

West Devonport will need to regroup quickly from that heavy defeat as they prepare to face Tamar Churinga in a key battle for both sides, who currently sit seventh and eighth on the ladder, respectively. Tamar came close again last week, falling 2-1 to City Marians, and that has been the story of their season so far, with three of their four defeats coming by a single-goal margin, alongside a 3-1 loss to City.

At the Aurora Energy Northern Hockey Centre, the South Launceston Suns will take on City Marians, with both sides involved in 2-1 results last week, Marians victorious against Tamar, while the Suns fell to Smithton. Marians currently sit atop the ladder with 12 points from five matches, although the competitiveness of the league is highlighted by the fact they are only one point clear of fourth-placed City on 11 points.

Finally, Smithton will look to build on last week’s 2-1 win, their first of the season, when they take on City. City will be pleased with their strong start to the campaign as they continue to build rapidly after re-entering the competition last season. They currently sit fourth on the ladder and could climb even higher with a victory this weekend.

Men's

Smithton v Launceston City, 12:30pm, Smithton

Tamar Churinga v Burnie Baptist, 12:30pm, Aurora Energy Northern Hockey Centre 2

South Burnie v Queechy Penguins, 2:00pm, McKenna Park

South Launceston Suns v City Marians, 2:00pm, Aurora Energy Northern Hockey Centre 1

Women's

Saturday 23 May

South Burnie v Queechy Penguins, 12:30pm, McKenna Park

West Devonport v Tamar Churinga, 12:30pm, Meercroft Park

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

Smithton v Launceston City, 2:00pm, Smithton