The 2026 Hockey One season comes to life in October, with Australia’s national hockey competition set to bring together seven franchise-style clubs – each fielding a men’s and women’s team – for double headers across Perth, Adelaide, Canberra, Hobart, Melbourne, Sydney and Brisbane over seven rounds, all in the name of showcasing the country’s best players.
As the season approaches, a group of Victorian Institute of Sport (VIS) personnel are also preparing to play their part. Eight VIS staff are confirmed to be embedded within the Hockey One network across two Melbourne-based clubs, each balancing their role at the VIS with a contribution to their club – whether that be out on the turf, courtside in performance and analysis, or on the coaching staff.
At the newly formed Melbourne Cobras, Charlotte Hodgson, Community Programs and Marketing Coordinator at the VIS, laces up as a player for the club, while Trinity Woodward, VIS Receptionist, will also take to the field this season. Rounding out the Cobras contingent is Adit Prem, VIS Performance Analysis Trainee, who brings his analytical expertise to the club off the field.
Hockey Club Melbourne is home to the largest VIS contingent, with five staff members contributing across playing, coaching and performance roles. Emily Hamilton-Smith, Performance Coordinator at the VIS, features as a player for the club, while Tyson Bashford, VIS Physical Preparation Coach, Ben King, VIS Strength and Conditioning Coach, and Mat Harrs, VIS Performance Analysis Assistant Manager, apply their high-performance expertise to HCM’s program. Jay Stacy, VIS Head Coach of Men’s Hockey, also joins the club’s coaching staff as Women’s Assistant Coach.
Together, these seven individuals reflect the depth of Victoria’s high-performance hockey network, with VIS expertise and support extending well beyond Lakeside Stadium and into the clubs and competitions that make up the state’s elite sporting landscape.
As the countdown to the October kick-off continues, VIS extends its best wishes to both the Melbourne Cobras and Hockey Club Melbourne, and to all the staff who carry that connection into every match day.
