Eight NSW Athletes Selected in Australian U16 Squads

Eight athletes from New South Wales have been selected in the Australian Under 16 Squads following the conclusion of the 2026 Hockey Australia Under 16 National Championships held in Hobart in April. 

Five girls, from the silver medal-winning NSW State U16 Girls team, and three boys from the NSW State U16 Boys team, who finished fourth overall, earned national selection after standout performances throughout the tournament. 

The selected athletes represent associations across the state, with two players each from Newcastle, Illawarra South Coast, and Goulburn, alongside one representative from the Central Coast and North West Sydney. 

The athletes will now be invited to attend a Hockey Australia National Athlete Pathway Program training camp in October, led by Technical Leads Mark Knowles (former Kookaburras Captain) and Hugh Purvis. 

Australian Under 16 Squad Selections

Maible Chalmers, Assistant Coach of the NSW U16 Girls State Team said that this group of five selected are part of one of the most promising groups developing in NSW towards being future Hockeyroos, playing at a very high standard but also just great kids.

“Christine Fernance plays in the midfield and has great game awareness, can see everything clearly, always has a plan when she receives the ball, and is always thinking one step ahead. She is highly skilled on the ball, can eliminate anyone, and is a pretty electric player,” Chalmers said.

“Sophia Galland is a very consistent player, cool and calm on the ball, and does the basics to a really high standard. She’s also a midfielder who reads the game really well, and is very dependable in defence.

“Abbey Mangan plays in our A.M. (attacking midfield) or striker line. She’s one of those players that, when she gets the ball, she gets the whole crowd up on their feet. She’s an exciting player, and is always doing something amazing and gives something special to the team, but she’s also diligent and hard-working and leaves no stone unturned out on the field.

“Annabelle Roxburgh is one of our goalkeepers and is really a brick wall to be honest. The split-save is one of her most powerful skills, but she is super agile and quick, and her mental preparation is probably her biggest superpower.

“Brydie Schofield is one of the young ones but played really well during the tournament. A defender, she’s very fiery – a classic country girl – and she puts her body on the line and is as dependable as they come. She also has a great attitude towards the sport and towards life in general,” Chalmers said.

Rick Fischer, Head Coach of the NSW U16 Boys State Team, said all three selected athletes were dedicated and focused high-achievers who were very team-oriented.

“Hamish Baxter was our team captain and is a very good leader, capable of taking control of games from the centre midfield position, with very good ball control and an ability to influence play at real turning points in the game,” Fischer said.

“Max Elliot is a striker whose ability to weave his way through traffic is very good. At speed, he is one of the very best players I’ve seen, and his off-the-ball work is very strong as well.

“Toby Peoples is also a striker who can turn on a dime. He’s typically a very high goalscorer and probably didn’t score as many as he hoped this tournament, but is very focused on bettering himself and the team and sets himself high standards,” Fischer said.