HOCKEY AUSTRALIA UNVEILS INAUGURAL TALENT ACCELERATOR 2032 ATHLETE COHORT

Hockey Australia has today named 21 athletes invited to be part of the Talent Accelerator 2032 (TA32) initiative, a dedicated pathway designed to guide the next generation of Kookaburras and Hockeyroos towards the Brisbane 2032 Olympic Games.

The athletes were selected following a two-year assessment process, with Hugh Purvis, Talent Accelerator 2032 Technical Lead, and Mark Knowles, Pathway Technical Director, depth-charting talent at National Championships, pathway tours and training camps. From that process, a shortlist of athletes were interviewed prior to their invitation.

Hugh Purvis, Talent Accelerator 2032 Technical Lead, said selection reflected almost two years of building relationships with the athletes and understanding what each of them needs to succeed on the road to Brisbane 2032.

"This group represents many years of watching, assessing and getting to know these athletes, both on and off the field," said Purvis. "The athletes are exceptionally talented but what stands out was how each of them talked about their passion for the game, desire to master their craft and take ownership of their own development. That's exactly what TA32 is built to support."

The TA32 initiative is designed to deliver individualised planning and support to each athlete, with the aim of producing world-class performance in Brisbane 2032. The initiative commences 1 October, with the group's first scheduled activity being a Skill Acquisition Camp at the South Australian Sports Institute (SASI) from 27–30 November.

TA32 athletes are aged 17 to 22, mostly sitting in the 19 to 21 bracket now (25 to 28 by Brisbane 2032). Support is tailored to each athlete's needs, and we would anticipate several of the athletes are to progress into the Hockeyroos and Kookaburras within the next one to two years. From there, TA32 will keep backing their development alongside the national team coaches, through skill acquisition support, mentorship and development away from tours and competitions.

Duncan Jackson and Mihaylia Howell are two of the athletes selected for TA32's first intake, both personally contacted by Hugh Purvis to receive the news.

Duncan Jackson, one of the initiative's stand-out junior performers, was named Player of the Tournament at the 2026 U21 National Championships.

"I'm very honoured to be selected in the TA32 program," Jackson said. "To be recognised as having potential for the 2032 Olympics is something I'm very proud of, but I also understand it means a lot of hard work and sacrifice ahead."

Mihaylia Howell has added a 2026 Hockeyroos debut and a 2026 World Cup Qualifier campaign to her 2025 Junior World Cup appearance.

"Being selected for TA32 means unlocking my full potential," Howell said. "It gives me access to technical skill development at a higher calibre, and I get to work one-on-one with specialist coaches to build my game to a world-class standard."

TA32 Male Athletes:

• Dylan Downey (Moorebank Liverpool, NSW)
• Ian Grobbelaar (Hale, WA)
• Cody Hale (Easts, QLD)
• Bryce Hammond (Adelaide, SA)
• Matthew Hawthorne (Easts, QLD)
• Duncan Jackson (MCC, VIC)
• Magnus McCausland (Derwent, TAS)
• Angus McMullen (North West Hobart Graduates, TAS)
• Max Nelson (UWA, WA)
• Oliver Stebbings (North West Hobart Graduates, TAS).

TA32 Female Athletes:

• Kara Bradley (Ascot Arana, QLD)
• Mihaylia Howell (Hawthorn, VIC)
• Makayla Jones (UNSW, NSW)
• Aurora Kovacevich (Commercial, QLD)
• Camryn Mathison (Easts, QLD)
• Gabriella Pezzimenti (Essendon, VIC)
• Alyssa Smith (United, ACT)
• Jamie-Lee Surha (Redcliffe, QLD)
• Karissa Van der Wath (Commercial, QLD)
• Georgie West (North Canberra Eagles, ACT)
• Bianca Zurrer (Waverley, VIC).