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Hockey Australia elects new Vice President and four Directors to its Board

Published Wed 04 Jun 2025

Hockey Australia (HA) is pleased to announce the following update to its Board of Directors following the AGM in Melbourne.

Ross Sudano has been re-elected as President by the Board, reaffirming his commitment to leading the organisation through its next phase of growth and development and further reinforcing the organisation’s leadership stability at a pivotal time for the Sport. 

Former Hockeyroo (Player #324) and Olympic gold medallist, Sally Carbon OAM, has been appointed Vice President for the first time, four years after joining the Board in 2021. 

Sport Australia Hall of Famer, former Hockeyroo (Player #349) and Olympic Gold Medallist, Nova Peris OAM and respected Western Australian businessman Gary McGrath have been elected to the Board by the Members whilst experienced barrister Danielle Woods (first time) and Craig Roberts (on board since 2021) have been appointed completing a nine-strong Board. 

Peris, McGrath, Woods and Roberts bring considerable business and governance acumen, as well as a deep understanding of the sport of hockey and its landscape in Australian sport.

A legend and pioneer of the game, former Hockeyroo Nova Peris contributed to one of the women’s national hockey teams’ finest eras. She became Australia’s first Aboriginal to win Olympic gold in Atlanta in 1996, before becoming a dual-Olympian, representing Australia four years later in athletics during the Sydney 2000 Games.

A proud Indigenous woman and one of the finest Olympians to represent the Northern Territory, Peris is a former Senator, bringing extensive governance and advocacy experience across sport, politics and community, having served on several boards and committees, including the Australian Sports Commission Indigenous Advisory Group and the Australian Olympic Committee’s Indigenous Advisory Committee, while also championing women’s sport, Indigenous empowerment, and regional inclusion.

“I am incredibly passionate and deeply committed to the future of Australian hockey. I feel a strong responsibility to contribute to the sport that shaped me,” Peris said.
 
“It’s been 25 years since the Hockeyroos have stood on the Olympic podium, and I am committed to seeing that drought end, while also advocating for regional growth and Indigenous participation as we have a massive opportunity to continue to grow hockey from the grassroots to the international stage.”

WA General Manager of Commercial Banking for Commonwealth Bank, McGrath is a well-known figure in WA business, governance and hockey. He joins with a wealth of high-level financial understanding behind him, through 30 years of global experience in the banking and financial services sector.

McGrath also brings 20 years of experience as a Board Director, and has already contributed significantly to the sport, serving as President, Vice President and in committees on the Hockey WA Board for seven years from 2018 – 2025.

"It’s a privilege to join the board of Hockey Australia at such a pivotal time for the sport. With Brisbane 2032 on the horizon, I’m excited to contribute to the High Performance vision that will shape our national teams for years to come. 

“I look forward to leveraging my background in finance and governance to help ensure the sustained success of the organisation, drive revenue diversification, and support the continued growth of hockey across Australia."

Woods (nee Moutou) joins with over two decades of legal expertise in corporations law and civil litigation, along with a strong foundation in sports law and integrity and is a current member of the National Sports Tribunal.

A former New South Wales state representative and lifelong advocate for hockey, Danielle combines grassroots and elite playing experience with a deep commitment to fair and ethical sport governance.

 “I’m joining the Hockey Australia Board at a time when governance, integrity, and member protection are critical to the sport’s continued success. I look forward to combining my legal expertise and hockey knowledge to ensure best practice in all areas, and ensure that hockey in Australia thrives in the increasingly complex sporting environment. It is a privilege to be able to give back to a sport that I am passionate about.”

Craig Roberts will continue to provide considerable input regarding sports strategy, revenue diversification and commercialising assets, bringing over 20 years’ experience in strategy, media, digital, and sports.

Craig has been a Board Director with Hockey Australia for over four years, while also sitting on the Finance, Audit & Risk and Integrity & Governance Committees.

Hockey Australia President Ross Sudano welcomed the appointments of Carbon, Peris, McGrath and Woods. 

“We are delighted to welcome Nova, Gary, and Danielle to our Board. Nova is a legend of our game and brings a powerful voice advocating for the sport, the women’s game, and regional communities, enriching our increasingly diverse Board. Danielle, with her extensive legal expertise and deep connection to hockey, adds valuable perspective that further strengthens our governance. Gary McGrath is a leading figure in WA business, sport, and governance with decades of experience, and we are fortunate that all three will continue to contribute their knowledge, guidance, and wisdom to hockey.

“Sally’s outstanding leadership, deep governance experience and unwavering commitment to hockey make her the perfect fit to support our Board as Vice President and drive the game forward. We look forward to her valuable contributions in this new leadership role.

“I would also like to thank outgoing Hockey Australia Vice President Pat Hall and Board members Max Diamond and Joanne Scanlon for their considerable dedication and contribution to hockey in Australia.”

