Women’s AHL Season Preview
The Tasmanian Hockey Centre in Hobart will become the focus for the 2013 women’s Australian Hockey League (AHL) from 27 September to 5 October.
With the tournament taking on a new format featuring two pools of four teams progressing to a medal pool (Pool C) and 5th-8th classification pool (Pool D), there’ll be plenty of twists and turns in the battle for the national championship title.
Demonstrating the true competitiveness of the competition, a different state has won the title in each of the previous four editions of the AHL and the battle for this year’s tournament is sure to be gripping.
As winners of last year’s Championship, the Victorian Vipers would love to replicate their 2012 success. If they were to achieve it, it would be the first time in AHL history that the Victorian women have won back-to-back titles. The Victorian women’s squad contains five players with senior international experience with the Hockeyroos. Goalkeeper Rachael Lynch and Claire Messent are joined by Kary Chau, Stacia Joseph and Danielle Schubach in the side, although Australian’s youngest international centurion, Georgia Nanscawen misses out through injury.
NSW Arrows, runners-up in 2012, will be expected to challenge again with Warren Birmingham’s squad packed with the likes of 2009 World Young Player of the Year Casey Eastham and fellow senior internationals Jade Close, Emily Hurtz, Emily Smith and Kellie White. The inclusion of Lily Brazel, Mathilda Carmichael and Nina Khoury brings youthful experience to the group with all three having played for the Jillaroos at the recent Junior World Cup.
The Queensland Scorcherswill be looking towards their Hockeyroos pairing of Madonna Blyth and Teneal Attard to give them the solid base on which to build upon 2012’s third place finish. Another side brimming with international talent, the Scorchers team contains the likes of U21 Jillaroos Murphy Allendorf, Jacqui Day, Madison Fitzpatrick and Audrey Smith as well as senior stars Jordyn Holzburger, Kirstin Johnson and Jodie Schulz.
For 2010 champions Western Australia, who are in Pool A alongside last year’s winners Victorian Vipers, 2013 is shaping up to be a year of transition with a number of experienced athletes retiring or being unavailable for selection. WA Diamonds Coach Jason Butcher can once again call upon the experience of Hockeyroos Ashleigh Nelson (WAIS) and Kobie McGurk (WAIS), and goalkeeper Ashlee Wells to lead a young and talented group with Butcher identifying debutants Kyra Flynn (WAIS) and Rachel Frusher (WAIS) as exciting future prospects.
Another young side, Northern Territory Pearls have listed just two players over the age of 24 in their squad. Coach David Bell has called upon Jillaroos Brooke Peris and Elizabeth Duguid, who recently played for Australia at the Junior World Cup in Germany. The NT Pearls make use of a number of imported athletes picking up four from Queensland (Jasmine Larosa, Kazzie Lammon, Savannah Fitzpatrick and Jodie Cliffe) and three from WA (Teagan Gmeiner, Danica Mazzini & Kate Siddel), as well as overseas athlete Danielle Sutherland from New Zealand.
Likely to be one of the stars of the show in Hobart, last year’s Player of the Tournament Anna Flanagan returns for ACT’s Canberra Labor Club Strikerswith the World Young Player of the Year title and a World League semi-finals medal in the cabinet at home. Flanagan is joined in the ACT side by fellow Hockeyroo Eddie Bone and U21 Jillaroos Naomi Evans and Kate Gilmore. It’s been four years since the ACT women finished in the top half but will 2013 be their year?
The 2011 champions, Southern Suns will hand AHL debuts to seven players in Hobart, including New Zealand Blacksticks international Emily Naylor. Naylor will line up for the Suns alongside current Australian internationals Jane Claxton, Bianca Joyce,Georgie Parker and Karri McMahon, as well as fellow New Zealander Julia King and Hockeyroo Holly Evans. The experienced De-Anne Gilbert is also included having only missed the 2010 competition since making her AHL debut in 2000.
As hosts, the Tassie Van Demons will want to put on a good show at the Tasmanian Hockey Centre and they’ve named a squad containing strong AHL experience. Let by captain Emily Donovan, look out for the likes of Nicole Geeves who has played more than 130 AHL matches and Sofie McLeod, who has represented her State on 92 previous occasions. Eight of the group will make their AHL debuts on home turf with 19 year old AllysaMarmion the youngest of them.
– Hockey Australia
