HOCKEY is back in a big way.
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The teams have been named for the Central West Premier League Hockey men's and women's all-star games against Briar's at the Cooke Hockey Complex this Saturday.
The new concept brings together the region's best players in one side to take on the Concord-based club in a challenging pre-season hit out at Bathurst.
St Pat's women's coach and NSW Country mentor Jaden Ekert will be calling the shots as the men's coach while Lithgow Panthers women's title-winning mentor David Marshall will coach the women's side.
"It's a hard changeover time of year with cricket finals on but we've managed to get a handy team together," Ekert said.
"It's an unreal team. Some of those guys have played NSW Country and some of them have played at a rather high state level. It's an awesome concept that they're trying to set up and I'm all for it.
"If we can promote hockey in the Central West in a bigger way then why not go for it?"
Ekert said his side it's a thrill to coach a team stacked with such an abundance of talent.
"You've got blokes there like Brandon Horner who has played AHL and has been thereabouts in those top teams. There's the likes of Bailey Ferguson, who has played in NSW Country," he said.
"Taylor Dobel is a class player and Ben Kelly, who's probably one of our most experienced and fittest guys, is going to be leading the team.
"It's a high-calibre Sydney first grade side so it's going to be high intensity and the while the guys won't have match fitness they know how to get themselves around a hockey field so it's going to be great to watch.
"Our women's team also looks really, really good. They told us to pick the best of the best and that's what we've done. Both games are going to be high quality."
The all-star game headlines a huge weekend of hockey action.
Hockey NSW will be hosting a participation day at Cooke Hockey Complex this Friday before the all-star games take place the next day.
The action continues on Sunday a Premier League Hockey gala day will welcome several teams to the city for more pre-season play.
NSW officials will also be hosting umpires courses at the venue.
Dan Wilson, Shane Conroy, Tamika Potter, Esther Hotham, Andrea Gillard, Kelly Baker and India Draper were all originally selected in the teams but unable to play for various reasons.
The women's match gets underway at Cooke Hockey Complex from 2.30pm while the men's match will follow at 4.30pm.
PLH MEN: Jack Westcott, Bailey Ferguson, Brandon Horner, Taylor Newton, Will Searl, Lachlan Wilson, Lachlan Howard, Kyle Thompson, Nic Milne, Tyler Willott, Dane Guffogg, Fletcher Norris, Taylor Dobel, Logan Dobel, Ben Kelly.
PLH WOMEN: Jess Luchetti, Sarah Watterson, Eva Reith-Snare, Clare Bosman, Jess Watterson, Rach Divall, Lilli-Rae Campbell, Millie Leard, Emily Thompson, Heidi Townsend, Chelsea Marshall, Chloe Barrett, Carly Hagney, Ellen Warner, Eloise Purtell