The Hockey Australia Board Comprises: 

President Ross Sudano
Vice President Sally Carbon OAM
Brent Clark
Colin Murphy
Craig Roberts
Danielle Woods
Gary McGrath
Helen Galloway
Nova Peris OAM

Nova Peris OAM Bio
Nova’s lifelong association with hockey started well before she debuted for the Hockeyroos in 1993. She went on to forge a career during the Hockeyroos’ greatest era, amassing 97 internationals for Australia and culminating in Olympic gold in Atlanta in 1996. Four years later, Nova became a dual-Olympian, representing Australia in Athletics at the 2000 Sydney Olympic Games. 

Nova was awarded a Medal of the Order of Australia (OAM) in January 1997, and Young Australian of the Year on the same date, before she was later inducted into Sport Australia’s Hall of Fame in 2023.

Hockey and sport laid the foundation for a meaningful post-sport career in politics, governance and advocacy. A former senator of Australia, a graduate of the Australian Institute of Company Directors and now the CEO of the Nova Peris Foundation. Nova has served on several boards and committees, including the Australian Sports Commission Indigenous Advisory Group and the Australian Olympic Committee’s Indigenous Advisory Committee, with governance experience that spans not-for-profit, government, and high-performance sporting sectors, with a strong focus on equity, impact, and integrity.

Nova has a deep understanding of policy, risk management, compliance, stakeholder engagement, and the need for transparent, values-driven leadership. A former Senator for the Northern Territory, Nova also has extensive experience in legislative and national-level decision-making. 

Whether it be sport, politics or community, Nova has consistently championed women’s sport, Indigenous empowerment and regional inclusion, using her public profile as a dual-Olympian and Hall of Fame inductee to elevate voices in the Australian community that are often overlooked.

Having recently helped design the Indigenous Hockeyroos and Kookaburras uniforms and sat on Hockey Australia’s Reconciliation Action Plan committee, hockey on and off the field still runs deep in the Peris family today. Nova’s younger cousin, Brooke Peris, recently retired from the international game, having proudly represented Australia at three Olympic Games, during a career in the Hockeyroos which spanned over a decade. Today, Nova’s daughter Destiny plays hockey for the Northern Territory.


Gary McGrath Bio
Gary is an experienced Director and business leader, with robust governance knowledge and a high level of financial understanding, commercial acumen and risk management through 30 years of global experience in the banking and consumer financial services sector.

Currently the WA GM of Commercial Banking for Commonwealth Bank, previous roles span 15 years with American Express in positions ranging from India/Asia Chief Financial Officer, Head of Strategy Asia and Vice President of International Finance.

A Chartered Management Accountant with a Master’s Degree in Business Administration and a fellow of the Australian Institute of Company Directors, Gary contributes over 20 years of Board experience from State Government organisations, Not for Profit, Education and sporting organisations, including ongoing positions with SportsWest and Western Australian Museums.

Among an extensive list of Board positions, Gary served on the Board of Hockey Western Australia for seven years, holding the position of President, Vice President and Chair of Finance Committee.

Gary’s considerable involvement and contribution to hockey also include 15 years of firsthand experience, supporting his children through state-level outdoor and indoor hockey competitions. Gary and his family have also hosted three Hockeyroos over ten years, as they resided in Western Australia to train at the High Performance Centre of Excellence at Perth Hockey Stadium.

Danielle Woods Bio
Danielle is a lawyer with 23 years’ experience specialising in corporations law and civil litigation in a variety of fields.

A Member of the National Sports Tribunal, Danielle has a deep understanding of sports law, its regulatory framework and sports integrity, with extensive knowledge and experience in dispute resolution processes, advocacy, and managing conflicts in a fair, ethical manner, while always upholding the highest standards of integrity.

Danielle has been the Director and Secretary of Ground Floor Wentworth Chambers Pty Ltd for 6 years and brings sports-related committee experience, having served on the UNSW Ben Lexcen Sports Scholarship Management Committee from 2001-2005, and the UNSW Hockey Club Committee from 1997-2002.

Her long and deep connection with hockey started in 1987, enjoying the game at grassroots through to the elite level, where she represented NSW in the Australian Hockey League, indoor hockey and at junior national championships. 

Craig Roberts Bio
 Craig has over 20 years’ experience in strategy, media, digital, and sports and has been a Board Director with Hockey Australia for over four years, while also sitting on the Finance, Audit & Risk and Integrity & Governance Committees.
 
He commenced his career as a strategy consultant with Booz Allen Hamilton in Australia and the Netherlands before returning to study journalism and working as a business journalist at Fairfax.
 
Craig was General Manager at digital media start-up Business Spectator, then helped establish AFL Media, the in-house digital and video production house at the Australian Football League.
 
More recently, he was Head of Strategy, Insights, Data & Analytics at sports strategy and marketing agency Gemba, and now advises businesses in the sports and media sector on commercial growth and strategy. He played hockey for more than a decade in Ballarat and Melbourne.


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