They have conquered every challenge thrown their way this season and now the Parkes United men have one final hurdle standing between them and back-to-back Central West Premier League Hockey premierships.

Parkes has swept aside all comers to claim their second consecutive minor premiership and will take their place in Saturday’s grand final with history within reach.

It'll be a Parkes and Lithgow showdown, in every sense of the word, as the women from both towns too go head-to-head in their own grand final just before the men.

It's the first time in three years Parkes is fielding both a men's and a women's team in the competition's decider.

The job certainly isn't done yet and knowing they'll face the Lithgow Workies on their turf hasn't escaped captain Jack Elliott.

"We're obviously feeling good and we've been good all year, but finals hockey is a different beast. You never know what can happen on the day," Elliott said.

"We beat Lithgow in the major semi (at home) but it's a different kettle of fish going to Lithgow to play Lithgow.

"We've gone straight-in and they're probably touted as the underdog, but we're playing them on their home turf, and anything can happen.

"So we've still got to go in with that mindset that we can't just win, we've still got to go and dig-in and get a job done."

Getting through two seasons undefeated now has left Elliott extremely proud of his team, but also proud for Parkes Hockey as a whole.

"It is a massive achievement for Parkes United, but for Parkes Hockey as well, because there has been a lot of the same guys from both years, but we have lost some from last year and we've had some juniors come up this year," Elliott said.

"So it's a really good sign for Parkes Hockey that we have juniors coming straight into the team who can do the job of the guys who left.

"We've got young guys - still 16, 17, 18 years old - coming in to fill a role and exceeding in that role, and working hard at training.

"It just goes to show that the work Parkes Hockey is doing at junior levels, it's all working because we're not losing any quality in the players, and they're coming into Premier League and they're ready to go."

And what's better they're sharing the moment with the women.

"It's exciting for Parkes Hockey with the men and the women both having a really good chance to both win it on the same day," Elliott said.

"The girls have done it the hard way, they've had a good squad but they've had low numbers.

"Again that just goes to show that between Parkes Hockey and Parkes Junior Hockey there's something going on right because for a littler town compared to Orange and Bathurst, we're getting to a point now we're consistently putting sides in finals."

Come Saturday Elliott believes Ryan Dunford and Peter Amor in midfield will be players to watch.

"They're always crucial for us in our game plan," he said.

And as juniors are stepping up, there is also a couple of key players who might be playing their last Premier League game this weekend.

"Young Sammy Westcott, it'll be his last game. He's moving away to Newcastle next year," Elliott said.

"He'll be looking to have a big game, and Tom Searl's rumoured to be moving to Newcastle as well.

"So those two boys moving away, we'll be looking to have really big games for us.

"Sammy's chasing a dream to play hockey at the high level and branch out.

"It is sad to lose them, we'd love to keep them forever, but it's just how it goes sometimes.

"We're in a lucky enough spot where we've got young guys coming in, that they're already starting to fill-in their roles for us when they haven't been there this year."

Among Elliott's highlights this season has been how the team has developed.

With a squad of 25 who have all played throughout the year, Elliott said it's been a massive squad effort to get them to this point.

"It's not just the 16 guys that play on the day, the whole squad has gotten us here," he said.

"I'm just really proud about how hard the squad has worked all year to be able to get us into this situation where we have a chance to go back-to-back."

Parkes United is expecting a good showing of support in Lithgow on Saturday, with a supporter bus being planned.

The men play Lithgow Workies at Lithgow Hockey Centre at 1.30pm.

Check out both the Parkes United men's and women's player profiles in Thursday's edition (3 September) of the Parkes Champion Post on pages 12 and 13.