Hockey Australia appoints Simon Orchard and Marcelle Keet as National Pathways Coaches

Hockey Australia is excited to announce the appointment of former Kookaburra Simon Orchard and former assistant coach of South Africa at the Paris Olympics, Marcelle Keet as the organisation's new National Pathways Coaches, reinforcing the organisation's commitment to developing the next generation of Australian hockey talent.

The appointments represent a significant investment in Hockey Australia's pathway program, with dedicated men's and women's Pathway Head Coaches strengthening the connection between Australia's emerging talent and the Kookaburras and Hockeyroos.

The dedicated men's and women's Pathway Head Coaches are part of a strategic restructure of our athlete pathway work force. This restructure includes the elevation of Mark Knowles to Pathway Technical Director and Hugh Purvis moving to the newly created Talent Accelerator 2032 Technical Lead. This significant investment in the people supporting the Hockey Australia pathway program will strengthening the delivery of our programs and importantly the connection between Australia's emerging talent and the Kookaburras and Hockeyroos.

Working with athletes aged 16 to 21, Orchard and Keet will lead Hockey Australia's national pathways program, playing a key role in developing future Australian representatives while creating a stronger connection between the junior and senior high-performance environments.

Orchard will oversee the men's pathway program, working with Australia's emerging male athletes in the Burras program as they progress towards the Kookaburras, while Keet will lead the women's pathway program with the Jillaroos, guiding the nation's top young female talent on the journey to the Hockeyroos. Together, they will help align the national pathway with Hockey Australia's senior high-performance program, ensuring greater consistency across all stages of athlete development.

The appointments are a key initiative within Hockey Australia's Strategic Direction and Plan, reflecting the Board's commitment to strengthening the national pathway and maximising the opportunities presented by the Brisbane 2032 Olympic Games. They also represent a significant increase in investment in the people leading Australia's high-performance pathway, as Hockey Australia continues to evolve and transform the system that develops future international athletes.

Orchard and Keet were selected following a highly competitive recruitment process, with both demonstrating a clear vision for the future of Australia's pathway and bringing complementary strengths, fresh perspectives and extensive high-performance experience.

Orchard joins the role following one of Australian hockey's most decorated playing careers. A dual Olympian and two-time FIH Hockey World Cup champion with the Kookaburras, Orchard represented Australia for more than a decade and now returns to the national program to help develop the next generation of Australian men's hockey talent.

Orchard said the opportunity to help shape Australia's next generation of internationals was one he embraced with great pride.

"My goal isn't just to develop world-class junior athletes, it's to develop future Kookaburras capable of winning Olympic gold on home soil in Brisbane 2032.

"Despite hockey's storied history, the Kookaburras have won one Olympic gold medal and one Junior World Cup since 1997. Those results remind us of what's possible but should also fuel our ambition to achieve more.

"I will judge the success of the pathways program not by Junior World Cup results alone, but by how many players go on to become medal-winning Kookaburras."

Keet brings significant international and coaching experience, having been assistant coach to South Africa at the Olympic Games in 2024 before building an impressive coaching career in the ACT. Widely respected for her work in athlete development, she has helped guide numerous emerging players through the performance pathway.

Keet said she was honoured to join Hockey Australia and help shape the future of the women's program.

"It’s an incredible honour and one I’m genuinely excited about.

"What attracted me most to this role was the opportunity to have a real impact on the next generation of Australian female hockey players. I’ve always loved working in the pathway space because it’s where you can help shape not only better athletes, but better people.

"Australia has such a proud hockey history, and to now have the opportunity to contribute to that legacy is something I’m incredibly grateful for.

"I love building environments where athletes feel challenged, supported and inspired to become the very best version of themselves, while creating a world-class and competitive team, and I can’t wait to get started."

Together, Orchard and Keet will work closely with Hockey Australia's high-performance staff to align national pathway programs with the philosophies, expectations and standards of the Kookaburras and Hockeyroos, ensuring Australia's best young players are equipped to transition successfully to senior international hockey.

The appointments mark another important step in Hockey Australia's long-term vision to build a world-class pathway capable of consistently producing athletes and teams that can compete for medals on the world's biggest stage, including the Brisbane 2032 Olympic Games.