The Hockeyroos have suffered two major injury concerns to key players Kate Hollywood and Casey Eastham only months ahead of the BDO FIH World Cup and Commonwealth Games.
Hollywood, a key member of the Hockeyroos midfield, broke her left hand during a test match against Great Britain last Thursday as part of the Hockeyroos month long tour of Europe.
The tour of Europe, a major preparation for the Hockeyroos assault on the World Cup and Commonwealth Games later in the year, was further derailed after Eastham struggled through the first two games of the tour with a knee injury.
Eastham, who was voted the 2009 World Young Player of the Year, has left the tour to return to Australia to have her knee problems assessed.
Hollywood has had an operation to fix her hand in Europe and will remain with the Hockeyroos for the remainder of the tour. While she will be able to continue running to maintain her fitness, she is not expected to be able to hold a stick for the next seven weeks, meaning she will be racing to recover in time for the BDO FIH World Cup which will be held in Argentina from 29 August-11 September.
ÔÇ£We have a conditioning coach here on tour with us so Kate will remain with the team so she can maintain her fitness and attend team meetings. However given that she will be unable to grip a stick for seven weeks, there is some doubt as to whether she will be able to compete in the World Cup,ÔÇØ said Hockeyroos coach Frank Murray.
Eastham, arguably one of the most important members of the Hockeyroos squad, has a similar challenge in overcoming her injury in time to compete in the World Cup and Commonwealth Games, particularly given inability to run and maintain her fitness while she receives treatment.
Murray said Eastham's injury was particularly significant given both the long term and short term implications.
ÔÇ£It is obviously a concern for us to have some who is only 21 to have knee issues. It is an issue both in the short term and long term. In the short term, she is a key member of the team and someone who we would obviously love to have playing at the World Cup and Commonwealth Games. And in the long term, she is part of our future so we don't want her doing any long term damage,ÔÇØ said Murray.
In further injury news to the Hockeyroos, striker Ashleigh Nelson is unlikely to compete in the remainder of the Hockeyroos tour of Europe after suffering a hit on her ankle during a recent match against Great Britain.
Hollywood, Eastham and Nelson will be joined on the sidelines by defender Stacia Joseph who was ruled out of the Europe tour and will also be racing to prove herself ready for the World Cup after suffering Osteitis Pubis following her return from the BDO World Cup Qualifier earlier this year.
Source: Hockey Australia
