Wayne Blazejczyk & The 2026 Stars of Australian Hockey

In honour of the 2026 FIH Hockey World Cup, we started to reflect on how these incredible athletes got to where they are today. Each one of these elite players has their own unique story, which we can see when we consider four of Australia's current stars - the Hockeyroos Grace Stewart and Mariah Williams, and Kookaburras Jeremy Hayward and Tom Craig.

Grace Stewart - Forward for the Hockeyroos

Stewart (born 1997) grew up in Gerringong on the NSW South Coast, where she began playing hockey through local and representative pathways, alongside her two sisters, Lilly and Demi. Her talent quickly became apparent, and in 2016, aged just 18, she made her Hockeyroos debut in Singapore where she scored a goal that secured Australia a draw against Germany. Upon return to Australia, she moved to Perth on a Hockey Australia scholarship to train full-time with the national program, and from there her career took off. Stewart cemented her position in the Hockeyroos and has been to the Olympics, the Commonwealth Games and the FIH Women's World Cup multiple times.

Mariah Williams - Forward for the Hockeyroos

A fellow Hockeyroo, Williams (born 1995) began her hockey journey at just four years old. Growing up in Parkes, NSW; Williams enjoyed all types of sport including football and touch football before a visit from former Kookaburra Stephen Davies inspired her to pursue hockey seriously. Moving up through the representative pathways, at just 13 years old she relocated to Newcastle in order to attend Hunter Sports High School. Throughout her career she has played in two Olympics and the FIH Women's World Cup and this is despite many serious injuries and stints of rehabilitation after surgeries.

Williams is a proud Wiradjuri woman, from the largest Aboriginal tribe in NSW, and is passionate about using her platform to advocate for First Nations voices. She is currently the only Aboriginal athlete representing Australia in the national women's hockey team.

Jeremy Hayward - Defender for the Kookaburras

Hayward (born 1993) is originally from Darwin, NT and similar to Stewart, was born into a passionate hockey family. He grew up playing in highly competitive environments, often playing above his age group, alongside his brother, Leon, who also plays hockey professionally. Two-time Olympian, Hayward has also played in the 2023 Hockey World Cup, the Commonwealth Games and the FIH World League Semi Final and Final on different occasions. Outside of the world of hockey, Hayward is a primary school teacher and has a long-term relationship with fellow professional hockey player Brooke Peris, also from Darwin.

Tim Brand - Forward for the Kookaburras

Brand, originally born in The Netherlands, relocated to Australia at the age of three and grew up playing hockey at his local club. He received the call to join the national development squad in 2017, at 19 years of age. Since then, he has competed in the Champions Trophy, World Cup, FIH Pro League, the Commonwealth Games and the Olympics and isn't giving signs of slowing down.

There are so many incredible athletes competing in Australia for hockey and although they come from different places and backgrounds, the one thing they have in common is their pure determination and tenacity to excel in the sport they love.