Hockey: No goals but Oz striker revels in revamped culture

Madeleine Ratcliffe thinks the time was up for former Hockeyroos coach Adam Commens (inset) as he had been around for a while. Photo / Warren Buckland

Striker Madeleine Ratcliffe has yet to score a goal for the Hockeyroos but she isn't losing any sleep over it.

"I think we've struggled in the past in scoring goals but if it's not me it'll be someone else who will [score] which is just as good in my books," says rookie Ratcliffe who is mindful if she does it'll be good for her soul and, more importantly, the collective.

"I know where the goals are. I favour my Tomahawk [stick] when I'm shooting," says the 19-year-old, partial to some second-phase scoring and hoping to find herself in some of those situations.

She sees teammates, such as midfielders Mariah Williams, "big-engine" Jane-Anne Claxton and a backline of older heads Edwina Bone and Kirstin Dwyer as well as Gabrielle Nance, to find a modicum of cohesiveness to make things happen.

The revamped Aussies have a new coach, Paul Gaudoin, who has replaced Adam Commens.

"He's really good and the vibes around the team is an improvement," she says of Gaudoin, disclosing Commens has got a new job in Belgium.

However, Australia media reports state Hockey Australia sacked Commens after "serious misconduct" following a failed Rio Olympics campaign late last year.

"I think his time was up. He'd been around for a while," says Ratcliffe of Commens, revealing she was part of the Rio build up but didn't make the final cull.

Gaudoin has a penchant for making every player valued, especially the younger crop.

"I know for me it's definitely helped. Everything's an equal playing field for him and the people who play well get rewarded," says the Victorian, lauding his "structural feedbacks".

"You always know what he's thinking, which is really nice, and I don't feel scared of him or feel under any pressure when I am training under Gouders."

The Aussies, like the Black Sticks, have injected young blood into their squad for their first tourney of the year.

The three-cap international striker says the way the team are gelling on the turf, winning the title again is possible, especially trying to put goals past former Aussie goalkeeper Grace O'Hanlon who has crossed to New Zealand.

"She has a dual passport. It's so cool she's getting it," she says of O'Hanlon who left because of limited game time due to regulars Ashlee Wells and Rachel Lynch occupying the berths two years ago - although the latter is missing from the Hawke's Bay Cup squad.