Hockey star reflects on Hockeyroos debut

DARLEY sports star Zali Ward is settling back into normalcy after a whirlwind introduction to senior international hockey at the FIH Pro League in Hobart.

Ward, 22, played her third game for the Hockeyroos and her second against China on Wednesday 25 February.

While the Hockeyroos were beaten 3-1, a post-match fan survey by Hockey Australia had Ward ranked as close to the team’s best player.

That followed a No. 1 ranking after her debut match, also against China, on 22 February, which she started as a substitute.

She was also part of the lineup for a confrontation with Spain the day after, again as a sub, and formed part of the on-pitch starting side for the final contest against China.

Ward has officially become Hockeyroo No. 543, being presented with a kangaroo badge after her debut appearance.

“I guess getting the initial call-up to come into the FIH Pro League in Hobart, I was just super stoked,” Ward said.

“Then actually getting to debut for the Hockeyroos…was an incredible opportunity to live out.

“It’s something that’s been a childhood dream of mine.

“I think definitely at the start I was pretty shocked, but knowing that you’ve prepared so much for an opportunity like this to hopefully happen, I was ready for it.

“Now I can really think about it and reflect on the experience, but in the moment you’ve got a job to do and a role to play.

“That’s what I went to do and I hope that I played my role.”

Ward said she was satisfied with how she had performed at the elite level and had thoroughly enjoyed the experience.

She said that starting out, she played purely out of a passion for the game and the relationships she developed.

“But then as I developed as a junior, I realised that I love it more than just a hobby,” she said.

“I think a passion is something you want to pursue as far as you can, and I then developed the goal to play for the Hockeyroos.”

Alongside her busy playing career, Ward is in the final year of a Bachelor of Science degree at the University of Melbourne majoring in neuroscience and works part-time at Bacchus Marsh Grammar as a library assistant.

She also coaches junior athletes in skill development pathways, coaches privately, and works for Hockey Victoria.

As for what’s next on the pitch, Ward is preparing for the winter hockey season, which she will compete in with her Hockey One team Hockey Club Melbourne from October to November.

The Hockey One League is Australia’s premier elite hockey competition featuring seven city-based men’s and women’s teams playing in a home-and-away format. It was founded in 2019 to replace the Australian Hockey League.

Ward’s local club is Essendon, where she plays and coaches weekly, and which participates in Hockey Victoria competitions.

She also continues to work on her elite skills in training with the Victorian Institute of Sport during the week.

The young star also has an eye on further international selection, with the next round of FIH Pro League games scheduled for Europe in June, July and August, and which will be followed by the World Cup.

A Hockeyroos team is currently competing in World Cup qualification matches in Chile.