Tigers unite for training camps ahead of Hockey One season
Published Fri 02 Oct 2026
The Tassie Tigers will bring together the majority of their men’s and women’s squads for training camps this weekend, with import players arriving in Tasmania ahead of next weekend’s Hockey One season opener.
The camps mark an important stage in the Tigers’ preparations, providing valuable time for locally based players and their interstate and international teammates to train and bond together before the national competition begins.
With players preparing in different locations, this weekend offers both squads an opportunity to build combinations, strengthen their understanding of team structures and develop connections away from the turf.
For new recruits, it will also provide a chance to settle into the Tigers environment and get to know the teammates they will line up alongside throughout the season.
Men’s coach Ben Read said bringing the group together would help sharpen preparations for the opening-round clash with the Perth Thundersticks.
“It’s always good to get the fellas together for a solid week of training heading into game one, so we can fine-tune our processes,” Read said.
“It’s a massive first-round game against Perth, and we need to make sure we hit the ground running.
“We’ll be focusing heavily on how we press and how we expect Perth to press against us.”
The Tigers enter 2026 with strong foundations to build on following last season. The men reached the Grand Final, finishing runners-up to HC Melbourne, while the women narrowly missed a finals berth by a single point.
Read said the men’s returning core provided a valuable foundation as the squad builds towards another campaign.
“We have a couple of new faces, but having so much of the group carry over from last year and the year before certainly helps when implementing how we want to play,” he said.
Women’s co-coach Susan Brooks said the camp would offer an important opportunity to build connections alongside the work on the turf.
“By Saturday, we’ll have all our players here for the camp, which will be fantastic,” Brooks said.
“It’s a really good opportunity to work on our hockey, but also to get to know each other, which is just as important in building that team chemistry.”
A practice match will form part of the women’s preparations, with match-day personnel involved to help replicate the conditions players will encounter in the opening round.
“We’re playing a practice match with ball boys, umpires and technical officials to make it as realistic as possible and prepare our players for the following week,” Brooks said.
“We’ll be working hard on penalty corners and other set plays, as well as specific match-play scenarios.”
The Tigers begin their campaign at the Aurora Energy Tasmanian Hockey Centre on Saturday 10 October against the Perth Thundersticks, with the women playing at 2:30 pm and the men at 4:15 pm. Get behind both teams on home turf. You can secure your tickets here.
Tassie Tigers Men’s Squad
#1 Magnus McCausland, #3 Tyson Johnson, #4 Hayden Beltz, #5 Matthew Bird, #6 Josh Brooks, #7 Ruben Hoey, #8 Lex Tump, #9 Jeremy Edwards, #10 Oliver Stebbings, #11 Eddie Ockenden, #12 Noah Thomas, #13 Joshua Beltz, #14 Jack Welch, #15 Oscar Pritchard, #16 Alex Hogan-Jones, #17 Lachlan Rogers, #19 Tim Deavin, #20 Ehren Hazell, #21 Jack Pritchard, #22 Samuel McCulloch, #23 Angus McMullen, #27 Will Sproule, #28 Oscar Sproule, #31 William Dixon Coach: Ben Read, Assistant Coach: Nick Tremayne
Tassie Tigers Women’s Squad
#1 Kacee Ponting, #2 Holly Pearson, #3 Phillida Bridley, #4 Hannah Baxter, #5 Zayna Jackson, #6 Lauren Canning, #7 Taylor Brooks, #8 Maddison Brooks, #9 Georgina Carter, #10 Belle Kruimink, #11 Jade Van Der Zwan, #12 Sophie Kruimink, #14 Stella Pritchard, #15 Penny Squibb, #16 Madison Clark, #17 Paige Blake, #18 Sophia Schwabe, #19 Bryn Underwood, #20 Beth Dobbie, #21 Yvette Biekart, #22 Meah Poke, #23 Holly Gilbar, #24 Camila Raposo, #25 Evelyn Dalton Coaches: Susan Brooks and Brett Withington
