Troy Sutherland is the latest Border hockey product to reach new heights in the sport.
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The veteran striker has been named in the 30-man Australian indoor hockey squad to trial for a spot in the 2018 World Cup team.
Sutherland took up the outdoor version of the sport at five years of age with the Wodonga Hockey Club and relocated to Sydney five years later where he continued to blossom.
Incredibly, he only started playing indoor hockey in the past five years when with Canberra’s Central Hockey Club and was selected in the ACT Lakers representative side.
Sutherland will attend a three-day training camp in July where the 30-man squad will be cut back to the final 12-player squad for the World Cup in 2018.
“It would be a dream come true. I can’t wait for it,” he said.
“I’ll put all my eggs into one basket and do what I can to get into it.
“If I make that team it will be one of the highlights of my career.”
Sutherland said he had ambitions at a young age to play for Australia, but thought the opportunity had come and gone after playing three tests for Australia at an under 21 World Cup and not being able to break into the senior ranks.
“By the time I turned 27, 28, the fire in the belly was back,” he said.
“I’ve represented Canberra and played in the nationals for the last four or five years.
“I’m not paid to play the game and when you’ve got a family to feed it’s hard to juggle at times.
“I’ve done it all my life. You’ve got to work and then play your sport at the end.
“If you love the sport that much you do what you can to give whatever extra time you have.
“All the training has now paid off with a selection into the Australian squad.”
Sutherland admitted the the transition between outdoor and indoor hockey has taken some getting used to, but he still continues to play both forms at a high level.
“I play the same way indoor as I do outdoor and being a striker I just like to put the ball in the back in the net,” he said.
“Being a smaller court you’re up and back all the time and it gets hard on the legs, but I like that sort of stuff.”
The 34-year-old still has family in Wodonga and Kiewa and hopes to get back to the region to share some of experience in coaching this year.
Sutherland will head to the US in May to contest the California Cup, before returning to play the NSW state championships in June and finishing with five weeks of training ahead of the Australian camp.
