Hockey Australia: With the AHL season finished the 2006 Hockeyroos national and developments squad have been announced with two new additions to last year's senior group.
Peta Gallagher has made her way back in to the national team, while young Casey Eastham has earned her first national squad position.
Gallagher, from the ACT, will be looking forward to adding to her 72 international caps and 13 goals at after being selected in the team for the Rabo Hockey Champions Trophy in
She has earned her recall from an outstanding AHL campaign in which she came away with the 2006 AHL Leading Goal Scorer award, with 11 goals, as well as the 2006 Sportslink International Tours Women's AHL Player of the Series award.
'Peta Gallagher has worked her way back into the side with a very good effort in the national league,' said Hockeyroos coach, Frank Murray.
'What she brings to the side is flexibility to our forward line as well as adding strength and ball control.ÔÇØ
Also returning to the Champions Trophy team is Donna-Lee Patrick. She showed good form during the AHL Finals Week but was restricted to one game on, one game off as they managed her comeback from a knee injury that has kept her out of the last Champions Trophy, as well as the Commonwealth Games.
'Donna Lee Patrick has returned after seven months out of the side. She's still being gradually worked back into it but we expect her to be right for the Champions Trophy.'
With the addition of Patrick and Gallagher to the side, the Hockeyroos have a stronger attacking line-up with more flexibility for
'The addition of both players gives us strength and experience to the side, as well as more options in attack.'
The Champions Trophy is to be played in
'It's going to be tough again with the Dutch,
'We go to every tournament wanting to do the best we can. In the end though, this is always about continuing to improve and find players that can compete at this level.'
Finding players that can compete at international level is why young Casey Eastham has been chosen in the 2006 National Squad. From
'Casey Eastham is a pacey midfielder that performed well in the Junior World Cup and played well in the national league before injuring her knee,' said
Other young juniors in contention for a Hockeyroos call-up and named in the 2006 Development Squad include Shelley Liddelow and Kary Chau, while Megan Rivers has missed out on a national spot, but remains in the picture in the development squad.
'Rivers couldn't be fit into the national squad but it's not the last time we'll see her play for
2006 National Squad
Nicole Arrold (ACT), Teneal Attard (ACT), Wendy Beattie (QLD), Madonna Blyth (QLD), Toni Cronk (NSW), Casey Eastham (NSW), Suzie Faulkner (QLD), Peta Gallagher (ACT), De-Anne Gilbert (SA), Emily Halliday(WA), Kate Hollywood (NSW), Nikki Hudson (QLD), Rachel Imison (VIC), Fiona Johnson (NSW), Amy Korner (QLD), Kobie McGurk (WA), Emma Meyer (QLD), Donna-Lee Patrick (SA), Rebecca Sanders (NSW), Angie Skirving (QLD), Karen Smith (QLD), Sarah Taylor (ACT), Melanie Twitt (NSW), Kim Walker (WA)
2006 Development Squad
Danette Boland (QLD), Kary Chau (VIC), Shelley Liddelow (WA), Hayley Phipps (QLD), Megan Rivers NSW)
2006 Champions Trophy Team
Nicole Arrold (ACT), Wendy Beattie (QLD), Madonna Blyth (QLD), Toni Cronk (NSW), Suzie Faulkner (QLD), Peta Gallagher (ACT), Emily Halliday (WA), Kate Hollywood (NSW), Nikki Hudson (QLD), Rachel Imison (VIC), Kobie McGurk (WA), Donna-Lee Patrick (SA), Rebecca Sanders (NSW), Angie Skirving (QLD),Karen Smith (QLD), Sarah Taylor (ACT), Melanie Twitt (NSW), Kim Walker (WA)
