Hockeyroos bombshell: Head coach Paul Gaudoin quits before Tokyo Olympics

One of our most-loved sporting teams is in crisis with the head coach quitting just months before the Tokyo Olympics as a report reveals the dysfunction.

Hockeyroos head coach Paul Gaudoin has quit. Picture: AAP

Hockey Australia has vowed to finally clean up the toxic culture within the women’s national program after conceding it had failed in its promise to fix things after the disastrous 2016 Rio Olympics.

Hockeyroos head coach Paul Gaudoin has sensationally quit his job in charge of one of Australia’s most loved sporting teams – just four months before the rescheduled Tokyo Olympics.

In a bombshell announcement preceding the eagerly-awaited release of the review into the sport’s ‘toxic culture’, Hockey Australia announced that Gaudoin had handed in his resignation.

“In light of the release of the findings and recommendations from the independent review that has been undertaken, Paul informed Hockey Australia that he has decided to stand down from the role,” Hockey Australia chief executive Matt Favier said.

“The past 12 months have been a difficult and taxing time for everyone involved in the High Performance program and especially the coaching staff.

Paul Gaudoin was appointed Hockeyroos head coach after the 2016 Rio Olympics. Picture: Getty Images

“They have had to navigate the uncertainty of COVID while being an assuring and supportive presence for players, which Paul has done.

“He has conducted himself with integrity, devotion and commitment to the cause and done his utmost to improve the athletes, both as hockey players and as people.”

Gaudoin is the highest-profile casualty of a fast growing list of senior staff who have exited Hockey Australia in the past three months following complaints about the way the program was being run.

These include the high performance director Toni Cumpston, the assistant coach Steph Andrews and a handful of staff and directors.

PLAN RELEASED: HOW HOCKEY WILL FIX THE MESS

Under fire from past and present players, the sport’s top officials have now pledged to act immediately following the release of an independent review into the high-performance program.

Described as “dysfunctional” and “not conducive to athlete wellbeing or sustained on-field success,” Hockey Australia have admitted that they got it wrong and need to overhaul the entire program with the Tokyo Olympics just four months away.

Paul Gaudoin (centre) joins a growing list of senior staff to exit Hockey Australia. Picture: AAP

“This outcome has been confronting and distressing for Hockey Australia, its management, Board, athletes and staff,” Hockey Australia President Melanie Woosnam and chief executive Matt Favier said in a statement.

“While we have made a considerable investment over the last three years, including efforts to implement changes since the Rio cycle, this has not been enough to prevent rupturing of the squad’s cohesion, particularly with the uncertainty rendered by COVID-19 and the delay of the Tokyo Olympics.”

For anyone who has heard the harrowing complaints from past and present players in recent months, the scathing assessment from the independent review panel will come as no surprise.

Conducted by Bruce Collins, Gabrielle Trainor and Moya Dodd, the panel was asked to investigate reports from dozens of women about body-shaming, bullying and intimidation that led to players developing serious eating disorders, self-harming and walking away from the sport and recommended changes.

They came up with a shopping list of 29 proposals.

Hockey Australia stayed mostly silent while the complaints were being aired publicly, but now that the review findings have been released, Favier said it left no doubt the sport hadn’t sorted out its problems.

“We wanted to allow the process to be undertaken (before commenting) but it’s clear from the review that while we haven’t got everything wrong, we haven’t got everything right,” Favier told The Daily Telegraph.

“It is a bigger systemic problem and I would say that in the case of the women’s program this goes back over several cycles and predates my time as CEO.

“There is certainly a series of systemic problem within the women’s program and the way it has been taken up and delivered.

“And despite our efforts in recent times we haven’t been able to solve it yet.

Paul Gaudoin said he was proud to have helped the Hockeyroos get to No. 2 in the world. Picture: AAP

More than 100 people were interviewed during the review, process which resulted in the 29 recommendations, including:

* the need to ensure an effective leadership model is implemented across all aspects of the high-performance program including coaching, support staff and across the playing group

striking an improved balance with the demands of the high-performance program and life outside of hockey

* ensuring engagement at every level from the Board, senior management, coaches, support staff and players is safe and respectful

* improvements in a range of governance areas to ensure greater oversight and the tracking of culture of both men’s and women’s programs

* embedding a culture of mutual respect and trust between all participants in the delivery of the high performance program.

With the Tokyo Olympics due to start on July 23rd and the Hockeyroos considered a medal chance, Favier says the changes will have to start immediately, including plans to appoint new staff after the sudden resignation of head coach Paul Gaudoin, that following the exit of high performance director Toni Cumpston, and the possibility of more changes to come.

“We can only be judged by our actions and I’m extremely confident that despite the review, the intent of everyone involved in our sport has absolutely been with the players’ interests at heart and the interests of wanting to pursue success on and off the field,” Favier told The Daily Telegraph.

“Change is needed and is already underway. Importantly, this is a collaborative effort and requires buy-in from everyone.”