Hockey stars from Lismore, Grafton, Ballina selected for Olympic development program
As winter sets in and the hockey season heats up, some of the regions best talent has been hand-picked for special development squads designed to shape future Australian Olympians.
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The Northern Rivers remains one of the hotbeds of hockey talent in NSW.
Some of the regions best talent has been hand-picked for special development squads designed to shape the future of the sport.
Fourteen players from the Far North Coast, Lismore and Grafton Hockey will join a group of 120 boys and girls who have been selected for the NSW Hockey Athlete Acceleration Program (AAP) for the 2022/23 season.
It is one of the NSW’s most successful talent development programs with the goal of shaping future Olympians.
“AAP is aimed at talented athletes aged 16-18 where the highest rate of attrition occurs and when skill development is crucial to an athlete’s progress,” NSW Hockey said.
“The program establishes a means for athletes from any area to advance their skills to the elite level.
“These requirements for the program ensure that medal winning Olympians are produced and that the future of Australia’s elite performance is assured.”
Here are the 14 players who are set to make the region proud.
Breah Fischer
Breah Fischer has had eyes on her for some time and is finally getting the chance to take the next step.
Whether it’s been in Coffs Harbour, Grafton or elsewhere on the North Coast, the youngster has impressed and played in squads above her age group.
Maia Adamson
The defensive player is one of the youngest players to be included.
Adamson has been part of representative sides from the Northern Rivers and in Grafton that have performed at Hockey NSW state championships and tournaments in Sydney.
Billy Bradford
At just 15 years of age, Ballina’s Billy Bradford was selected for NSW U18 last year to compete in the Australian Championships.
He was one of the youngest players to ever be selected for the NSW U18 side. A dangerous player, Bradford possesses the ability to turn a game on its head and in his favour.
Daykin Stanger
Daykin Stanger isn’t just a sensational player, he is also a top class act when it comes to helping Far North Coast Hockey tutor the junior players.
The Ballina Hockey Club star is one to watch for the future.
Eliza Berrick
The mercurial midfielder was a shoo-in for the AAP squads given her representative history.
Earlier this year she was selected for the U15 state girls team that competed at the National Championships in Newcastle in April.
Alice Hughes
Alice Hughes lined up alongside Berrick at the National Championships this year and was picked for the Far North Coast Hockey U13 representative side before Covid-19.
She has represented NSW in multiple state teams over the last three years.
Mackenna Ensbey
A player who featured in last years AAP squad, Mackenna Ensbey is back for more for the 2022/23 season.
The talented youngster competed for the NSW Blues at the Australian Championships in Tasmania last year as one of the youngest members of the U18 squad.
Martina Williams
Martina Williams is a star in the making stealing the show as a high-scoring forward for Grafton and NSW.
She starred in the Australian Championships in Bathurst last year scoring a hat-trick in a win against Queensland for NSW U15.
Emily Hosking
What a week for East Lismore’s Emily Hosking. She was selected for the girls AAP squad and only a few days later has also been selected for the New South Wales Combined Catholic College (NSWCCC) team.
A talented cricketer, it’s no surprise this sensational athlete has been touted as a next generation Aussie sports star.
Hayley Marshall
The 2021 Northern Rivers Young Sporting Champion award recipient is blossoming like never before.
The Northern Star Hockey Club product was part of the Northern Star’s U15 grand final side that lost 1-0 to Ballina.
Hollie Matthews & Maya Mcgrath
Hollie Matthews, alongside Maya Mcgrath will be headed to the AAP squad in the winners circle with Trinity Catholic College, Lismore.
The Open Girl‘s Hockey Team was crowned NSWCCC Champions. They defeated Tamworth 1-0 in the Grand Final.
They will also travel to Newcastle over the long weekend in June for the NSW State Championships.
The duo have racked up an impressive number of frequent flyer points having travelled to tournaments in Sydney, Bathurst and Tamworth in the last few years.
James Coleman
James was one of the Northern Rivers youngsters who helped the NSW Blues to victory in the U15 age group in Bathurst last year.
He has also just been selected for the NSWCCC U16s boys team.
Noah Enright
The latest addition to the NSWCCC Open’s boys team is riding high on a great start to life in 2022.
he joined some of his other teammates at Northern Star Hockey Club to compete at the NSW Field State Championships in Wollongong, south of Sydney.
Connor Makings
The master goalie Connor Makings is making a splash in the hockey world.
His performances in the last year have seen him not only picked for the NSWCCC U16s side but he was also included in the Opens squad.
He has also been a constant feature in NSW representative sides since he was in the U13 squads.
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