Tmba player selected for Aussie World Cup squad

Funnel Web player in line to pull on the green and gold.

HOCKEY: Capping a representative indoor hockey season that can only be described as groundbreaking, Toowoomba Funnel Web open woman player Holly Gilbar now has the chance to play for Australia in Europe in a World Cup.

She is the first Toowoomba Funnel Web indoor hockey player to make an Australian squad, one of only three new players to join the squad, and one of only three Queensland players selected.

Selected for her powerful display at the Australian Indoor Hockey Festival held in Wollongong, New South Wales, the effort is even more remarkable for the fact that she had played representative indoor hockey for only two years.

“Just to make an Australian squad after only picking up an indoor stick for the first time 16 months ago is a great achievement,” Gilbar said.

“I felt that I competed well and did my part for the team, but I never expected to receive a call up into the Australian squad for the 2021 World Cup.”

The Toowoomba Funnel Web’s indoor hockey representative teams were only formed two years ago in 2018 to compete in Queensland State Titles, but have gained huge traction among outdoor hockey players looking for a different version of their favourite sport.

“I started playing indoor with the Toowoomba Funnel Webs because I was looking for a new and exciting challenge during the off season to build my fitness and hone my skills for outdoor hockey,” Gilbar said.

“In my first year of indoor, I was a part of the inaugural Toowoomba senior women’s team to compete in a state championships.

“My goals with indoor were to simply improve my skills and I hoped that I would eventually make a Queensland team.

“Being selected in the Queensland open women’s indoor team in my first year in the sport was incredibly exciting.”

From there, there was no holding her back.

“Competing at my second national championships this year, I was eager to show off my new skills and use my speed and fitness to my advantage,” Gilbar said.

Now she has the chance to represent her country in indoor hockey but knows she has to surmount even more challenges before realising her dream.

A prolific goal-scoring striker, she has previously represented Australia Country in outdoor hockey and so is no stranger pushing her limits.

“The Australian squad will attend an intensive training camp in August where the final team will be selected. It would be a great honour to be chosen in the final team to compete in Europe,” Gilbar said

She already is a beacon for all other indoor hockey players pushing to make their mark from small-city Toowoomba on Australian Indoor Hockey and beyond.