Orbost Hockey Club welcomed Maffra to their Recreation Reserve home for round five of the 2026 East Gippsland Hockey Association season last Saturday.
On a warm autumn day, it was not just the sun that was shining brightly, as all three of the Green and Gold’s youngest sides produced impressive performances that powered them to victories.
The day began with the under 10 fixture that saw an Orbost team entirely made up of first- and second-year players show a real desire to take the ball on their sticks and run hard at their opponents, creating challenges for the Maffra backline throughout.
With Keira Murray and Steel Perry tackling hard, and Alastair Songailo and Coden Volk applying plenty of pressure around the contest, the Green and Gold were frequently able to attack with intent.
After Jett Findley fired wide after his teammates had helped to lock the ball in a dangerous area, the first score came from Grace Reddy who gave the visitors’ defenders no chance to stop her first career goal.
Early in the second half, twins Indi and Lyla Gilmour combined for a strong chance that was cleared off the line, but the hosts had soon doubled their lead when Sadie Lindfield fired home cleanly to finish off a period of extended pressure in front of the Maffra goal.
A strong pass by Evie Crofts then enabled Reddy to score her second goal of the game, with Matilda Kuyper capping a fine personal performance by slotting home Orbost’s fourth after some determined work up front by Toby Gilmour.
A great start for the day for the Green and Gold, winning 4-0.
Strong stick work from Orbost’s youngsters was also the decisive factor in the under 12 match, one in which the hosts moved the ball regularly into Maffra’s ‘D’, but had to work well as a team in order to find their way past the goalie.
Lara Kenny and Jaxon Murray applied a high degree of control in the centre, while Joe Millward powered the ball forward at every opportunity.
Orbost were on the board early after a run on goal by Teddy Kuyper allowed Asha Farley to ram home a sharp chance at the back post.
After a Joe Millward cross created an opportunity for the tenacious Harry Greenwood, it was Demi Murray who pounced on the rebound from Teddy Kuyper shot to double her team’s lead at the main break.
The contest evened up a little in the second half, but with Orbost goalie Darius Mathews using his big boots to good effect, Savannah Lindfield frequently using her pace to shut down attacking threats, and the combination of Neave Songailo and Sophie Scott working the ball forward with increasing confidence, the chances kept coming for the Green and Gold.
Ultimately a combination of bad luck and good goalkeeping denied Tilyahna Janbakhsh a goal on the post and Jaxon Murray three possible scores of his own, but such was the strength of the home side’s performance that the destination of all the competition points was never in doubt, victorious 2-0.
Orbost’s under 14 side has made a very strong start to 2026, one which they extended in the weekend fixture with another high-scoring victory (7-1) to cement their ladder-leading position.
An early run and second effort shot by Jasper Anderson gave them the early edge on Maffra, and with Demi Murray and Asha Farley applying plenty of pressure on the wings, the Green and Gold were looking ominous in attack, and it was not long before Teddy Kuyper pounced on a loose ball in the ‘D’ to double the lead.
With Kitty Millward clearing away defensive danger at the opposite end with authority and Alex Kenny delivering deep passes onto the sticks of his teammates, the torrid times for the visitors’ backline continued unabated as the hosts racked up numerous short corners, with Jasper Anderson converting a pair of these with well-taken shots and Farley finishing off another at the post to put her side five goals clear.
Maffra was able to pull a consolation score back, but Orbost were in no mood to stop running directly at their opponents, resulting in a final pair of excellent individual runs on goal and successful shots from Jasper Anderson and Teddy Kuyper respectively.
The under 16 contest also ended in a 7-1 scoreline, although on this occasion the spoils of victory went Maffra’s way courtesy of their experience and speed advantage.
Orbost though fought tenaciously throughout, with Sarah Gladstone making a number of vital interventions in defence, as did Jack Scott with his big goalie boots and the pairing of Mia Martin and Leni Millward with their crunching tackles inside their own ‘D’.
The Green and Gold’s sole score came from a quick piece of reactive thinking and striking by Jasper Anderson, while Campbell Edlington had a pair of big blasts saved by the ‘keeper and second-gamer Owen Fisher went very close on three separate occasions to converting crosses on the back post.
A corner shot from Chloe Findley passed agonisingly wide of the post, while a combined attack from Keira Irvine and Kitty Millward was somehow prevented from crossing the line on the other post, capping off a frustrating day in front of goal despite plenty of earnest endeavour.
The closest encounter of the day occurred in the women’s fixture which was a tense battle full of goalmouth action at both ends which ultimately saw just one goal scored, a disputed one at that, which unfortunately for Orbost was registered by the visitors.
Sarah Gladstone was in inspired form in goal for the Green and Gold, frequently parrying away powerful shots to safety.
Defender Kerryn Volk slapped a goal-bound shot to safety out of mid-air with her stick and Lisa Murray made a number of vital interventions across the backline.
With Phoebe Findley and Misty Anderson providing the power and precision in the midfield engine room, the hosts were able to generate several key chances of their own inside the Maffra ‘D’, with both Alana Farley and Sammi Reynolds exerting plenty of pressure on the posts.
A goal down and chasing hard for an equaliser, an Aster Anderson drive on goal was denied by a sharp save, before a weaving run to the baseline and cross by Chloe Findley created a late opportunity for Georgia Anderson.
An after the siren corner gave the hosts one last shot at redemption, one which regrettably saw Michelle Webb’s effort to stab home the loose ball travel just the wrong side of the post as Maffra held on for the win. Orbost’s next home game is on June 13, when they welcome Sale to the Orbost Recreation Reserve.
