Hockeyroo Slattery axed for Comm Games
Hockeyroos striker Kathryn Slattery has been axed for the upcoming Commonwealth Games, while Kookaburras captain Mark Knowles will be aiming to bow out on a golden note.
Slattery was the big-name casualty when the Australian men and women's 18-player squads were revealed for the Commonwealth Games on the Gold Coast.
New captain Emily Smith has the chance to lead the fifth-ranked Hockeyroos to a fourth-straight Commonwealth Games gold medal.
And the top-ranked Kookaburras, led by retiring veteran Knowles, are aiming for an unprecedented sixth-straight gold.
Slattery has been a regular in the Hockeyroos' side since making her debut at the end of 2014, scoring 36 goals in 85 appearances.
But the one-time Olympian was left out by coach Paul Gaudoin.
"It's a very strong striking group at the moment. We've got five or six in. We could have taken any of the eight really," Gaudoin said.
"She was disappointed. I expect that. I want her to be disappointed.
"She's got some things to work on - her basic skills, cutting back through the field a bit more.
"She's a very good goalscorer, we know that. But we want her to add more to her game.
"We want a versatile, flexible group going forward, not just for the World Cup and the Commonwealth Games this year, but also Tokyo (Olympics) as well. She's aware of that."
Knowles has already won three Commonwealth Games gold medals, and announced last month that the upcoming event on the Gold Coast would be his swan song.
"Fairytales - we would love it to happen that way," coach Colin Batch said.
"Mark is low key about it. He's been an outstanding player for the Kookaburras for the past 15 years.
"It would be terrific for him to win a gold medal in front of family and friends. It's almost like playing in his own backyard, so it'd be great for us to do that for him."
The Kookaburras won the Azlan Shah Cup in Malaysia last week, and they reclaimed their No.1 world ranking after winning December's World League Final
But while the Kookaburras enter the Commonwealth Games as hot favourites, the Hockeyroos face an uphill battle against England (ranked second) and New Zealand (fourth).
Since hockey was introduced into the Commonwealth Games in 1998, Australia have won nine of the 10 gold medals on offer.
KOOKABURRAS (*Commonwealth Games debutants)
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
HOCKEYROOS
*Jocelyn Bartram
Edwina Bone
Jane Claxton
*Ashlea Fey
*Savannah Fitzpatrick
*Jordyn Holzberger
Emily Hurtz
Jodie Kenny
*Stephanie Kershaw
Rachael Lynch
Karri McMahon
*Gabrielle Nance
*Kaitlin Nobbs
Brooke Peris
*Madi Ratcliffe
Emily Smith (c)
*Grace Stewart
*Renee Taylor
