Goalie pads up for groundbreaking season
AUSTRALIAN hockey is at the dawning of a new era and one Townsville athlete will stand at the centre of it all.
Goalkeeper Hannah Astbury, who grew up on the fields of the Townsville Hockey Association, will don the pads for the Brisbane Blaze as the side kickstarts the inaugural season of Hockey One.
A revitalised style of national competition, Hockey One will pit city-based franchises head-to-head in a similar fashion to cricket’s highly successful Big Bash League.
One of the brightest prospects in Queensland hockey, 21-year-old Astbury has earned the call up for the Blaze as they open their campaign against the Canberra Chill on Sunday.
While they are focused on making a strong start to the new era, the Townsville product said there had been no chat of ‘melting’ their opponents.
“I think it is definitely a step forward for the sport, there will be a lot more fan engagement and excitement,” she said.
“It is pretty exciting to be part of the first one, not a lot of people will be able to say that.
“(The opposition) hasn’t been the focus for us, but it is still in the back of our minds. Especially coming off a disappointing year last year, we really want to start this one on top.”
There have been a few slight rule changes, but one thing that has not left is the one-on-one conversion.
The conversion was introduced to the Australian Hockey League last season, and allowed attacking teams an extra one-on-one opportunity with the goalkeeper after they scored a field goal.
While it is a test of skill for the last line of defence, Astbury welcomes the extra challenge.
“Being a goalie, you can never score goals so when you can make an impact in the game through those one-onones, it feels like you are really adding to the team,” she said.
“We have been doing a fair bit of one-on-ones during training. It has definitely been building for our squad.”
In another groundbreaking moment, all matches of the Hockey One season will be broadcast on streaming service Kayo Sports.
There’s no doubt Astbury’s former Wests teammates Townsville will be tuning in.
“I think it is great, it is a big step forward for hockey,” Astbury said.
“Not only will it be beneficial for our family and friends but also kids back home can watch and it has the ability to grow the profile of the sport.”
Fellow Townsville product and Hockeyroos member Stephanie Kershaw was also contracted to the Blaze but has been forced to sit out the inaugural season as she continues to recover from a knee reconstruction. in