This State League One season is a joke

[hockeytragic]

Who knows what the f... is going on? A round 18 game played three days after round 12, so many postponed games in both Mens and Womens SL1 that there is no point in looking at the ladders until after round 18 as they don't mean anything at the moment.

From a supporter's point of view, it is an absolute disaster. For example, Greensborough Womens SL1 have 5 games rescheduled to mid-week - 5 out of 18! Greensborough Mens have 4 mid week games. Hockey clubs need a strong supporter base to survive, and yet the supporters are being ignored. Sorry, we are not playing on Saturday this week, but you can come to the hockey centre on a Wednesday night instead - you know, that place that is so warm and inviting on a winter's night...

Yes, I know why it's happened - national tournaments. But it has turned this season into a farce, and it must never be allowed to happen again. What other sport would allow it's domestic season to be so disrupted? Is it no wonder that hockey remains the fringe sport that it is in terms of spectator support and media interest, despite being such a wonderful game?

[HomerS]

Sorry, we are not playing on Saturday this week, but you can come to the hockey centre on a Wednesday night instead - you know, that place that is so warm and inviting on a winter's night..

One thing though, last night at 9.10 the lights were at full international power so at least the ground was nice and bright! Mind you, they turned them off about 2 minutes after the game finished! 

[hockey tragic]

Who knows what the f... is going on? A round 18 game played three days after round 12, so many postponed games in both Mens and Womens SL1 that there is no point in looking at the ladders until after round 18 as they don't mean anything at the moment.

From a supporter's point of view, it is an absolute disaster. For example, Greensborough Womens SL1 have 5 games rescheduled to mid-week - 5 out of 18! Greensborough Mens have 4 mid week games. Hockey clubs need a strong supporter base to survive, and yet the supporters are being ignored. Sorry, we are not playing on Saturday this week, but you can come to the hockey centre on a Wednesday night instead - you know, that place that is so warm and inviting on a winter's night...

Yes, I know why it's happened - national tournaments. But it has turned this season into a farce, and it must never be allowed to happen again. What other sport would allow it's domestic season to be so disrupted? Is it no wonder that hockey remains the fringe sport that it is in terms of spectator support and media interest, despite being such a wonderful game?

get your own handle

[what the?]

How do the other states competitions handle rep duties versus club games?

Surely at least 1 other state has a better solution for this that HV do?

[jello]

South Australia does not defer Premier League matches during any National Championships (even AHL).  Teams that have State Reps away are allowed to use State Subs from the grade below to replace them.  Effectively that means that the better players in the seconds have to double up.  Not ideal but with the lack of grounds due to trainings etc, at least there is no rescheduling.

[port_lad]

Here in Newwy, you can defer a match based on a minimum number of players out due to rep duties, for example if one club has 4 guys in the NSW Country side at country champs, in the past they have been able to defer any match where those players are away. Its my opinion you want the best players available for every game if you can make it happen, then good. The game itself is better for it.

[Sports Marketing]

This is the Australian Hockey;

Well with The  Olympics , World Cup, Champions Thophy, and all the lead up tournaments to qualify.....Endless and meaningless International practice matches, Comm Games, AHL, JWC, U21 Nationals, U18 Nationals.....Now the pressure to play Indoor.....

is it any wonder SL1 is a total joke. The grand final is the only thing that puts some respectability back into SL1. Whe you get Interna

[Sports Marketing]

 The SL1 grand final is the only thing that puts some respectability back into SL1. When International players who have never played a game of SL1 all season turn up.....Most of the year SL1 is really SL1.5 to SL2.

Marketing

PS. All this when there is more Sponsorship dollars in domestic sport.

[Dogs]

What does that make SL2 for most of the year?

[Dekers]

Didnt read much into this topic as I just accepted it as something we have to deal with in state league 1.  Im not sure it will ever change so I just put it in the basket of something that wasnt worth wasting my energy in worrying about.

 In recent weeks the rescheduled games have become a pain in the rear as they have started to affect what we can do at National league training due to the personel available to train.  In reading the relevant HV rules I see that teams require at least 4 players or officials to be away with state or national duty, these players cant be train on players and these players must be regular players for the team for which the game is being postponed.  With all this in mind and at the risk of starting an argument, why have the MSL1 rd 9 and rd18 don v alt games been rescheduled??

[#18]

  With all this in mind and at the risk of starting an argument, why have the MSL1 rd 9 and rd18 don v alt games been rescheduled??

They were rescheduled before the national league teams were picked with the belief that Justin Ellis, Tim Snow, Truepenny and the guy that plays for NT could all be selected, as it turned out I think only Juzzy was selected and Doncaster even offered to put the game back on, but that was only on the Thursday night before.  The Tuesday night rd 18 game resulted in 4 Altona regular SL1 players being unavailable, including Guest from the Vikings squad,  how that rescheduling is allowing the best players to play I have no idea. 

The other issue apart from just the missed training sessions is also the toll of the make-up games on players, Burra played 4 games from Saturday to Saturday, with Mirecki hurting himself in two of them and they've still got more to make up before going into finals week of AHL.   Hardly a good preparation coming into finals week for players important to the Vikings.

[Dekers]

that makes sense, was wondering who the 4th player was, forgot about the guy from NT.

Very true about toll on players, burra were undefeated before the catch up games started.

[C.Hunt]

What does that make SL2 for most of the year?

Like Pennant A

[hockeytragic]

Didnt read much into this topic as I just accepted it as something we have to deal with in state league 1.  Im not sure it will ever change so I just put it in the basket of something that wasnt worth wasting my energy in worrying about.

I think this is the problem - hockey is an amateur sport so we put up with things other sports would never dream of. Imagine if the AFL forced a team to play 4 games in 8 days. Where is the duty of care to the players? And if a hockey nut like Dekers thinks it is a pain in the rear, then something is wrong.

In hindsight, Burra would probably have been better off leaving the games as there were, and playing some of their Pennant A players - some of whom would get a game in other SL1 teams since their PA is strong team. Let's face it, they couldn't be any worse off than they are now, struggling to make the finals.

[Dogs]

Heard of a sport called 'football' or 'soccer'.  With the combination of domesitc leagues, cups, and continental matches, teams are sometimes forced to play 4 games in 8 days.  Ask Rangers fans, they were robbed of the championship 2 years ago because of this.

So it happens at the peak of international sport, as well as our quant little league.