HOME ground advantage will play a large role in determining 2015’s women’s Premier League Hockey front-runners, that much is certain after the official draw was released last week.
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Based on the fixtures, after enjoying the advantages of Kinross-CYMS folding in picking up stars Madie Smith, Chloe Barrett, Ellen Van Hoek and Mel Woods the blue and golds are the best placed team for an early assault on the top five.
Ex-Services’ season kicks off this Saturday with a bye after Parkes Coachman was forced to pull out of the competition, before the blue and golds enjoy six of their first seven games in Orange - before the competition’s gala day, where all teams play their games in Parkes.
From there, despite having a four game run of away matches, Ex-Services also finishes its season in Orange against Confederates, in which the former is considered the away team.
“I think we started slow last year, and it hurt us late in the season,” Marjoram said.
“So we need to get away to a quick start (and this draw will help).”
On Confederates, the red and blues are undoubtedly the hardest hit by the draw as they will have to wait until round seven to play a game in Orange.
Five games on the road followed by a bye is a tough ask for any side, let alone last season’s wooden spooners. Although it does mean Confederates enjoys predominantly home games in the back end of the year.
Bathurst City is another team hit hard by the draw. Despite enjoying an extended run of home games in the middle third of the year, Bathurst City faces opening and closing its season with three consecutive games on the road.
Lithgow Zig-Zag will also start and finish its season with several away games, two and four respectively while Bathurst Souths, Bathurst St Pat’s and Dubbo Blue Jays face seasons alternating between home and away games each round or two.