Commonwealth Games 2022: New-look Hockeyroos win way into World Cup semi
A toxic culture that threatened to derail the Hockeyroos’ Commonwealth Games campaign has been swept aside on the way to a World Cup semi-final showdown with the Netherlands.
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A good laugh heals a lot of hurt and has also jettisoned a new-look Hockeyroos out of two scandalous dark years and into the semi-final of the Hockey World Cup on Sunday.
The Roos, who haven’t dropped a game this tournament, have shrugged off a previously “toxic culture” that also threatened to decimate their Commonwealth Games medal chances.
Co-captain Jane Claxton celebrated her 200th game for Australia on Thursday and was pivotal to downing host nation Spain 2-0 to reach the semi-finals.
She is one of the few surviving members from the Rio squad.
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She admitted repairing the team’s broken culture was an ongoing process but said winning the quarterfinal – which has become something of a “bogey game” for Australia since its shock loss to India in the Tokyo Olympics – was evidence of a turnaround spearheaded by coach Katrina “Triny” Powell.
“Often you see coaches be quite guarded, but Triny is an open book,” she said.
“When you see your coach let their guard down a bit and go hell-for-leather in a game of Spike Ball on tour, it helps the team loosen up and be themselves.
“People were pretty fragile and mending those relationships, not only player-to-player but player-to-coach and other staff did take some time. There was an awkward period.
“(Now) there’s a very different dynamic.”
There are two teenagers in the Australian squad, and nine of the 18 had less than 25 games of international experience before the World Cup.
“We’re not just up against our own history, we’re up against more experienced teams,” said dual-Olympic gold medallist and coach Powell.
“I think some of the younger athletes in our group have shown what they’re capable of. They just have to do their job, just do their task, and let some of the more senior players in the group take on the high responsibility.
“If we’re all about refreshing and renewal, then at some point, you have to throw athletes into this.”
The Hockeyroos, once the pride of Australian sport, have waded through a cesspit of scandal since their disappointing campaign at the 2016 Rio Olympics.
Claims of bullying, body-shaming and a “toxic culture” led the Hockey Australia board to commission an independent inquiry into the Perth-based program late in 2020.
The sordid affair took the scalp of former coach Paul Gaudoin and high-performance manager Toni Cumpston, plus a score of coaching and administrative staff.
But the injection of Powell – a member of the legendary Hockeyroos that won gold at Sydney 2000 – has driven a culture shift.
Powell said: “I think one of the benefits that I got coming in was everyone trusted that I have the Hockeyroos best interests at heart, because I’ve had that at heart for 30 years or longer. I got to walk in with a sense that players knew at least I’d been there before and done that.”
Dual Olympian and former Hockeyroos goalkeeper Rachael Lynch said Powell’s “impact was immediate”.
“One of the simplest things I noticed was laughter around the group at training – where previously there hadn’t been. People just relaxed and were happy to be themselves,” she said.
Lynch retired from international hockey in March with two Commonwealth Games gold medals, 15 years of international experience and 233 caps to her name.
Before she left, she had been controversially dropped by former coach Gaudoin – just a year after being named goalkeeper of the year.
The decision spurred a player revolt, catalysing the independent investigation, and Lynch was ultimately vindicated when she won a five-month legal challenge to be reinstated in the team.
“There was a fearful culture. We were scared of making mistakes, being scared of what the ramifications would be, selection was held over your head all the time. All that has changed since particular staff moved on,” Lynch said.
Since the upheaval, Powell has focused on “bringing the fun back” into training and matches. Players report her competitive energy – renowned from her playing days – has not waned.
Claxton added: “After every Olympic cycle you get retirement and the older, more senior players moving on. That means a lot of the girls who have come into the squad now weren’t part of that two-year cycle of cultural issues.”
“The younger girls kind of drew us out of the dirty bathwater. We have realised we move on, we can start something new, we can grow and learn and change.”
The win against Spain on Thursday also spelled redemption for the Hockeyroos after the Spanish broke Australian hearts in the 2018 World Cup, defeating them in a bronze medal playoff.
The Roos now face a mighty challenge when they face off against the world number one Netherlands early on Sunday morning, Australia time.
The Netherlands won gold in Tokyo but are also in the process of blooding new players after a handful of post-Olympic retirements.