As the Hockey One season ramps up, The West Australian’s Jackson Barrett has picked out five Perth Thundersticks players that will be must-watch this season.
1. Eva Drummond
Eva Drummond is considered one of the best women’s hockey players the world has ever seen.
The Netherlands star has joined the Thundersticks this season and her new teammates have already spent weeks in awe.
The Dutch legend has played for her powerhouse national team 266 times and is a three-time Olympic gold medallist, three-time World Cup winner and a two-time world player of the year.
She is the first import the club has had since the competition was shaken up before the 2019 season and is the biggest name to ever land at the club.
“From the first training session she has been here, it has been pretty special to have her around,” captain Penny Squibb said.
The midfielder will be must-watch this season and is poised to take the tournament by storm.
2. Tom Wickham
Without Kookaburras skipper Aran Zalewski, the national team striker will share the captaincy with defender Jake Harvie.
He has scored in the opening game against Canberra last week and is the Thundersticks’ best attacking weapon.
The 34-year-old is a two-time Olympian and has played 106 matches for the Kookaburras. He holds the key to the men’s team’s push for a first title.
3. Penny Squibb
The Hockeyroos gun, who became an Olympian for the second time this year, has taken over the Perth captaincy and the defender is an important part of this Thundersticks campaign.
Squibb has played 51 times for the Hockeyroos and is now one of Perth’s most experienced players.
Perth are fully loaded with attacking threats, leaving Squibb to control things behind the ball.
4. Jake Harvie
Harvie is a Kookaburras regular now and at just 26 is already a leader in this group.
The defensive half-back plays alongside brother Tom in the Thundersticks side and holds down the fort in the back-half.
He is also one of the club’s best advocates of the sport.
“It’s a bit surreal. I just feel so honoured and grateful to have that opportunity,” he said.
5. Kaitlin Nobbs
A two-time Olympian with two parents that have also played for Australia, Kaitlin Nobbs is another massive off-season recruit for the Thundersticks.
Nobbs will make her debut for the club in Sunday’s clash with Tasmania, but she has already played 135 matches for the national team.
The 27-year-old has shifted to the club from NSW Pride this season in a major signing coup for Perth.
She also just landed a lucrative deal with Odisha Warriors in the Indian Hockey League. Her mother Lee Capes is an Olympic gold medalist and her father Michael Nobbs played at the 1984 Games.
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