Hayley Padget’s persistence pays off as she overcomes injury to achieve Hockeyroos dream

Hayley Padget knows the stress she put her body through to fast-track her path to the Australian team almost cost her career. Now wiser, stronger and with her Hockeyroos dream achieved, she’s making up for lost time.

Hayley Padget has a steely focus on this weekend’s FIH International Pro League. Picture: Supplied/dcimages.org

Hockeyroo Hayley Padget scored on her international debut — but even she concedes she feared it might never happen as injury threatened to derail her career before it began.

On the eve of the first FIH Pro League competition, which hits off on her home turf in Melbourne this weekend, Padget has opened up on the overuse injuries that almost stopped her from achieving her dream of wearing the green and gold.

Hellbent on making it to the Rio Olympics, the 26-year-old was picked in the national development squad in 2014 and relocated to Perth a year later to further her international hopes.

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Hayley Padget in action for Australia. Picture: World Sport Pics

But, after being diagnosed with osteitis pubis, she was forced to move back to Melbourne and “start from scratch”.

It took her 18 months to get back on the pitch full-time, but she was again struck down with injury — a stress fracture in her hip during a development squad tour of Japan.

Put simply, she was her own worst enemy, going too hard in the hope it would fast-track her path to the national team, her body unable to cope with the strain.

“I 100 per cent thought I was out of the (Hockeyroos) picture when I moved back to Melbourne,” Padget said.

“All the younger girls that I grew up playing with were then leapfrogging over me into the development teams, the national teams.

“I had a bit of an ego — you thought you knew what your future was going to hold and once you realise it might not happen, it’s something that’s confronting.”

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After years of setbacks Hayley Padget made her Roos debut as a 26-year-old. Now she's set for her 1st cap on home soil & it could be in her home city Melbourne!

Find out Thursday when teams are announced for our 1st #FIHProLeague games. Ticket details 📰: https://t.co/sTtPw9Pjq9 pic.twitter.com/k7ADUyB5J4

— Hockeyroos (@Hockeyroos) January 30, 2019

Many athletes would be left with regret after missing so much time and opportunity due to injury.

Not Padget.

“I was … too obsessed (with making the national team), it was definitely unhealthy,” she said.

“Now I feel like I have a much better balance and outlook on everything.

“I feel like I’m a wiser person, going through all of that.

“I have a belief in myself that I can actually perform if anything was thrown at me, whereas before I probably would have just hoped. I feel a lot stronger.”

Padget in action for her home club Doncaster.

That new strength has led her to nine Hockeyroos caps so far, with the goal coming on debut against Japan in September last year — a figure the Doncaster Hockey Club product hopes to add to in front of her home crowd.

“Out of everything coming up this year, this is going to be the one that is closest to my heart,” Padget said.

“I am beyond stoked to be selected to play and just have people who have had (a hand in) different pieces of my journey and helping me throughout the years to be able to come and watch.

“Mum and dad cried last time (on her debut), but I think it will be me crying this time.”

While the qualified teacher says she loves the beach and “hitting the d-floor” she’s also become more thoughtful and likes to broaden her horizons through reading.

“Now that I’ve become a bit more thoughtful, I like to get a good hammock and read self-help books, some bios. At the moment I’m reading one on how to break up with your phone.”

The new FIH Pro League features nine of the world’s best teams in a global home-and-away competition.

The Kookaburras and Hockeyroos will play seven and eight home matches each, respectively, in February and March, before overseas matches from April, culminating in the finals in the Netherlands in late June.

HOCKEYROOS

Matches:

Saturday, February 2, v Netherlands, 4.45pm AEDT

Sunday, February 3, v Belgium 4.45pm AEDT

World ranking: 3

The coach says:

“We’re looking to narrow our focus towards Tokyo and have identified the key skills we believe necessary to enable success. We want to give some opportunities to people who’ve been performing well in our national level, internationally or in their domestic environment.”

— Paul Gaudoin

Player to watch: Jodie Kenny

Tall and tough, Kenny is a defensive wall who can light up a match with her unstoppable drag flicks from penalty corners. Was the top goalscorer at the Glasgow Commonwealth Games and has been named a co-captain of the Hockeyroos with Emily Chalker and Georgina Morgan.

Aussie star Eddie Ockenden will be one to watch for the Kookaburras. Picture: Grant Treeby

KOOKABURRAS

Matches:

Saturday, February 2, v Netherlands, 3pm AEDT

Sunday, February 3, v Belgium, 3pm AEDT

World ranking: 2

The coach says:

“Pro League is going to be very demanding for everyone, It’s a new phase of the hockey life. There’s a lot of travelling involved with that. But we look forward to it. It’s very different but very exciting. We want to do well with that.”

— Colin Batch

Player to watch: Eddie Ockenden

One of the best players in the world, the triple Olympian moves seamlessly between midfield and defence. Is the ultimate set up man, but also has the ability to find the back of the net himself.