The review was launched in December last year when festering bitterness and rancour within the sport spilled into the public domain. It was later revamped amid fears about its independence. The reporting panelists were Bruce Collins QC,AFL commissioner Gabrielle Trainor and Moya Dodd,a former Australian women’s soccer team member.
In a statement,Hockey Australia said:“This outcome has been confronting and distressing for Hockey Australia,its management,board,athletes and staff.
“While we have made a considerable investment over the last three years,including efforts to implement changes since the Rio cycle,this has not been enough to prevent rupturing of the squad’s cohesion,particularly with the uncertainty rendered by COVID-19 and the delay of the Tokyo Olympics.
“The process of this review has seen us all have significant reflections over the past months. The findings have been shared with the players and we will work with them to make changes to design and implement a cultural transformation program.”
The review panel,which interviewed more than 100 people,found a need for more effective leadership in women’s hockey,better balance between the demands of the high-performance program and outside life,“safe and respectful” engagement between board,coaches and players,closer monitoring of the culture in both men’s and women’s hockey and the fostering of a atmosphere of “mutual respect and trust”.
This follows a series of allegations last year of dysfunction,bullying and chaos within women’s hockey,and the resignations of three co-captains.