In her final year of junior representative hockey Barrett was dazzling at Wollongong, claiming two player of the game awards and scoring two goals as NSW secured six wins from seven games, including a nail-biting 2-1 victory over Victoria in the final.

That decider victory was all the more satisfying for NSW, the Vics were the side that trumped the sky blues – they handed Barrett’s side a 3-2 loss in round two.

“I’m stoked,” Barrett enthused.

“To finish my junior years with a gold medal, it’s just the perfect way to end.”

Barrett’s NSW side, which also included Dubbo’s Emma Corcoran, Phoebe Bloink-Hollier and Courtney Hogan – didn’t start well, going winless through the first two games.

“We did start slowly, we drew the first game and then lost the second to Victoria. I’m not sure really sure why, we have no problems playing together,” Barrett explained.

“The heat and stickiness of the courts may have had something to do with it, but it started coming together after that loss to Victoria and all fell into place by the end of the tournament.”

Fell into place is right, until the final NSW won all its games by two goals or more, defeating ACT (4-1), Western Australia (3-1), South Australia (9-0) and Tasmania (4-1).

Barrett was named player of the game – awarded by the umpires and tech bench – in the victories over South Australia and Tasmania, and found the back of the net in NSW’s loss to Victoria and then again the sky blues’ big win over the ACT.

“Well, we knew if we dropped another game we’d be out and I think knowing that made it pretty simple for us,” Barrett said.

Victoria opened the scoring in the third minute of the final through Carly James, but NSW bounced back a minute later through Taylor Thomson.

Corcoran, NSW’s skipper, slammed one home in the 15^th to give the sky blues’ a one-goal lead and the scoreline stayed the same through a nervy, scoreless second half.

“We said before the final we weren’t going home with a silver medal and that certainly helped, that mindset put us in a good position,” Barrett said.

“I said beforehand I wanted to be consistent and I did that, to be able to win two player of the game awards was something special for me.

“It was really lovely of the girls to vote me in as vice-captain too, that was a special moment as well.”

Barrett also heaped praise on Confederates’ star Annabelle Tierney, who linked with Tasmania for the tournament after being named a shadow for the NSW side.

Tierney’s Tasmanians finished sixth overall with one win from six games.

“Annabelle was the best player on that Tasmanian team,” Barrett said.

“We saw bits and pieces of their games and she was amazing, her name’s up there now so I think she’ll be a chance for the NSW under-21 side in the next few years.

“It’d be really special to be able to play with Annabelle in a state side, if we’re both lucky enough to be picked for the under 21s at some stage.”