Lower Great Southern Hockey Association goalkeeper Bonnie Crook reaching for the stars ahead of World Cup

Lower Great Southern Hockey Association goalkeeper Bonnie Crook has been selected in the extended national women’s hockey5s squad, earning a chance to compete at the FIH Hockey5s World Cup in Oman next year. The Albany gun was named as a reserve goalkeeper in the 20-strong team, securing her place on the back of her terrific performances in the Hockey Australia Country Challenge held in Albany in 2022. Hockey5s is a variant that features five players including a goalkeeper on a shortened pitch with the upcoming World Cup set to feature for the first time. The 23-year-old shot-stopper recently competed at a selection camp in Warrnambool in late April. The nation’s top 20 women’s players were selected to attend the camp that serves as a selection tool for the World Cup Oceania qualifiers that will be held in the Pacific Islands in July. Crook has been named as a reserve goalkeeper ahead of the qualifiers but will also have a chance to cement her place in the World Cup side with a retrial set for a later date this year which will ultimately determine the final squad. “Heading overseas would be really exciting, hopefully I get a chance to represent Australia in the World Cup,” she said. “I’ve only ever been interstate before for hockey so it would be a completely new experience. “When I went over east I knew no one in the squad and there was only one other WA player, it’s a great opportunity to meet new people.” Crook said playing in a new format presented challenges that were unique to a five-a-side tournament. “It is a completely different style of play, especially coming from a background of playing traditional 11-a-side hockey,” she said. “Being that this is the inaugural year of the squad, it took everyone a while to get used to the style of play. “As a keeper I had to change my style of play to suit the format, especially because the ball doesn’t go out of play very often. “Quite often you’ll be making 10 saves in a row before you get a breather and you’re always involved in the game which is unlike 11-a-side. “It’s such a great opportunity for someone from Albany to be given the chance to be included in a national team.”