Parkes’ Mariah Williams is feeling pretty good about being named in the National Women’s squad for 2018 after what has been a mixed year for the Hockeyroo.
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“Next year is a really exciting year for the Hockeyroos with the Commonwealth Games in April and World Cup later on in the year,” Williams told the Champion Post this week.
“The girls will be working extremely hard to be a very competitive team at both of these tournaments so I’m looking forward to that,” she said.
Williams’ selection comes despite playing just one tournament with the Hockeyroos this year after suffering an abductor injury.
The injury saw her miss out on the World League Semi Finals, Australian Hockey League, Oceania Cup, the International Festival Of Hockey in Melbourne and also the Adelaide test series.
“Unfortunately it’s not the greatest year of hockey for myself but a lot of character building,” Williams, who is currently in Canberra at the AIS doing a special rehab program with a group of strength coaches and medical staff to get her injury right, said.
“My eyes are very much on Commonwealth games as it would be such an incredible competition to be in.
“Having a home Commonwealth Games with family, friends and supporters all backing us is going to be incredible.
“For me right now I just need to focus on getting my injury better and if it’s not better by then I need to keep working hard as the World Cup is in July and that’s a really big focus for our group,” Williams said.
Williams is a Commonwealth Games ambassador for hockey which she says is extremely exciting.
“I got an email a few months ago asking if I’d like to be an ambassador and of course I’d be honoured to be,” Williams said.
As to what she was made an ambassador Williams said “I’m not too sure how I got the gig but they did ask about my four knee surgeries and having the resilience to get through it at such a young age so maybe that played a role as well as my indigenous background”.
The squad was named with high performance at the 2018 Commonwealth Games on the Gold Coast in April and the 2018 World Cup in London in July-August.
Also named in the squad was Edwina Bone of Orange.