The three-time Olympian had her sights set firmly on taking the Australian team to the Junior World Cup but all that changed over a Zoom call in late March.

Powell, who won gold as a member of the Hockeyroos in Atlanta and Sydney, received a job offer that would change her trajectory for 2021 – and possibly her life. 

Hockey Australia wanted her to lead the women’s team at the Tokyo Olympic Games, but there was a catch, she had just over 100 days to prepare the side. 

“It has been a whirlwind, but when you get offered your dream job, you jump at the chance,” Powell says.

“I remember the call – it was online – they rang and said: ‘It's you. You're up.’  

“The excitement was written all over my face. It's one thing to hide your emotion on the phone, but I was not able to do that in a Zoom meeting. 

“I was at home in my office; the beautiful thing was I walked straight upstairs and shared the exciting news with my partner David.” 

Along with the excitement came the reality of ensuring the world number two ranked Hockeyroos were prepared for the postponed Games amid what was the most disrupted Olympic preparation in the team’s history. 

Despite her experience as the national women’s assistant coach from 2005-12 including two Olympic and two Commonwealth Games campaigns, Powell questioned how much she could achieve in her race against the clock. 

“There was always concern because there's a lot of work to do and not much time,” Powell says.

“It still feels that way as we tick things off, but I always reminded myself these athletes have been training for five years for these Games – if not longer. 

“The players were already fully committed, passionate and working really hard – it’s easy to take over a group like that. 

“I just pick it up at the last part; I’m putting the icing on the cake.” 

What Powell brings to the role as head coach is credibility. At a time when the women’s national team faced internal challenges around culture, she brought a home-grown approach founded on the rich legacy of the Hockeyroos.

Assistant coach Katie Allen, also a gold medallist from Sydney 2000, is also an alumni of the Ric Charlesworth-led golden era of women’s hockey. 

“It was a really easy sell to convince the team that I'm on board with the purpose of being successful in Tokyo, because that has been my purpose for 30 years,” Powell says. 

“I've always been really enthusiastic and passionate about the Hockeyroos; I’m really proud to be involved. 

“I think the players are sick of the stories Katie and I have told them, but Tokyo is not going to be like any other Olympics, so we've got to be open, flexible, adaptable, and play what's in front of us.”

Catriona Dixon

#HaveAGo at Hockey