After only a two-year rebuild Parkes United have earned their place in the Central West Premier League Hockey women's grand final this Saturday.

It hasn't been an easy road though after the club's grand final appearance in 2023, they failed to form a team in 2024 due to a lack of numbers.

Women's coach Matt Searl said it was the consensus among the senior players that Parkes needed a presence in the competition and they managed to reform in 2025.

And now it's the first time in three years Parkes is fielding both a men's and a women's team in the grand finals, and both are against Lithgow.

"As far as I'm concerned this has been a two year project for me," Searl said.

"In 2024 we couldn't form a team and that's when myself and a few of the senior players got together and said 'we can't have this, we need Parkes back on the map'.

"We basically had to start from scratch.

"Last year we didn't quite make the semis, which was unfortunate but it was a good result for us given the fact we're just back in the comp.

"And this year we're in a grand final."

They have gone the long way, but the most important part is they're there and it took knocking out the competition's minor premiers in straight sets to do it.

Bathurst St Pats went through the women's competition undefeated but fell short in the major semi against grand final hosts Lithgow Panthers, before Parkes sent them home in the preliminary last Saturday after clenching a 2-1 victory on Bathurst turf.

"That was so good, I was super proud of them," Searl said.

"They're all sitting in the sheds after, like shaking and just exhausted, relieved, happy.

"It was just a surreal feeling in the dressing sheds after it, and I said 'this is what it's all about girls'.

"They work for one another hard, which is what we've had to do this year.

"It's been a hard slog but we've pulled through and it's pretty much a war of attrition.

"They've all got massive hearts and big engines, and it showed on the weekend."

The side is a good combination of younger players and those with experience - all versatile and willing to do what's needed.

"The way we structured the girls over the last two years has just come to fruition," Searl said.

"The young ones started to get a little bit more confident, [and] the experienced players help me out a lot.

"There's been a lot of positional changes this year - I'll try different positions throughout the year to benefit the team and I think that's paid off to a point.

"Everyone was positive in the positional changes and we're starting to reap the rewards.

"There's a lot of self-belief in our team too, which is good as a coach."

Heading into Saturday's grand final, Searl said the women are "pretty pumped" and he couldn't be prouder of them.

"I've been getting messages off them saying 'how good is it we've made the grand final'," he said.

"It's a thing you've got to work hard at and they've done that. We do it at training and we turn up.

"We have people from out of town come to training, and put the effort in, and the effort rating for training is good.

"And that shows the style of hockey we play through our training.

"They play out of their skins... You see it on their faces, and I'm talking 15-year-olds," Searl added.

"This sport just works as a big team. Some won't be playing but they'll be there, they're still part of the team."

Parkes United women play Lithgow Panthers at 12pm on Saturday at the Lithgow Hockey Centre.

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.