Fraser Coast has secret Olympian – but she’s not playing for Australia

The Fraser Coast has a secret Olympian – but she’s not playing for Australia. Instead, this Maryborough-born talent is keeping in with the Kiwis.

New Zealand's goalkeeper Grace O'Hanlon shouts during the women's pool B match of the Tokyo 2020 Olympic Games field hockey competition against Argentina, at the Oi Hockey Stadium in Tokyo on July 25, 2021. (Photo by Ina Fassbender / AFP)

The Fraser Coast has a secret Olympian – but she’s not playing for Australia.

Maryborough-born Grace O’Hanlon is competing for New Zealand in the hockey and on Thursday night the team took on Australia in a pool match at Tokyo.

Australia won the match 1-0, getting one goal past O’Hanlon.

New Zealand lost its match against Spain 2-1, but beat Japan 2-1 and defeated Argentina 3-0 in its other pool matches.

O’Hanlon made her Olympics debut at this year’s games for the Black Sticks after winning gold at the Gold Coast in the Commonwealth Games in 2018.

New Zealand hockey player Grace O'Hanlon.

In her player profile, it reads “O’Hanlon has an unbelievable ability to scramble in goal and multiple saves. She is one of the most athletic goalkeepers in world hockey”.

A young O‘Hanlon, then growing up in the Heritage City and playing for Maryborough Brothers, was part of a Maryborough under-13s team on her first rep journey.

O‘Hanlon lived and trained in Perth for two years as she tried to crack the Hockeyroos’ squad, but goalkeeper Rachael Lynch’s decision to play on after the Rio Olympics left O’Hanlon to look for another route to international hockey.

She qualified for New Zealand through her dad, and in early January, 2017, moved her life across the Tasman.

New Zealand Black Sticks goalkeeper Grace O'Hanlon during the Test series against Argentina at Buenos Aires. Photo from Worldsportpics, Rodrigo Jaramillo

She immediately made the Black Sticks squad, and was part of every tour since her debut against Argentina in February, 2017, but she never expected to stand atop the dais at the Gold Coast Games.

Stacey Michelson, Olivia Merry, Rose Keddell and Shiloh Gloyn each found the net as the Black Sticks dismantled the Australians to win the game 4-1 and their first Commonwealth Games gold medal.

“Certainly not a gold medal,” she said at the time.

“I think maybe getting a look-in and possibly going to a Commonwealth Games was part of my decision to move there, but that was a far off, distant, future Grace‘s problem.

“That‘s what motivated me over to New Zealand, but to have that come true is unbelievable.”

New Zealand's Grace O'Hanlon.