HC Melbourne & Adelaide Fire Share Hockey One Spoils

Melbourne saw it's first night of action in this year's Hockey One season on Friday 18th October. In front of an excited crowd at the Melbourne Sports Centre in Parkville, they were treated to two high-scoring matches. Hockey One has proved to be since it's introduction in 2019, to be a marked improvement from the old state league. It takes it cues from one source: T20 cricket, especially Australia's own Big Bash League. Teams in major cities, colourful logos and uniforms, a men's and women's league on equal footing and unique rules. The two unique Hockey One rules being no draws, with games going to a shootout if level after 60 minutes. Plus a one-on-one duel between the goalkeeper and a goal-scorer after a field or penalty stroke goal for an extra goal. That second rule means Hockey One has a lot of inflated scores, that nominally wouldn't have occurred under normal FIH rules. It's certainly not normal in FIH play for the DJ to play the circus music when the away team walks out, which is a thing that actually happened to the visitors in Melbourne.

Cooper Burns after scoring from yet another Penalty Corner

Adelaide Fire began their season in Melbourne following a bye in round one. The men's and women's HC Melbourne team had victories in round 1, the men 5-2 and the women 4-3 over Tassie Tigers. The women's match began first after the scheduled start time of 6:30. HC Melbourne had the upper hand through the first half-quarter, until Breana Catley scored and converted in the ninth minute, giving the Fire a 2-0 lead. Adelaide would control the game for the rest of the first half but couldn't extend their lead. Hannah Cotter went on an extraordinary run through the middle of the pitch in the final minute of the first half but the ball came off Ash Utri's body before going into the goal. To the dismay of the home crowd who certain they had seen a score, their hometown heroes still trailed 2-0.

Both goalkeepers made great saves through the third quarter but HC Melbourne were left to rue a green card being given to Kristina Bates as Annalise Abbott goaled soon after to extend Adelaide's lead to three. Needing a big last quarter, Melbourne win a penalty corner and Cotter traps the ball beyond the dotted lines outside the circle, meaning by rule, penalty corner rules do not apply. Samantha Love deflects the ball in for a field goal and converts reducing the margin to one. In the 54th minute, the Fire do the same from a penalty corner off their own and Georgia Dowd's goal and conversion restores a three-goal lead. Inside of five minutes, HC Melbourne pulled their goalkeeper for an additional field player but when Dowd goaled into an empty net it seemed to seal the deal. But the home side refused to buckle and a brilliant finish and goal from Mihaylia Howell and conversion with a minute left, there was hope. The Fire successful saw out one last penalty corner and cliam a 6-4 win. A close match but Adelaide had the upper hand and were the better team for more of the match.

Georgia Dowd (second from right) was crucial in the last quarter for Adelaide Fire

The men's game was not a close affair. The HC Melbourne men's team are the defending champions and prepared the Fire's defence with five penalty corners in the first half quarter. Daniel Smits made good use of the fifth to put the black and gold in front early. This was a game where Melbourne dominated, Adelaide needed a lapse of concertation from their opposition defence. With three minutes left in the second quarter, HC Melbourne have dominated the game but only lead by a goal, soon the dam wall would burst. In the 28th minute, Cooper Burns sends the ball towards goal on a penalty corner before Nathan Ephraums gets the final touch to double the lead. In the same minute after the re-start, Ephraums passes to Smits who finishes brilliantly in the top left from 15 yards away. He converts thereafter, giving his side a 4-0 lead. But the Melbourne side would pile on the pain occurred in the third quarter. Burns from a penalty corner in the 33rd, Carlin Walker in the 40th after the ball came to him of the goalkeeper's pads plus a conversion. Burns goaled again from the penalty corner in the 42nd and then Smiths took his total to five, with a goal and conversion in the 44th minute. By three-quarter time, HC Melbourne led 10-0.

Ben White scored in the 47th but then in the same minute, Mitch Dell for the Fire from a penalty corner finally got the Fire on the board. Burns in the 58th and Walker in the 60th added more pain for the visiting team. HC Melbourne's scoring was so rapid, even the scorers struggled to keep up. A 12-1 win was announced over the PA system in Parkville. Furthermore, that score initially appeared as the final score on the Altiusrt system, seemingly forgetting Smiths late third-quarter conversion. However, this was eventually corrected to 13 (cue Anthony Hudson's famous commentary).

Carlin Walker scored three goals (including one conversion) in HC Melbourne's historic win

Those at Parkville saw history, the most goals scored not just in HC Melbourne history but in Hockey One history. The remaining Hockey One dates in Melbourne are on Friday November 7th against Brisbane Blaze and Saturday November 15th against Canberra Chill. The semi-final and final weekend of the season for the men's and women's league will also occur at Parkville on the weekend of the 29th and 30th of November.