28 August 2025
Defence players were among those selected to pull on the green-and-gold for Hockey Australia after solid performances at a state-versus-state tournament in Rockhampton from August 9 to 16.
Five ADF players and three staff got the tap on the shoulder to join the best players and coaches from regional Australia.
Defence has participated in the annual Hockey Australia Country Championships for more than 15 years, with ADF men’s and women’s teams playing against state representative sides.
This year, the round-robin tournament resulted in the ADF women finishing fourth ahead of Victoria and South Australia.
Navy Lieutenant Ella Ryan said their final standing wasn’t a true reflection of how they played.
“It was a very close tournament on all sides, and we drew with the teams who ended up first and second,” Lieutenant Ryan said.
“It’s probably the best the ADF women’s team has ever done.”
Lieutenant Ryan said the next couple of years look bright.
“We're developing a strong team and reputation – with many remarks noting this is the strongest ADF side they’ve ever seen,” she said.
Leading Aircraftwoman Brooke Pilcher was the only Air Force player selected for the national side and is the second time she has made the team.
'We're developing a strong team and reputation – with many remarks noting this is the strongest ADF side they’ve ever seen.'
Leading Aircraftwoman Pilcher said their final standing didn’t tell the story.
“We had Queensland and NSW first up – the hardest teams. We kept them to nil all, which is unheard of,” she said.
The first semifinal against Queensland ended with a shootout after scores were tied at the final whistle.
The Queenslanders were too good at the end of play, and the ADF then went down to the Western Australians in the bronze-medal match by three goals.
ADF men finished fifth in front of South Australia, winning both their matches against the festival state by blowout margins.
Other matches were closer, with the overall result a disappointment for the men, according to Army Corporal Matt Langsdorf, who expected a podium finish after their opening round victory against long-time rivals Queensland.
Corporal Langsdorf said the competition was a chance for those who couldn't compete in the pro-league metropolitan teams to show their stuff.
“It's a pretty surreal feeling to be honest – it’s still sinking in,” the command support clerk said.
Coporal Langsdorf, a defender who also gained national selection, said despite not making the podium, the team was happy 'The Bird' – the name of a trophy ADF and Queensland compete for – was back with the boys after 13 long years on the road.
It’s a story that has its origins in a pink flamingo and a social night between ADF and Queensland when Defence was first invited to participate in 1989.
'The Bird' became a symbol of the friendly rivalry between the two teams.
The last time ADF men took 'The Bird' was in 2013.
“It was just an unreal moment to win our first game (against Queensland), seeing everyone's faces and what it means to the boys was a pretty unreal feeling,” Corporal Langsdorf said.
