Kookaburras FIH Pro League squad: Corey Weyer primed for Paris Olympics after reviving international hockey dream

Dumped from the Kookaburras at the end of 2022, Corey Weyer asked himself one question: ‘Am I done with hockey?’ Two years on, the answer is emphatic. SEE KOOKABURRAS SQUAD

Corey Weyer is on the path to Paris.

Axed from the Kookaburras in 2022, Corey Weyer’s hockey career was at a crossroads.

Instead of playing the blame game, though, the Gold Coast gun looked inward, revitalising his mind and body, resulting in the best hockey of his life.

Kookaburras coach Colin Batch has taken notice and the 27-year-old is now on the path to Paris as part of a 24-man squad bound for India for this month’s FIH Pro League matches.

In line for his first international cap in nearly four years, Weyer is a fitter, stronger, more mature player than the long-haired flyer who came from the clouds to make his debut in 2017.

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Corey Weyer in training at the Kookaburras High Performance home in Perth.

COMING UNDONE

As with many all over the world, Covid lockdowns had a huge impact on Weyer.

“It was two years without playing a game and, I look back on it now and I was basically showing up to training as an extra number to fill in,” Weyer said.

“Reflecting on it, I didn’t have the same drive and commitment to doing the things I needed to do to be physically ready and in the right condition to be an international hockey player.

“That’s why it came undone for me at the end of 2022.”

TAKING THE EMOTION OUT OF IT

At the end of 2022, the dreaded phone call came.

“We had a Kookaburras series in Adelaide that we were going to and Batchy gave me a call and said I wasn’t going,” the 2018 World Cup bronze medallist said.

“There was a meeting after that, and, as bad as it was for me personally, it was handled really well by the coaches with honest feedback that was very direct.

“I wanted to handle it the right way and not react emotionally. I didn’t want to burn bridges and tell them they didn’t know what they were talking about.

Corey Weyer had tasted success at the highest level with a bronze medal at the 2018 World Cup.

“I was able to see where they were coming from and accepted it. I was more frustrated at myself for getting to that stage because I did agree with everything they were saying.”

That led to a follow up meeting a couple of weeks later, where the door wasn’t closed on Weyer.

“That helped me understand why (I wasn’t selected) and, if I wanted to get back in, that there was still a chance for me and what I needed to do for that,” he said.

CAREER CROSSROADS

At 26, after a huge reality check, Weyer, halfway through a teaching degree, had to make the biggest decision of his life.

“I was injured at the time, so it was nice to get away from hockey, reset and reassess what I wanted to do with my life,” the Biggera Waters product said.

“Was I done with hockey? Was it time to move on and start my (teaching) career and do other things?

“Or was hockey something that I wanted to do for the right reason and did I still have the drive?”

Corey Weyer once wondered if he’s played his last game in the green and gold.

Weyer chose option B, knowing, for the first time since his mid-teens, there’d be no one to hold him accountable but himself.

“That was the best part, not having any obligations or coaches or high performance staff telling me to go to training or do extras,” he said.

“It was all on me, I had no one else to blame. I was either going to give it 100 per cent and have no excuses or I was going to find excuses in everything and waste a year of my life pretending that I was giving it another go.”

Corey Weir in training at the Kookaburras High Performance home in Perth.

NEW-FOUND LOVE

Weyer leant on friends and family for motivation, speaking openly about his goal and thriving on their interest in his effort.

“I found talking to people and telling them and making myself accountable that way was really important,” the man affectionately known as ‘Wiz’ said.

Immersing himself in club hockey with Hale in WA’s top league and dedicating himself to 5.30am gym sessions five days a week powered a shift in mindset — and a transformed body.

“I used the first six months to get the body right,” he said.

“Get it into a place where it can handle the extra load. It was bloody hard getting up for the gym but it got to a point where it didn’t feel right if I didn’t go.

“That’s not something I’d ever enjoyed before. I fell in love with going to the gym, extra running, extra training and the endorphins you get from that.”

Corey Weyer’s transformation was evident during last year’s Hockey One competition.

HARD WORK PAYS OFF

Weyer’s rebirth was evident when he stepped out for Brisbane Blaze in last year’s Hockey One competition.

The long, lean whippet was now built like the proverbial brick you-know-what.

Incredibly, the ripped, broad-shouldered monster was also among the fittest — and fastest — players in the tournament as he marshalled the Blaze from the back to the 2023 title.

In one game, he covered a ridiculous 8.2km, with a heat map all over the field, and reached the highest peak velocity of any player, at 8 metres per second.

It’s an intimidating package that was noticed by the hockey community — and made him irresistible to Kookas selectors.

“I sort of knew I was in good condition but only playing club hockey, you’re not really sure,” Weyer said.

Corey Weyer helped lead the Brisbane Blaze to last year’s Hockey One title.

“H1 was another step up, playing against the best players in Australia. Seeing the GPS numbers and getting feedback from coaches and teammates and guys who I’d played club with in Brisbane saying ‘this is the best I’ve ever seen you play’, it felt good to know the hard work I’d put in through the year was getting noticed.

“The coaches with the Blaze really encouraged me to play free, which allowed me to play at my best and do what I needed to do for the team, which is always something that I’ve put ahead of personal performances.

“I can get over bad performance as long as we win. And if we lose the game and I’ve played well, I’m not happy with that.

“The team success in winning the grand final was really special.”

A MUCH MORE WELCOME CALL

Weyer had mid-year discussions with Batch and Co about his situation — “I made it really clear to them my intentions were I was trying to get back into the squad and that I was putting my name forward for selection.”

So, after his dominance in the national competition, he should have been expecting the call.

“It was still a bit of a shock and a surprise when Batchy gave me the call,” he said.

“I didn’t really know how to feel. I was overwhelmed. I wanted to yell and scream but I was in the car park at the shopping centre.

“It wasn’t until I rang mum and dad and spoke with them that it really hit.

“It’s starting to sink that I’ve taken that first step to get back into the squad to give myself a chance to go to the Olympics.”

Corey Weyer’s ready to push it to the limit in the green and gold again. Picture: Megat Firdaus

BUT FIRST...

Paris might be the end goal but, more pressing for Weyer and the World No.6 Aussies, are a block of eight clashes from February 11-25 in Bhubaneswar and Rourkela against the Netherlands (No.1), India (No.2), Spain (No.6) and Ireland (No.11).

“I had a meeting with Batchy before the squad was announced and I said ‘I’m not just happy with being in the squad and playing a few games for Australia’,” Weyer said.

“My goal is to go to Paris and to be a key member in that group and be successful there.

“Performing well in these games in India is the first phase of that.

“The challenge will definitely be the speed of the opposition. Spain and India’s strikers are very skilled, very agile and very fast. For me, personally, being able to match up with them well, defensively, is something that has been a weakness in previous years.

“The ball stuff always takes care of itself for me, so the focus is to get my defensive stuff right and build into it that way.”

Originally published as Kookaburras FIH Pro League squad: Corey Weyer primed for Paris Olympics after reviving international hockey dream