Hockey: Tokyo 2020 Olympics now the aim for Mariah Williams after being ruled out of 2018 Gold Coast Commonwealth Games

Tokyo becomes the next major goal for the 22-year-old former Hunter Sports High School student with April’s international multi-sports festival on the Gold Coast now out of the question.

Williams, whose parents live at Teralba, underwent a procedure recently to lengthen her adductor tendon and clean out her pubic symphysis and it’s set to keep her sidelined for six months.

The 2016 national under-21 captain and Rio Olympian posted a photograph on social media this week showing her smiling but wheelchair-bound at an Australian coastal location.  

“Extremely happy to be out of surgery and ready for the next 6 months of rehabbing back on the East Coast at the AIS,” Perth-based Williams wrote in an accompanying message.

“But unfortunately my injury puts me out of a home Commonwealth Games which is shattering but Tokyo 2020 Olympics is the big goal.”

Parkes-raised Williams has already had four lots of knee surgery with her latest two years ago almost ruling out an Olympic debut.

Since playing her first senior international game in 2013 Williams, who links with Newcastle women’s club Souths, has seven goals from 63 appearances.

On the weekend the Hockeyroos wrapped up two Test series in Perth with a fourth win from nine matches against China and Spain.

“We’ve still got a fair way to go before Comm Games,” coach Paul Gaudoin told Hockey Australia media.

“Getting international matches is really important for our progression to test ourselves and to know where we sit.

“We go away from this knowing the areas we need to work on and to really home in for six to seven weeks later.”

Meanwhile, Norths defender and Rio Olympian Matthew Dawson was on Tuesday named in the 18-man Kookaburras squad for the Azlan Shah Cup being played in Malaysia from March 3 to 10.