Stephanie Kershaw has revealed how the Hockeyroos have moved on from review drama

Townsville’s national hockey ace has discussed how the Australian team have rebounded from off field setbacks, and how she intends to cement her spot at the Olympics.

Stephanie Kershaw has entered the final countdown to Olympics selection, adamant the turbulent times the Hockeyroos faced were behind them.

Townsville’s Hockeyroo is within striking distance of her maiden international showcase in Tokyo, having been deprived in years gone by through injury.

Bit by bit the 26-year-old has clawed her way back to full flight, and will get her last chance to impress next week when the Australian side take on New Zealand away for the Trans-Tasman Series.

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Booking a ticket to Japan from there will be the culmination of Kershaw’s resilience in overcoming two ACL tears which kept her out of the 2016 Rio De Janeiro Games.

Stephanie Kershaw is in the final countdown to what she hopes is a maiden Olympic Games selection. (AAP Image/Richard Wainwright)

However earlier this year preparations were thrown into chaos.

An independent review was conducted into the culture of the Hockeyroos set up, which led to the resignation of coach Paul Gaudoin.

His place was taken by former gold medal winning Olympian Katrina Powell, with Katie Allen as her assistant.

Kershaw believed the preparation moving away from that phase — which included allegations of bullying behaviour toward the playing group — had been undeterred.

She said the group’s focus had remained on being in the best position possible for Olympic selection, and the squad had been quick to buy into Powell’s leadership.

“I think it was pretty seamless and that’s a big credit to Hockey Australia in making that happen,” Kershaw said.

“(Powell) and Katie Allen have both won gold medals for Australia so it’s pretty cool to hear their stories about the times they missed out on selection then to get back in and how they were successful.

“I think in elite sport you just have to focus on what you’re there to do. We’re there to play hockey and that wasn’t forgotten. That was definitely the focus: winning the Olympics.”

Steph Kershaw says the transition to a new Hockeyroos coach has been seamless. PICTURE: RODRIGO JARAMILLO

It has been more than a year since the Hockeyroos have been able to play an international fixture since their 2-0 loss to Argentina on March 7, 2020.

But on May 27 they will finally take on their Kiwi rivals in what is set to be their final hit out before the Olympics.

With no elite level hockey to be played, the Hockeyroos have been involved in intrasquad games, clashes which Kershaw said had refined the green and gold’s in-play connections.

Further difficulties arose in preparations when the prospect of the Olympics being cancelled again arose.

As recently as this week thousands of Japanese doctors have called for the Games to be called off due to a surge in COVID-19 cases.

However Kershaw said as athletes they could not dwell on factors beyond their control.

All she could do was look to the forthcoming contests against New Zealand and cement herself in the national squad as if nothing would change.

Hockeyroos player Stephanie Kershaw is preparing as if the Games are going ahead. (AAP Image/Brendon Thorne)

“We are all pretty confident, back in January or February it was a different story with everyone unsure what would happen,” Kershaw said.

“You kind of didn’t have any opportunity to think it wasn’t going to happen because if it did and you weren’t training you’d be in a bad position.

“As a group we assumed and hoped it would go ahead and as long as we’d been preparing well we’d be ready no matter what.

“Everyone is excited to put on the uniform, sing the anthem and play an international game for our country. It reminds everyone how fleeting it is now to get these chances to play for our country.”

Originally published as Stephanie Kershaw has revealed how the Hockeyroos have moved on from review drama