The extra week wait for Season 2024 to kick off for the Adrenaline has not gone to waste in Adelaide. The Adrenaline organisation put together a special Adelaide Adrenaline 2024 alumni exhibition game between the current Adrenaline team and past legends of South Australian hockey.

In front of a packed house of 300 people, the Adrenaline and alumni played out a friendly and entertaining game for the fans. The current players ran out winners, nine goals to one. However, the boisterous crowd of fans almost blew off the roof at the Ice Arena when the alumni scored. Former Adrenaline and Australian international, Mitch Villani, scored the sole goal for the alumni. You could feel the electric energy and excitement.

Jeremy Friederich switched teams on the night and played for the alumni. The idea to work Friederich’s eye for the season ahead by getting him to face a barrage of shots. To have the opportunity to play alongside AIHL and Australian icons Eric Lien, Glen Foll and co will live long in the memory, I am sure. It was also a delight to see the man, the myth, the legend, John Botterill, back on the coach’s bench.

After the game everyone was invited back to the Joiners Arms Hotel for a post-game event that included jersey presentations to the current Adrenaline players.

The whole night was summed up well by one of the Adrenaline fans, who said ‘Adelaide hockey is back to normal’. An acknowledgement of the rushed and messy return to the league for the Adrenaline in 2023. Which is an unfortunate result of rink agreement issues in 2022.

That rates as a successful Adelaide Adrenaline 2024 alumni exhibition, and the first of more to come hopefully.

Read more about the Adelaide Adrenaline including their 2024 season preview here.

Details

Game details:
Adelaide Alumni 1–9 (0–3, 0–1, 1–5) Adelaide Adrenaline
Alumni scorers: Mitch Villani
16:30 ACST, 6 April 2024 @ Adelaide Ice Arena

Next game:
Adelaide Adrenaline vs Sydney Bears
16:30 ACST, 13 April 2024 @ Adelaide Ice Arena

Alumni Game Photos

By Hugh Whittle