Jack Hayes is going to Perth!
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The Albion Park hockey captain has finally realised his dream of a Kookaburras jersey by being named in the men’s senior squad last week.
It took a long time for Hayes to make this breakthrough after five years in the Waratahs team and 10 appearances for Australia A against Malaysia, Japan and Korea in recent years.
A patient Hayes was excited with the news and is now looking forward to joining his clubmate Blake Govers at the Perth training base next January.
“I feel very humbled to be elevated to the national squad, they're currently ranked No.1 in the world so to crack a side of such calibre is something I'll hold in high regard,” Hayes told the Advertiser.
Hayes got the important call from new coach Colin Batch last week saying he was elevated from the national development squad to the senior men’s squad where the players are based in Perth for training.
Batch said Hayes had been closely watched during the recent Australian Hockey League at the Gold Coast and that he had a lot of potential to bring to the team in the midfield and as a striker.
Hayes was also in the Australian indoor hockey team at the recent World Cup in Europe and those indoor skills will be a great bonus to bring into the Kookaburras style of play.
It was ironic that in the same week fellow Park Kookaburra Kieran Govers announced his retirement from international hockey, Hayes got his opportunity to make his way in.
Govers, a striker with a lethal drag-flick who has struggled with hip and hamstring injuries, missed out on World Cup selection and instead announced his retirement on social media.
Albion Park coach/manager Keith Eastham was excited at Hayes’ elevation and said he had been easily the best Illawarra player for a number of years.
The 24-year-old Hayes comes from a large hockey and sporting family.
His father Peter is a former first grade Park player and cousin Casey Sablowski, is a former Olympic Hockeyroo.
Cousin Matty Eastham is a former Park first grader and another cousin Ryan Gregson is Australian 1500-metre record holder and a former junior hockey player.
Hayes moves to Perth in January and will link up with Blake Govers. They have been together since they were nine-year-olds playing in Illawarra competitions.
Govers and Flynn Ogilvie flew out last Friday for the men’s hockey World Cup starting next week.
