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Who do you see as the major threat?
Holland and Argentina, also at the moment we have a pretty strong
rivalry going with New Zealand, so they will definitely be the teams
to beat.
Who’s the best player that you’ve played against so
far?
Probably Maartje Paumen for Holland. I think she was world player of
the year last year – she’s pretty amazing.
I presume that playing on the world stage, and playing
against top international teams, each of the games is
much harder and played to a much higher level?
Yeah, it is. Also the difference in players, Argentina Luciana Aymar
- I guess she’s the equivalent of Jamie Dwyer in women’s hockey
- she’s also won world player a number of times. People like her,
you’ve grown up watching them and to actually be out there on the
field against them – it’s an honour to play with them.
What’s you ultimate ambition in hockey?
Olympic gold medal, but I want to have a long career and play as
long as possible and be as successful as possible. As a team I think
we’re on that track.
What do you think makes a great defender?
Someone who’s consistent and can constantly do the right thing. Who
can do the basic skills but not over complicate things, but someone
who is really reliable at the back.
Who do you consider are the great defenders at the
moment on the world stage?
We have one of them – Kobie McGurk. Pretty much all the central
defenders in all the top 10 teams are all very good players and we
learn a lot from them, I learn a lot watching other players around
me. In women’s hockey at the moment there’s not a lot of difference
between the top teams and I think there’s a lot of good defenders out
there at the moment.
Where do you draw your inspiration from?
I guess the women from the era before us, who were really successful
- around the 2000 sort of Olympic era where the Hockeyroos did
so well. I think the team at the moment - we all grew up watching
that, and have heard the stories of what those girls achieved, so
that’s something we all want to get back to and be the successful
Hockeyroos that most people know of.
What is the best advice you have ever been given?
I guess I’ve got a lot over the last year and a bit! Probably just to stay
in the moment – growing up I possibly looked too far ahead, and
got too far ahead of myself. Just to stay in the moment and enjoy
all the little things is probably the best advice that I’ve got so far.
We wish you all the best.
Teams at the Olympics are:
Men - Argentina; Australia; Belgium; Germany;
Great Britain; India; Korea; Netherlands; New
Zealand; Pakistan; South Africa; Spain
Women - Argentina; Australia; Belgium; China;
Germany;GreatBritain; Japan;Korea;Netherlands;
New Zealand; South Africa; United States
• The Australian men and Argentine women
could pull off a unique triple honour if they each
win Olympic gold. Both nations are current World
Champions and current Champions Trophy
holders.
• Natascha Keller made history when she was
named Germany’s flag bearer for the 2012 Olympic
Games in London. Keller is the first-ever hockey
player to be given the honour for Germany. The
34 year-old was on the German team that won
the Olympic gold medal in 2004 and has played in
more than 400 international games.
• The Belgian women have just secured their first
ever appearance in the Olympics.
• The first time an Olympic Hockey tournament
was played on artificial turf was at the Montreal
1976 Games. A further innovation is occurring
for the first time at the London Olympics. It is the
first time that hockey pitches have been coloured
blue with a pink surrounding area. A yellow ball
will be used. It is intended to make the ball more
easily visible on television. However, it appears to
be a major hit and has been a standout in aerial
photographs.
• The Olympics draw massive interest in the US.
Now that the US women’s team has won its first
ever Pan American title, the US audience watching
hockey in London will be huge and swell the ranks
of the traditional hockey viewing nations.
• The FIH have confirmed seven of the eight
teams that will participate in the 2012 Champions
Trophy (Men’s) to be held December 1-9 in
Melbourne, Australia. Already announced were the
national teams of Australia, Belgium, Germany,
India, Netherlands and New Zealand. The FIH
announced that the seventh team in the event will
be England.
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