The club are on the improve after recruiting and training well over the last couple of years, but it will take time for them to reach their peak.

Association president Simon Thresher believes they are a club on the rise.

"They've got a good bunch of kids coming through the ranks and they're the club to watch at the moment across all grades not just juniors," Thresher said.

"Once they start to jell and knit in with each other they'll definitely be the teams to beat."

Round two of the PMHHA junior competition took place at the weekend with overall numbers on the increase from 2020 although Thresher admitted there is still a little bit of work to do to meet their pre-COVID numbers.

From the under-9s, under-11s, under-13s and through to under-16s there are more than 400 players registered.

"There's more after last year but we're not back at our numbers where we've been in the past," he said.

"The impact of the floods and fire and everything else that God's thrown at us is impacted so we're a bit behind where we've been."

With ground works now underway for a new clubhouse at Hockey Place there is an air of anticipation around the sport.

"We've moved a couple of the competitions to different nights and things like that so there's a real sense of community building up around the hockey fields particularly with the clubhouse being built," Thresher said.

"Everyone can see the construction works are finally happening and there's that real air of excitement and sense of community around hockey."

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