New Hockey One helps Anna Flanagan Chill out

Flanagan will join the Canberra Chill for the opening round of the inaugural Hockey One season this weekend.

The former junior world player of the year and Hockeyroos golden girl retired from representative duties earlier this year after being burnt out at 27 years old.

But Flanagan's competitive flame still flickers, which is why she jumped at the chance to join the Chill for the Australian Hockey League overhaul.

Flanagan started her representative career with the Canberra Strikers as a teenager, playing nine seasons in the old AHL format before her desire to compete at the top disappeared.

Her decision to play for the Chill isn't the start of a comeback or bid to return to the Hockeyroos. Flanagan says it's simply about playing with friends after finding her passion for the sport.

"It actually feels like I'm 15 again," Flanagan said.

"There's no selection pressure or anything like this. I really enjoyed my club hockey this year and just playing with my mates.

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"I think our Canberra line-up is really awesome. I'm not ready to just be a social player yet because I do still feel so competitive.

"That's why it excites me I can play for Canberra again. This is where I really want to be at the moment: at that competitive level with no pressure and being able to have a lot of fun."

The men's and women's Chill teams will replace the Strikers and the Canberra Lakers in the competition created to reinvigorate the sport domestically.

The AHL was the main domestic competition for Hockeyroo and Kookaburras players and was used as a stepping stone to the international stage.

The format, however, had become stale and Hockey Australia decided it needed a facelift. Games will be broadcast on a streaming service.

It will also give national selectors a new way of looking at Olympic Games hopefuls and Canberra has also recruited Japanese players to bolster the squad.

Flanagan will be joined by Hockeyroos Kalindi Commerford and Edwina Bone as they set their sights on a title. The men's and women's Chill sides will start their season with clashes against the Brisbane Blaze at Lyneham on Sunday.

"We've got a number of imports this season. We've got our core Canberra girls, but the Japan players will add depth," Flanagan said.

"I think we can be a real contender this season. Even the other girls at the launch were saying we had a strong line-up. I'm really confident we can pull it together and make the most when we get the Hockeyroos girls."

The Chill hill host rounds against Brisbane, NSW and Tasmania during the season, which finishes at the start of November.

The men's Chill side will be bolstered by the inclusion of Kookaburras goalkeeper Andrew Charter and a trio of captains in Daniel Conroy, Aaron Kershaw and Jake Staines.

HOCKEY ONE ROUND ONE

Sunday: Canberra Chill v Brisbane Blaze at Lyneham. Women at 2pm, men at 3.30pm

CANBERRA CHILL SQUAD

Men's: Garry Backhus, Andrew Charter, Josh Chivers, Owen Chivers, Daniel Conroy (C), James Day, Kentaro Fukuda, Anand Gupte, Jamie Hawke, Brendan Hill, James Jewell, Aaron Kershaw (C), Aaron Knight, Jay MacDonald, Lewis McLennan, Kazuma Murata, Lewis Shepherd, Ben Staines, Jake Staines (C), Manabu Yamashita.

Women's: Sakiyo Asano, Edwina Bone (C), Meredith Bone, Kalindi Commerford, Sassie Economos, Mikayla Evans, Naomi Evans, Anna Flanagan, Talei Forrest, Sophie Gaughan, Yui Ishibashi, Rebecca Lee, Olivia Martin, Beckie Middleton, Shihori Oikawa, Brooke Peris, Aleisha Price Jess Smith, Tina Taseska, Taylor Thomson