MAKING the Australian Country women's hockey side will be Ash Alcorn's next goal.
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The 22-year-old has been named in the NSW Country team to contest the Australian championships in Toowoomba in August.
Fellow Manning player, Holli Wheeler, is also in the side.
NSW are the defending champions. An Australian side will be named at the conclusion of the titles and Alcorn assures she'll be nominating.
Alcorn is the Manning River Times-Iguana Sportstar of the Week, winning a $50 open order at Iguana. She was nominated by Tigers Hockey Club.
The State side was named following the NSW championships held last weekend where Alcorn was a member of the Manning team.
Manning finished third in their pool in tier two. While happy with her form in the championship, Alcorn admits to being surprised when she received an e-mail advising her she was in the State team. She expects to play in the forward line at the nationals although she will have a better idea following a training weekend to be held in Maitland next month.
Alcorn concedes being the reigning champions will put extra pressure on the side but says she has 'no idea' if this year's squad is similar to 2013.
She leads a busy and varied sporting life, playing hockey, league tag and touch, however, hockey is her number one priority.
"Hockey's my passion,'' she said.
She started playing hockey with Hallidays Point Public School before moving to Tigers.
"I had a couple of seasons with Town to play with my mum, but then I went back to first division with Tigers,'' she explained.
Alcorn has been a major player in Tigers recent domination of the Manning competition.
She mixes hockey and league tag in the winter, also playing for Forster-Tuncurry's unbeaten side in the Group Three competition. She was named in the Group Three league tag team of the season for 2013. She limits touch to summer and has represented at Country level.
And Alcorn has represented Australia in the past - at rugby league. She was talked into playing in the Sydney women's competition and eventually named in the NSW team to meet Queensland then the Australian Jillaroos team to tour New Zealand in 2009. She was on the wing for a test match against the Kiwis.
However, she emphatically says her league days are behind her.
"No way - I won't be playing again,'' she said.
"I don't want to get bashed again - it's too physical.''
She'll stick to hockey and will hopefully get the opportunity to wear the green and gold again with the Australian Country team.