Hockeyroos assistant coach Steph Andrews the latest to quit

Just three weeks after Hockey Australia lost its high-performance director, the Hockeyroos have been rocked by another departure.

The Hockeyroos have lost another senior staff member. Picture: AAP

Another senior staff member has quit the Hockeyroos just months before the rescheduled Tokyo Olympics.

Assistant coach Steph Andrews is the latest to exit the scandal plagued national set-up.

In a statement released on Friday, Hockey Australia chief executive Matt Favier confirmed Andrews was leaving her job with the Hockeyroos to accept a position as head coach of the Western Australian Institute of Sport Hockey Program.

“In her two and half years with the Hockeyroos, Steph has proven herself as an outstanding coach with exceptional knowledge of the game and a great ability to improve and develop players,” Favier said.

“While we are disappointed to lose Steph from the Hockeyroos program, this is a tremendous opportunity for her and she will remain integral in nurturing our next generation of Australian hockey stars.”

Andrews’ departure comes just three weeks after HA’s high-performance director Toni Cumpston revealed she was quitting — and hiring lawyers to oversee her departure.

It comes only 24 hours after Sport Integrity Australia’s independent inquiry into the “toxic culture” within the Hockeyroos officially started.

The Hockeyroos have lost another senior staff member. Picture: AAP

Around two dozen past and present players and staff at the end of last year accused HA of turning a blind eye to serious complaints about the way the women’s high-performance program has been run over the past decade.

The disturbing claims revealed by The Daily Telegraph included reports of body-shaming, bullying and intimidation that have led to players developing serious eating disorders, self-harming and walking away from the sport.

Hockey Australia’s initial plan to set up its own inquiry to investigate the complaints was quickly widened when it was warned it risked losing its public funding unless a fully independent panel was appointed,

Headed up by Bruce Collins, Gabrielle Trainor and Moya Dodd on behalf of the Australian Sports Commission, the newly appointed panel will hear complaints for the next month, until March 5.

Andrews made no mention of the ongoing investigation in her departing statement, though she did describe her time in the job as a “tough period.”

“I am sad to be leaving the Hockeyroos. I have enjoyed my time working with the program,” she said.

“It has been a tough period however I certainly take away some great memories and hope I have played a part in making the team better.”