Five WAIS Athletes Named in Hockeyroos Squad

Published On: 8 April 2009

Five WAIS athletes have been named in the Hockeyroos squad

Five Western Australian Institute of Sport athletes have been included in coach Frank Murray’s Hockeyroos squad for the 2009 International season.

2008 Beijing Olympians Emily Halliday, Kim Walker, Kobie McGurk and Hope Munro have been included in the squad while Ashleigh Nelson joins the group which also sees nine debutants named in a new era for women’s hockey in the country.

With a high degree of youth included in the side, Frank Murray has called on the elder and more experienced campaigners to lead the new generation towards London. Emily Halliday’s elevation as co-captain along side Queensland’s Madonna Blyth is representative of this fact, but Murray expects all of his capped players to create a new leadership group.

“We already have some experienced players in Kim Walker and Emily Halliday. It is now important that those in the mid 20’s age bracket such as Madonna Blyth, Kobie McGurk, Teneal Attard and Kate Hollywood step up over the next Olympic cycle and become leaders for the team,” Murray said.

Murray believes the Hockeyroos youthful contingent is a positive step, highlighted by the fact, that six of its members are eligible for this year’s Junior World Cup.

“In 2005 after Athens we brought in some young players in Madonna Blyth and Teneal Attard, but they had at least already played some international games. This time around we have six players who can qualify for the Junior World Cup squad in Casey Eastham (20), Georgia Nanscawen (16), Anna Flanagan (17), Emily Hurtz (20), Heather Langham (19) and Danielle Schubach (20),” he said.

Whilst the Hockeyroos long term goals are geared towards London in 2012, the first challenge in front of the national team will be on home soil, when Australia hosts the 2009 six nations Champions Trophy in Sydney (July 11-19).

It will be the Hockeyroos first international outing since finishing fifth at the Beijing Games.

Halliday is the highest capped of the Hockeyroos squad with 186 matches to her name. Kim Walker has played 127 times, Kobie McGurk has been capped 94 times, Hope Munro 78 times and Ashleigh Nelson eight times.