Slattery cut from Hockeyroos squad
South Stirling hockey product Kathryn Slattery has been overlooked for selection in the Hockeyroos squad named today for next month's Commonwealth Games on the Gold Coast.
Hockey Australia today released the 18 members of the women's team that will begin competing on April 5 but the big ommission was Slattery.
Slattery is the big name casualty from the announcement given she has scored 36 goals in 85 international appearances for Australia at the top level.
The former Lower Great Southern Hockey Association player has been a regular with the Hockeyroos since making her debut at the end of 2014.
Slattery was a shining light for the Hockeyroos at a very disappointing 2016 Olympic Games in Rio, finishing as her side's leading goal scorer.
Hockeyroos coach Paul Gaudoin said it was a tough process to select the final 18 members of the Commonwealth Games team.
"Selection for the Commonwealth Games has been extremely difficult," Gaudoin said.
"We have a very even group at the moment.
"We’ve tried to develop a squad where any of our players could play in the Commonwealth Games team.
"It’s obviously difficult to finalise the top 18 as a result but we’ve come up with a group that we think is well balanced.”
In December last year, Slattery was named in the 25-member Hockeyroos senior squad for 2018 with the Commonwealth Games and the World Cup in July the main focus for the group.
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