LIKE most goalkeepers Maddy Tattersall is her own worst critic, but after only conceding once at the Hockey NSW Open Women's Field State Championships and earning NSW Country selection she was happy with her efforts.
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Work commitments and COVID-19 had kept Tattersall from representing Bathurst for the past two years, but her return to duty at the state titles reminded selectors again of her class.
It gave the Bathurst City shot blocker a reminder she can still perform at this level too.
A player who made her open debut for Bathurst 13 years ago, Tattersall is a previous NSW Country representative and in 2016 even made the cut for the Australian Country side.
But she admits she was not sure she had done enough over the three-day state carnival in Newcastle to make the cut for NSW Country again.
"There were so many people that had put there names down so I was umming and aahhing over whether I made it, I didn't know if I would, so I was pretty keen that my name was mentioned, I'm pretty keen to go to WA.
"They picked two keepers, the other one is Brenna Croker from Lithgow Panthers.
"I've played in Perth before, that was 2014 for Western Conference, but I'm due to go back over there now at Albany."
Tattersall was not the only Bathurst player who got the NSW Country nod either, with her City club-mate Emily Thompson and Souths duo Sarah White and Emma White also set to play in Albany from August 6-13.
"Em Thompson is in, that will be handy having her there as well, that's her second year at Country now so that's pretty cool, and also having Watto [Sarah White] and Emma White there as well," Tattersall said.
"Emma had a chest infection the whole tournament and she played outstanding. She nailed it, she played awesome and she'll handle it [Country] fine."
At the state titles Tattersall shared the Bathurst goalkeeper duties with Rene Hunter, a custodian who has just been named in the NSW Pride extended playing squad.
Hunter stood in goal for the first half of Bathurst's games, with Tattersall doing the second.
It was a split which Tattersall was happy to roll with as both she and her Bathurst team-mates successfully retained their spot in division one.
"I only conceded one [goal] on my behalf, it came from a short, so I was pretty happy with that," Tattersall said.
"It was pretty much the same team from the last time I played, just about. There were a couple of new girls, Millie and Macey Fulton did pretty well and Maggie Thompson as well, she got those two goals in the last game.
"From previous experiences, it was better than most. I was actually pretty happy with how I played and how we went overall, coming seventh and staying in div one.
"The hardest game was Sydney South which we lost 3-1, but all the games were pretty close."
This Saturday it is back to Central West Premier League Hockey club duties for Tattersall and there is no easing back into things.
Bathurst City will host undefeated competition leaders Lithgow Panthers.
"Back to Panthers and that will be a hard match, it's like yeah, welcome back," Tattersall laughed.
Though Tattersall has played in premiership winning Bathurst City outfits in the past and a string of grand finals, in recent seasons the club has done it tougher.
But after the current squad posted a 1-all draw against local rivals Souths in the latest round to lift themselves into fourth on the ladder, Tattersall is hoping more good things will follow.
"We're in a rebuilding phase at the moment pretty much, but you get what you get so I just go out there and play and take every game as it comes," she said.
"That draw was a big confidence boost for everyone, I thought we couldn't play any better than we did. Out of what we've done so far this season, that's the best game we've played as a team.
"The girls are gelling much more now, at the beginning the season it was sort of one person do this, one do that, now were building together and it's great."
Bathurst City and Panthers will do battle from 12.20pm Saturday at Bob Roach Field, with the clash between the St Pat's and Parkes women to follow from 1.50pm. Souths has the the bye.
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