HOCKEY: Olympian Grant Smith will team up with good mate Adam Byrne in the Warwick 1 team in this weekend’s Condamine Vets Super 9s at Queens Park.

Smith won a bronze medal for Australia in the Atlanta Olympics in 1996 and played club hockey in the same team as Byrne last season in the Far North Coast competition.

Byrne and Smith played in last season’s grand final but neither is playing for Ballina this year.

Phil Rolfe is organising the Warwick 1 side and Byrne expects Smith to play up front in the forwards.

“I will probably play in the midfield and hope to be able to provide some good passes to Grant,” he said.

“He is a good finisher and it will be a good battle with Warwick 2 at 1.15pm Saturday.”

Smith said Warwick had a top-quality surface and he was looking forward to the trip. “I am a Queenslander through and through and played with the Warwick over 35s last year in Gympie so it will be good to catch up with the players,” he said.

“The hockey fraternity in Warwick is very welcoming and the town has a great record of hockey success.”

The Warwick 2 team has one of the best strikers to play in Warwick, Matt Hagenbach, who has been a prolific goal scorer down the years.

“Dave Jordan will be a key for us in defence against Matt, Chris Malone and their teammates,” Byrne said.

Games will be played at 6.30pm and 7.30pm Friday, each involving a Warwick team, and from 8am Saturday when Smith will play his first game of the weekend for Warwick 1 against Hugh Jass’s.

The final game Saturday will be 3pm and then games resume on Sunday morning prior to the lunchtime finals.

Club hockey

SPOTS are still open for players keen to sign-up for the Warwick Hockey Association season starting March 5.

All minkeys, W1 and W2 (juniors), A grade men and women’s games will be played on a Saturday with more welcome to see officials at hockey or can call president Celene Keleher on 0409611382. Reserve grade is on Tuesday nights.