Alice Arnott's star return not enough to outclass world champion Dutch
Published Mon 09 Jun 2025
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The Hockeyroos have produced a gritty response in Amsterdam overnight, returning to Wagener Hockey Stadium with renewed determination after a tough 1–8 defeat to the Olympic champion Netherlands just 24 hours earlier. With four changes to the starting lineup, Head Coach Katrina Powell and her side knew they needed something special to unsettle the hosts, and if anyone was going to deliver, it was NSW’s Alice Arnott. Returning to international competition for the first time since her breakout 2024 Paris Olympic Games performance last August, the star striker lit up the opening quarter, as she pounced on a turnover and buried a reverse-stick finish to mark a dream return with her ninth goal in just 23 caps. "I was very excited to be back out there, in fact, I think it was probably the adrenaline talking that got me that goal!" Alice recalled. "It was a great play from the defence to attack, the build up was really great, and I was the lucky one on the end of it, but it was nice to be back out there and that settled the nerves a little bit for me. "We came out with a lot of energy, we were really competitive and we really wanted to stick it to them. I think we were coming in and out of the game a little bit, and towards the end we let them run on top of us, so that will be a big focus for us, keeping that energy for the entirety of the game. "We know we can do it, we know we can stick it to them." Adding to the occasion was Grace Young's 50th international appearance for Australia and Jamie-Lee Surha's historic debut. The Queensland striker became just the fifth Indigenous woman to represent the Hockeyroos, and the eighth Indigenous Australian hockey player to wear the green and gold at international level, proudly making her debut in the Hockeyroos' ochre Indigenous strip. "Pulling on the Indigenous uniform was one of the most special moments for me, being a First Nations athlete in this team, I'm very proud to be here and in this uniform," Jamie-Lee said. "It was everything I expected and more. The atmosphere the Dutch fans bring is incredible. I’ve never experienced anything like it. From the call-up, to getting on the plane two days later, to stepping on the field for the first time, it’s all been a surreal and special moment." After taking an early lead, Australia’s high press continued to frustrate the Netherlands. But the hosts capitalised on a few costly turnovers to equalise, before scoring two more to take a 3–1 lead into half-time, their third coming from a signature Yibbi Jansen drag flick on the stroke of the break. The Dutch tightened their grip in the second half, dominating possession and piling on pressure. Yibbi Jansen added her second goal shortly after the restart, taking her tally to five goals across the two matches. The hosts sealed the result with a fifth in the final quarter. Despite the momentum swing, Australia never backed down. The Roos held firm in the final quarter, applying attacking pressure and hunting for a late goal right until the final whistle. "We started really well and built nicely," Captain Grace Stewart told 7plus post-match. "They obviously have a great corner battery, and we gave away too many penalty corners in the second half. “We need to consolidate our defence and improve our circle entries at both ends. Coming up against the Dutch has been a great challenge, they’ve really set the benchmark for us on this tour. “We’ll take a lot from this and look ahead to India and England. We’ll get better.” The Hockeyroos now turn their attention to a pivotal stage of the FIH Pro League in London, where they’ll face India twice before taking on hosts England, with the first match set for Saturday, 14 June All Hockeyroos and Kookaburras matches, at home and abroad, are broadcast live and free on 7plus. |
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Hockeyroos v Netherlands Wagener Hockey Stadium, Amsterdam Hockeyroos: 1. Claire Colwill, 3. Morgan Mathison, 4. Amy Lawton, 5. Grace Young, 7. Aleisha Power (gk), 9. Maddi Smith, 11. Alice Arnott, 12. Greta Hayes, 15. Kaitlin Nobbs (c), 16. Courtney Schonell, 17. Lucy Sharman, 18. Alana Kavanagh, 20. Karri Somerville, 21. Jade Smith, 24. Mariah Williams, 25. Zoe Newman (gk), 30. Grace Stewart (c), 78. Jamie-Lee Surha |
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Hockeyroos FIH Pro League UK/Europe Tour Schedule London, England Saturday, 14 June – 8.00pm AEST / 6.00pm AWST – Hockeyroos v India Sunday, 15 June – 7.30pm AEST / 5.30pm AWST – India v Hockeyroos Tuesday, 17 June – 8.00pm AEST / 6.00pm AWST - England v Hockeyroos Thursday, 19 June – 2.45am AEST / 12.45am AWST - England v Hockeyroos Berlin, Germany Sunday, 22 June – 12.30am AEST / 10.30pm AWST(Saturday, 21 June) – Germany v Hockeyroos Sunday, 22 June – 10.00pm AEST / 8.00pm AWST – Germany v Hockeyroos |
