Progress and Podiums: NSW Celebrate a Defining U21 Nationals Campaign

The 2025 Under 21 National Championships have come to a close, and NSW can walk away proud of a campaign defined by resilience, growth and flashes of brilliance from both the men’s and women’s teams.

With the boys earning a well-deserved silver medal and the girls finishing with a strong fifth, there was plenty to celebrate and more to build on as both squads now look ahead to the future.

The men’s campaign was a rollercoaster of emotion. From frustration in the early pool rounds to a strong charge for the gold medal match. The tournament began against a well-drilled WA side where NSW showed composure but were unlucky not to take the win.

That was followed by a disappointing performance against SA, where the group would admit that they just didn’t have the energy.  

Against Tasmania, the boys produced a strong display, dominating field play and were unlucky not to take the win. But this was the turning point.

Despite finding themselves at the bottom of their pool, belief within the squad never wavered. The faith was rewarded in the quarterfinals against origin rivals, Queensland. In their best game of the tournament, NSW dismantled QLD, 7-0 in a clinical performance.

Their momentum carried into a semi-final rematch against Tasmania, where the boys delivered a convincing win to book their place in the gold medal match.

The final saw them face WA once more - a formidable team that trains together year-round. WA’s early cohesion was on display, but NSW refused to back down, creating scoring chances and pushing their rivals to the final whistle in a gutsy effort. The final score was 1-0 to WA.

A silver medal capped off a campaign full of character, and the individual brilliance of Dylan Downey was recognised as he was named Player of the Tournament - a proud moment for both him and the team.

On the women’s side, the campaign was a bittersweet one. Facing arguably the toughest draw of the tournament with early clashes against Victoria, WA and Queensland.

But the girls were able to lay solid foundations in each match, dominating possession and opportunities. However, the scoreboard didn’t always reflect their control, as they struggled to convert in the circle.

Remarkably, the team conceded only one field goal across six games, highlighting their defensive strength and structure.

The turning point came in the classification match against WA. After missing out on a medal opportunity, the girls could have faded, but instead they rose.

In what became a defining performance, NSW dominated WA 5-0 in a clinical display of the attacking hockey they had been building toward all week.

It was a powerful reminder that this young group has all the tools to compete with the best.

Pathways and Performance Manager, Glenn Johnstone summed up the tournament saying, “Both squads built well into the tournament, showing resilience, strong culture, and some strong performances in key moments. While not every result went our way, the effort and development across the board were clear. With younger players gaining valuable experience and solid preparation behind them, it’s a great step forward as we look ahead to future Nationals campaigns.”

This tournament also marked the final appearance in the U21 system for several of our senior players.

From the men’s team, we farewell Dylan Simmons, Tyler McCann, Ryan Woolnough, Fletcher Norris, Luke Potter, Michael Arthur, Jett Leong, Lukas Gremm and Fletcher Craig.

On the women’s side, we acknowledge the contributions of Makayla Jones, Ella Carr, Grace Baxter, and Georgie Smithers.

Hockey NSW thanks each of these athletes for their commitment to our pathway and wishes them every success as they continue their journeys beyond U21s.

With strong foundations now in place and emerging talent shining through, Hockey NSW is excited for what lies ahead as these teams continue to grow.

Mens Team

Michael Arthur, Ethan Brooks, Toby Collins, Fletcher Craig, Ashley Dimmock, Dylan Downey, Jared Findley, Lukas Gremm, Edward Hunt, Jett Leong, Toby Mallon, Tyler McCann, Fletcher Norris, Luke Potter, Dylan Simmons, Bayden Smith, Kurt Walters, Ryan Woolnough

Head Coach: Liam Cole

Assistant Coach: Paul Baxter

Manager: Beth Shae

Womens Team

Ellie Baldwin, Grace Baxter, Hannah Baxter, Eliza Berrick, Ella Carr, Bella Croker, Emmalee Croker, Emma Davidson, Lola Dorman, Dakota Drennan, Chloe Holmes, Grace Jones, Makayla Jones, Lily Kable, Amalia Patterson, Georgie Smithers, Summer Tancred, Lahni Woodger

Head Coach: James Hanger

Assistant Coach: Corrina Aitken

Manager: Laura Reid

NSW Umpires 

Gilbert Gough-Fuller, Niamh Blake, Annemijn Flokstra