NEWCASTLE'S Ky Willott will make his Olympic debut in Paris after being named in the Kookaburras squad for the upcoming Games.
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Willott joins fellow Norths product Matthew Dawson in the men's hockey team while Souths striker and Hunter Sports High School graduate Mariah Williams continues with the national women's group.
Willott, 23, recently helped the Kookaburras secure this year's Pro League title, including a goal-scoring double and his 50th Test appearance.
Dawson, a silver medallist in Tokyo in 2021, and Williams are both approaching a third Olympic Games.
Aussie sides for the 2024 tournament were officially revealed on Wednesday.
"The Olympic Games creates a different environment and atmosphere and it's a level up," Kookaburras coach Colin Batch told Hockey Australia media.
"We have a very experienced squad. We've got three debutants, so that's exciting for them, but we've got some players who have been to two or three Olympics and Eddie [Ockenden] of course.
"We haven't selected some quality players and we have acknowledged that within the group and the immense work that they've put in."
Hockeyroos coach Katrina Powell backed "our best 16 players".
"I'm really excited to see the team unveiled and celebrate the 16 that will play at the Paris Olympics and represent the Hockeyroos," Powell said.
"This is our best 16 players who we believe will give us the best chance of being successful in Paris. There's good versatility in there, they provide flexibility and the versatility that's required for the structure of an Olympic Games.
"We certainly like to play with speed, skill and variety and this group provides it. We've got world-class players spread throughout our whole group, in all of the lines surrounded by talent and then we have some dogged determination in there as well, so it's a really great mix."
Olympic competition runs from July 27 to August 9.
KOOKABURRAS: Joshua Beltz, Tim Brand, Andrew Charter, Tom Craig, Matthew Dawson, Blake Govers, Jake Harvie, Jeremy Hayward, Eddie Ockenden, Flynn Ogilvie, Lachlan Sharp, Corey Weyer, Jake Whetton, Tom Wickham, Ky Willott, Aran Zalewski.
HOCKEYROOS: Alic Arnott, Jocelyn Bartram, Jane Claxton, Claire Colwill, Rebecca Greiner, Stephanie Kershaw, Amy Lawton, Kaitlin Nobbs, Brooke Peris, Karri Somerville, Penny Squibb, Grace Stewart, Tatum Stewart, Renee Taylor, Mariah Williams, Grace Young.
Josh Callinan
My name is Josh Callinan and I'm a sports journalist at the Newcastle Herald. I started with the newspaper in 2016 after a decade at the Maitland Mercury.
My name is Josh Callinan and I'm a sports journalist at the Newcastle Herald. I started with the newspaper in 2016 after a decade at the Maitland Mercury.
