The change had been expected for some time although there were good reasons for holding it in Spring as that was after all the domestic competitions.
But alas, having in Spring meant competing against the Cricket, the A League and the NBL to name just three.
Winter has traditionally been the Australian hockey season and so bringing the Australian Hockey League back into its traditional season makes a whole lot of sense for the hockey enthusiast.
Moreover, it may seem strange to many sports enthusiasts in Australia, but much of Australian Hockey is based in regional and rural; centres.
Queensland hockey is centered not in Brisbane but in Cairns and Townsville, Mackay and Rockhampton, Bundaberg and Maryborough, Ipswich and the Gold Coast.
New South Wales hockey likewise, Bathurst, Parkes, Lithgow, Goulburn, Crookwell, Tamworth, Newcastle, Wollongong, Wagga.
Moreover, just look at who is in the Australian Kookaburras and you'll be surprised where they come from. Superstar Jamie Dywer is from Rockhampton. His famous quote that when he was playing as a junior with all his family supporting on the side lines: "You never just score a goal fort yourself."
The highest ever goal scorer in any one season Andrew Smith, learnt his hockey in Wollongong and Newcastle before his parents moved to Melbourne when he was a teenager.
To follow the Australian Hockey League go to www.hockey.org.au
Saturday's scores for Round 1:
VIC Vikings 5 – NSW Waratahs 2
Canberra Lakers 3 - Tassie Tigers 3
Darwin Stingers 2 - Southern Hotshots 2
Brisbane Blades 2 – Western Australian Thundersticks 1
Mark Tronson is an author of 5 books on hockey and wrote hockey for The Australian for 24 years to 1994.