NSW Pride will be looking for a third straight Hockey One League title when they open their campaign against the Blaze in Brisbane this Saturday.
Local Kookaburras duo Flynn Ogilvie and Blake Govers will lead the Illawarra/South Coast charge, which also includes Jack Hayes, Daine Richards, Tom Miotto, Callum Mackay and debutant goalkeeper Nathan Ackroyd.
Gerringong Hockeyroo Grace Stewart heads the women's group, and she will be joined by new Hockeyroo Maddie Smith and debutant Miri Maroney from University. Hockey One is Australia's premier domestic outdoor hockey competition.
Ogilvie and Govers will be travelling from their base in Perth to the various venues together with Richards, who also moved to Western Australia last year to train with the Kookaburras.
Richards, a former Fairy Meadow player, is now on a tier one scholarship with the Australian development squad which trains full-time with the Kookaburras and is aiming for a national team selection.
"I'm just looking forward to getting back on the field with the Pride after a successful campaign last year," Richards said.
"The body is feeling good. We have had decent preparation with a lot of fitness building as the Kookas work towards Paris next year."
Albion Park's premiership-winning skipper Hayes will make his third campaign appearance for the Pride and is hoping for a triple win, having captained the team last year to beat the Blaze in the grand final.
Hayes, with four Kookaburra caps next to his name, is also hoping for a national comeback after a season in the Perth league.
Park goalkeeper Ackroyd is back in the Pride squad after missing out last season from the original picked squad. Ackroyd hasn't played at this level for nearly 10 years - having last played in the then-AHL (Australian Hockey League) in 2013 - and then took three years off from Sydney and representative hockey, resulting in his omission from the state squad.
He came back in 2017 playing for Sutherland and Park teams, but its been an uphill battle getting into the state team because of the COVID pandemic and the incumbent Sydney keeper Ash Thomas.
Wests Illawarra's Miotto makes a return to the Pride team after withdrawing from the squad last season due to personal reasons, and University captain Mackay maintains his place in the squad.
Meanwhile, University's Maroney will debut for the women's Pride team and will join seasoned Hockeyroo Stewart, and new Hockeyroo and former Railway Greys player Smith.
Maroney, who was in the winning women's NSW under-21s team this season, was the inspiration behind the Students' Illawarra premiership win, beating Park in the recent grand final.
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