Tigers and Aurora Energy power up crucial final home double-header against Cobras

The Tassie Tigers host the Melbourne Cobras in their final home double-header of the ONE Active Hockey One League season this Saturday, 14 November, at the Aurora Energy Tasmanian Hockey Centre. With two rounds remaining, the men are looking to hold their place in the top four, while the women need a win to keep their finals hopes alive.

The men get under way at 1:00pm, followed by the women at 2:45pm.

The double-header is the centrepiece of a bumper weekend of hockey at the centre, with Hookin2Hockey kicking off Saturday’s action. The Tigers’ major sponsor, Aurora Energy, has helped make the program free through its partnership with Hockey Tasmania, giving hundreds of young Tasmanians the chance to try the sport. Kids taking part can pick up a stick in the morning and return in the afternoon to cheer on the Tigers.

Hockey Tasmania CEO Damian Smith and Aurora Energy CEO Nigel Clark joined the Tigers at this week’s pre-match press conference to discuss the partnership and its impact across the state.

“Aurora Energy has been an incredible supporter of hockey in Tasmania, from helping make Hookin2Hockey free for every child to coming on board as the Tigers’ major sponsor,” Smith said. “It’s been a hugely significant partnership for our sport and for what we’ve been able to achieve.”

“We’re thrilled to see our support for Hookin2Hockey help drive such strong growth in participation,” Clark said. “Making the program free has removed barriers for many families and given more children the chance to experience the joy and benefits of playing sport. Sport builds community, promotes health and wellbeing, and creates lifelong connections.”

Children under 13 get free entry to both games, and families can enjoy activities and prize giveaways throughout the afternoon as part of Aurora Energy’s Power Up Your Match Day.

Rounding out the weekend are the Under 16 State Championships. Junior players and their families can catch the Tigers between tournament matches, while fans can see some of Tasmania’s emerging talent in action.

Men | Tigers look to strengthen their grip on a finals spot

The Tigers return home fourth on the ladder with three wins from five games, ahead of the Perth Thundersticks on goal difference. Just two points separate second and fifth, making Saturday’s first meeting with the Cobras an important chance to strengthen their position before next week’s trip to Newcastle to face NSW Pride.

The sixth-placed Cobras arrive in Hobart after beating Adelaide Fire 10–3 for their first win of the season. Tigers player Oscar Sproule said he had been impressed by how the league’s newest side sets up and was looking forward to seeing three former Tigers in the opposition ranks.

“Playing a team we’ve never played before is exciting,” Sproule said. “We’re obviously entering an important time of the season, so we’re just looking to cement our place in the four and the boys are up and about and ready to go.”

With two rounds remaining, Sproule said every result carries weight in a seven-game season.

“We try not to treat games any differently. It’s a short season. When you only play seven games, you can’t really afford to treat any games above others, but obviously this game is of very high importance.”

Sproule also pointed to discipline as an area the Tigers need to address after last Friday’s loss to HC Melbourne.

“We were too ill-disciplined throughout the game. We had over 20 minutes of guys sitting on the bench, so we gave ourselves no real chance of winning by doing that. Tactically, I think we went alright.”

Women | Tigers face must-win clash with Cobras

The Tigers Women enter the weekend seventh on the ladder, five points outside the top four. A regulation-time win over the fourth-placed Cobras would cut that gap to two points heading into the final round, with Tasmania still needing other results to go its way.

Zayna Jackson said the Tigers want to build on their second-half performance against HC Melbourne and bring that same connection into Saturday’s opening quarter.

“We are going into it trying to take momentum from our second-half performance against Melbourne. We connected well and the midfield connected with our defence and attack, so we are looking to take that into the next game,” Jackson said.

“We want to start strong. We can’t have that same sort of thing, allowing those early goals, which makes it hard to fight back. So we want to make sure we start really strong and be on top early, then maintain that through the game.”

Jackson identified the Cobras’ midfield as a key battleground.

“We know they’re really strong in the middle with Claire Colwill in there. We’ve watched some clips of them, so we have an idea of how they want to play.”

The Tigers need to win their final two games and have other results go their way to reach finals. Jackson said the group’s focus was on getting those two wins.

“The goal from the start of the season was to make finals and the competition has been really tight this year,” Jackson said. “So two wins from our final two games, and then anything can happen.

“We are mainly focusing in on what we can control. The other results we can’t do anything about, so we are mainly looking at the things we can do as a group and making sure we win our two games. If we do that, then whatever happens elsewhere will happen.”

Pride Round | Play Your Part

Round 6 will also see all eight Hockey One clubs taking part in Pride Round, celebrating LGBTQ+ players, officials, volunteers and fans. This year’s theme, Play Your Part, calls on everyone in hockey to help make the sport safe and welcoming for LGBTQ+ people.

Both Tigers teams will wear rainbow socks on Saturday. Between matches, the men’s and women’s teams from both clubs will come together on the field for the reading of the Hockey One Pride Pledge.

Match details

Saturday 14 November
Aurora Energy Tasmanian Hockey Centre, New Town
Men 1:00pm | Women 2:45pm
Children under 13 get in free
Get tickets for the final home double-header