Mid West Festival of Hockey heading to Geraldton

Geraldton is set to play host to the Mid West Festival of Hockey this week, bringing with it some of Australia’s best hockey players. The festival, running from Thursday to Sunday, will be headlined by Premier League matches between the men’s and women’s Reds Hockey Club and Hale Hockey Club sides on Saturday May 21, with fixtures to be broadcast from the Geraldton Hockey Association live and free. The first game commences at 2:00pm with the Women, and the Men’s’ teams are hitting off at 3:45pm Hockey fans in the Mid West will get to see international stars compete, such as Australian Olympic captain Aaron Zewlewski and Olympic top scorer Blake Govers. While talented Geraldton athletes Brayden King and Josh Bowen will be representing Hale. A number of clinics are on offer for young Mid West hockey players before Saturday’s Premier League fixtures, with an under-12s and under-15s clinic open to junior hockey players free of charge at Geraldton’s new precinct. A level one coach course and level one umpire course will also be on offer, providing further development for hockey in the region. Other experiences for the round include an Indigenous cultural experience and primary school carnivals on Thursday, as well as a panel breakfast to be held on the Sunday. The Premier League fixtures will coincide with the official Geraldton Hockey Association turf opening at 3.15pm. The two new high-level turfs have been recently installed at the GHA, providing a world-class experience for hockey players in the Mid West region. Geraldton MLA Lara Dalton played an important role in the GHA Iluka Hockey Stadium upgrade project, with the State Government contributing $220,000. The GHA has been planning and working for more than three years to implement the nearly $1 million upgrade and refurbishment of two world class synthetic hockey turfs. The facility has several other users, including a martial arts and self defence school, and offers all year round use. Hockey WA general manager of game and community development Shayley McGurk Davy said she was excited to take the round to Geraldton in 2022. “It is exciting to be able to deliver this year’s Mid West Festival of Hockey in Geraldton, particularly with two recently-installed surfaces as an added boost to deliver a high-quality event,” McGurk Davy said. “We are thrilled to have the opportunity to officially open the new precinct and we’re sure hockey members in the Mid West will relish the opportunity to experience high-level hockey across a number of activations.”