Brooks and Withington Appointed to Lead Tassie Tigers Women as Ockenden Joins Coaching Team

The Tassie Tigers have confirmed an experienced and highly credentialed coaching team to lead the Women's Program into the 2026 Hockey One season, with Susan Brooks and Brett Withington appointed as Co-Head Coaches and Australian hockey great Eddie Ockenden joining the program as Assistant and Technical Coach across both the Women's and Men's programs.

The appointments bring together a wealth of coaching expertise, high-performance experience and Tasmanian hockey knowledge as the Tigers continue preparations for the upcoming Hockey One campaign.

Hockey Tasmania CEO Damian Smith said the appointments reflected the organisation's commitment to building a strong, high-performance environment.

"Susan and Brett bring an outstanding combination of experience, knowledge and leadership to our Women's Program, and we're excited by what they can achieve together.

"Eddie's appointment adds another dimension to both our Women's and Men's programs. His international experience, technical expertise and understanding of what it takes to succeed at the highest level will be an enormous asset for our athletes and coaching staff.

"We believe we've assembled a coaching team that will continue to build on the strong foundations already in place and help our athletes maximise their potential. As we head into the 2026 Hockey One season, we're confident the program is well positioned to continue its growth and compete strongly against the nation's best."

Brooks will continue in the role after serving as Co-Head Coach of the Tassie Tigers Women's Program for the past two Hockey One seasons. Under her leadership, the Tigers have enjoyed their two most successful Hockey One campaigns, highlighted by the side's first-ever finals appearance in 2024. A long-standing figure in Tasmanian hockey, she brings significant experience developing athletes across both state and national pathways. Her tactical nous, established relationships within the program and proven ability to nurture emerging talent provide a strong foundation as she begins a new coaching partnership with Withington.

Image-Brooks has been at the helm for the Tigers two most successful Hockey One Campaigns

Withington joins the Women's Program as Co-Head Coach, bringing extensive experience across high-performance environments and player development programs. A life member of Hockey Tasmania, he has previously served as Assistant Coach of Tasmania's Van Demons in the Australian Hockey League, providing him with valuable experience in leading the state's representative program at national league level.

The returning Brooks said she was excited to begin the new coaching partnership.

"I'm really looking forward to working with Brett. He's got a great background from both a playing and coaching perspective.

"We'll be working closely with an exciting mix of local and interstate/national players with the aim of making the finals series."

Withington said he was honoured by the opportunity to help lead the next chapter of the Tassie Tigers Women's Program.

"I'm incredibly honoured and excited to be appointed Co-Head Coach of the Tassie Tigers Women's team. Tasmania has a proud history of developing outstanding players, and I'm looking forward to helping create an environment where our athletes can challenge themselves, grow in confidence and compete with the best in the country.

"Our goal is to build a team that is united, courageous and relentless in the way we play, and one that all Tasmanians can be proud to support this season."

Image- Withington was an Assistant Coach of the Van Demons in the AHL

Adding further international experience to the program is Eddie Ockenden, who has been appointed Assistant and Technical Coach across both the Women's and Men's programs.

Widely regarded as one of Australia's greatest hockey players, Ockenden enjoyed an extraordinary international career spanning more than 450 international appearances, five Olympic Games and 18 seasons with the Tassie Tigers as a player. His appointment will provide invaluable technical expertise and mentorship across both Tassie Tigers programs, supporting players.

The 2026 Hockey One season begins in October, with the Tassie Tigers once again set to showcase Tasmania's finest hockey talent against the nation's best. They will begin their season with a home day against the Perth Thundersticks on Saturday 10 October.

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