2025 CL1 Men Preview
Published Wed 19 Mar 2025
The 2025 Hockey ACT competition starts this weekend with the first game to push back on Friday night at 6:30pm.
The Duncan’s Plumbing Capital League One Men’s Competition is set to be another thrilling year with Premiers Central Hockey Club looking to go back-to-back after defeating Wests 2-1 in the Grand Final after a dominant 2024 season.
Likely top four:
Central will look to maintain their strong side after retaining majority of their winning side and will welcome a few new talented faces to their line up and expand their variety of youth and experienced heads.
Wests will look to complete their finals run after losing in tight battles in the 2023 and 2024 seasons. Expected to be a similar line up with a couple of new faces after the loss of Jay Macdonald over to Perth and a potential change in goal keepers. Under new guidance with former player, Adam Baxter, the Wests men are eager to continue their dominant streak.
United are looking to build on the progress they have made over the last few seasons. With no new additions to the team, the likes of Jesse Absolom, Aidan Smith and Lachlan Hopkins gaining high level experience over the 2024 season as well as the experience of solid goalkeeper Brendan Hill, this will assist their team to create a collaborative effort to build as a team and club under new leadership with Jesse Beeson stepping up as Head Coach.
ANU could be a dark horse with the addition of Hamish Morrison, Key Goalkeeper Max Robson and rising star, Aiden Hellyer, alongside whispers of a few more talented players to join the ANU men during the season. They will be ones to watch building on from last season
The Teams:
Albury Spitfires
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Coach |
Jordan Thorneycroft |
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Captain/Leadership Group: |
Noah Jones (C) Kurt Beath (VC) Leadership Group – Ryley Walker, Will Morrison |
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Key Ins |
Tanner Cull, Brayden Mulrooney and Scott Anderson |
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Outs |
Hamish Morrison, Tim Jones and Ben Allen |
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Rising Star |
After his first season with Spitfires in 2024, Max Hobbs looks like a breakthrough season up front. After success campaigns and his rapid rise through the Hockey ACT junior ranks, his experience and confidence continue to grow. His recent selection within the wider U21 ACT squad speaks volumes at 16 years old. Speed, ball control and execution, we are super excited to see what he can produce this season. |
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Team Says |
The Albury Wodonga Spitfires have a high hopes in 2025, with a young group full of talent. After a disappointing 2024 season, the men have been putting in the work on the field to climb up the ranks in 2025. Under the guidance of Jordy Thorneycroft the group is excited to develop over the season building towards finals contention. With our biggest squad in years, the added selection pressure and continues to drives standards and expectations within the group. We can’t wait to get started. Spitfires are looking to rise in 2025! |
ANUMHC
|
Coach |
Ben Bishop |
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Captain/Leadership Group: |
David McCaskie |
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Key Ins |
Hamish Morrison |
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Outs |
Kaito Tanaka |
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Rising Star |
Aiden Hellyer and Hamish Morrison |
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Team Says |
ANU Men’s hockey continues to build and grow into a team with ambitions to play finals hockey. With maturing talent and increasing depth across the squad and a quickly improving technical and tactical approach to the game, ANU are excited to again compete and prove themselves in the CL1 competition. |
Central
|
Coach |
Jamie Cummins |
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Captain/Leadership Group: |
Hayden Dillon (C) |
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Key Ins |
Thomson Stuckey |
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Outs |
Jarred Brown |
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Team Says |
Some exciting new & returning players added to the 2025 roster after losing a wealth of experience to retirement & overseas moves. The permanent move from CL2 to CL1 of youngsters Peter Crossman, Jack McEntee & Ben Slater is reward for great performances over the past 2 years juggling both grades & the squad is looking forward to seeing their continued growth.
The club will also see two major milestone games with Tim Black to play his 350th CL1 game in Round 5 and Jamie Hawke to play his 200th CL1 game in Round 14. |
Old Canberrans
|
Coach |
Karl Brenner |
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Captain/Leadership Group: |
Oscar Smart |
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Key Ins |
Theo Ponthieu
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Outs |
Daniel Conroy
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Rising Star |
Ben Stewart |
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Team Says |
In a new chapter for OCHC, we go into the season without on of the teams major stars and perennial hard men Daniel Conroy, it’s a challenge not lost on the group but one we’re excited to face. A few key players out this year gives opportunity to our very competent ressies (CL2) players to step up and make their positions their own. |
St Patrick’s
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Coach |
Darren Williams |
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Captain/Leadership Group: |
Josh Chivers (C) |
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Key Ins |
Lachlan Mylchreest, Daniel Smith |
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Outs |
Simon Kragh, Malcolm Beer |
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Rising Star |
Lachlan Mylchreest, Jack Evans and Jake McCarthy |
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Team Says |
The team is looking to be more consistent over the year and |
United
|
Coach |
Jesse Beeson |
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Captain/Leadership Group: |
Brendan Hill |
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Outs |
Tom and Harry Deane |
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Rising Star |
Lachlan Hopkins |
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Team Says |
This season we are aiming to continue to build on the progress made the last couple of years and develop into a team that can compete year in year out with the likes of Central and Wests. We want to continue to develop a CL program that enables us to provide competition for places and opportunities for our juniors coming through as well as keeping our long time CL players engaged with new challenges to keep them enjoying the game. We see the best way to compete for premierships is to be constantly playing in finals and we want to continue to be a club that is a constant finals team. With no ins we will continue to trust and back our junior development and players at the club to help us achieve our goals for the season. Excited to bring in the knowledge of Jesse Absolom gained across his Sultan of Johor experience and the likes of Jesse, Aidan Smith and Lachlan Hopkins getting to play with the Spanish national team earlier in the year all just add to a real collaborative effort to get better as a club and squad.
With the ever reliable Brendan Hill in good form from his 2nd successive indoor world cup. The group as a whole is excited to test themselves against the other teams of competition that get better every year.
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Wests
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Coach |
Adam Baxter |
Duncan’s Plumbing Capital League One Round 1 Fixtures:
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Friday 21st March – Carter Field |
United v St Patrick’s |
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Saturday 22nd March – Albury Field |
Albury v Central |
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Saturday 22nd March – Carter Field 2:00pm |
ANUMHC v OCHC |
BYE – Wests
