Kershaw handed her Games debut
TOWNSVILLE hockey star Steph Kershaw may have sealed her Olympic dream after making Australia’s final 18- player Hockeyroos squad for the Commonwealth Games.
Kershaw is one of 10 players to make their Commonwealth Games debuts on the Gold Coast next month, handing the Wests Hockey Club junior a welcome reward following her 12- month run of impressive form.
Missing certain selection in Australia’s 2016 Olympics team because of a torn anterior cruciate ligament, Kershaw made a successful comeback in early 2017 by starring for the Queensland Scorchers against Canada, which led to her return to the Hockeyroos. Hockeyroos striker Kathryn Slattery has been a major casualty of the rebuild, having been axed from the Commonwealth Games, but it appears Kershaw’s time has definitely arrived.
“It’s obviously difficult to finalise the top 18 as a result but we’ve come up with a group that we think is well balanced,” Hockeyroos coach Paul Gaudion said.
HOCKEYROOS: (* Commonwealth Games debutants) * Stephanie Kershaw, Jocelyn Bartram, Edwina Bone, Jane Claxton, * Ashlea Fey * Savannah Fitzpatrick, * Jordyn Holzberger, Emily Hurtz, Jodie Kenny, Rachael Lynch, Karri McMahon, * Gabrielle Nance, * Kaitlin Nobbs, Brooke Peris, * Madi Ratcliffe, Emily Smith ( c), * Grace Stewart, * Renee Taylor.
KOOKABURRAS: Daniel Beale, Andrew Charter, * Tom Craig, * Matthew Dawson, * Jeremy Edwards, * Blake Govers, * Jeremy Hayward, * Jake Harvie, * Aaron Kleinschmidt, Mark Knowles ( c), * Tyler Lovell, Trent Mitton, Eddie Ockenden, * Flynn Ogilvie, * Lachlan Sharp, Jacob Whetton, * Dylan Wotherspoon, Aran Zalewski.