Hockey: Veteran striker upset at axing

By TERRY MADDAFORD

Lisa Walton will be in England this year, but not as a member of the New Zealand women's hockey team at the Commonwealth Games.

The 26-year-old strike forward, a veteran of 72 games for the Black Sticks, is stunned by her dropping from the national side and has packed her stick away.

"I just want to get out of here," said Walton last night. "I always planned to go overseas at some stage. Now it will be sooner rather than later. I'm pretty upset at what has happened."

Walton is one of three members of last year's national league-winning Auckland team to be axed by coach Jan Borren for the Manchester Games in July. The others are Leisen Jobe and Meredith Orr.

Auckland coach Simon Norton is "very disappointed" the trio have been dumped, and that only three players - Sandy Bennett, Helen Clarke and Jaimee Provan - from the team who have dominated the past two national league seasons are in the 16-strong squad.

"I don't understand why Lisa has been dropped," said Norton. "She is one of the best finishers in the country."

Walton was disappointed at the treatment of players at the trials in Auckland this month.

"Jan Borren was pretty distant towards the team throughout," said Walton. "He and the other selectors had little to do with the players. I felt my trials went pretty well."

Walton, who was also dropped by Borren before the Sydney Olympics, fought back from an Achilles injury to play a major role in the later rounds of last season's national league.

"Obviously this is the end of my international career. I would be wasting my time with Jan Borren in charge. I haven't been one of his favourite players," she said.

She was "absolutely shocked" that Jobe and Orr had been axed.

"I can't understand it. He [Borren] is throwing out a lot of experience."

Borren said Walton was not able to take the skills she had shown at domestic level to the international stage.

There are three new faces in the squad - Canterbury's Amanda Christie, Manawatu's Tara Drysdale and Invercargill's Colleen Gubb-Suddaby.

The New Zealand men's team will be announced in mid-June.

The Games begin on July 25.