WA Hockey Athletes Selected for National Development Squads

A cohort of Western Australian talent have been named in Hockey Australia’s men’s and women’s national junior squads for 2017.

Hockey Australia this week confirmed six locals in the women’s junior squad, which followed an announcement earlier in the month that saw seven WA athletes named in the men’s development squad.

Siena Archer (Como), Annie Gibbs (Waterford), Phillipa Morgan (Nedlands), Candyce Peacock (Palmyra), Karri Somerville (Kensington) and Shanea Tonkin (Darch) were all members of the women’s squad announced on Tuesday, described by Hockey Australia National Pathway Manager Micahel Crooks as the future of the sport.

“We have selected 24 athletes who we believe will be the next generation of high performance hockey athletes in Australia,” he said.

The selection news followed on from the announcement of fellow WA athletes; Matthew Fisher (Mount Claremont), Liam Flynn (Hillarys), Frazer Gerrard (Cottesloe), Coby Green (Salter Point), Brayden King (Brentwood), George McGeogh (Cottesloe) and Alec Rassmussen (Stirling) in the men’s 27-strong squad, released in the first week of August.

An 18-man Australian squad was subsequently announced for October’s Sultan of Johor Cup, with Flynn, Green and McGeogh joined by another West Aussie in Jake Harvie (Dardanup) in earning call-ups for the Burras.