NICK Hill has waited virtually his entire hockey career for a chance to match it with the pros, so the waiting game should be one the 20-year-old representative gun is fairly tuned in to.
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But the seven days leading into last Friday were painstakingly slow, even for Hill.
On the verge of cracking it into the NSW Waratahs line-up for next week’s Australian Hockey League, Hill was given the best indication yet he’d be making the trip to Adelaide for the national tournament when Waratahs coaches told him he was a serious chance of earning a call-up.
“It was a bit of a nervous wait,” the Kinross Wolaroi School graduate said.
“I sort of had an idea at the beginning of last week, but I had to wait until Friday before I knew for sure. I just had to keep working hard and training hard.”
No doubt a process Hill deems worthwhile at the moment.
“I’m stoked,” he continued after learning of his selection.
“I had it in the back of my mind I was a chance of getting a call if there were one or two injuries.
“It’ll be different to 21s and it’s a step up in professionalism for sure, but it’s just nice to get my name in the mix for the future. I’ve still got a year in under 21s ahead of me.
“To be playing AHL at 20 and with NSW ... it’s a bit surreal.”
Hill originally caught the eye of state selectors after helping NSW to its first national championship glory at the under 21 level since 2004, and was included in the Waratahs training squad as a result.
He’ll now play with NSW in pool B against the likes of the Victorian Vikings, Northern Territory outfit the SRA Territory Stingers and the Western Australian Thundersticks.
Finishing in the top two is the goal.
“You don’t get opportunities like this all of the time,” Hill said.
“(NSW) always performs pretty well. They’re always hard to beat.
“The last couple of years they’ve had to play without their Kookaburras players and that’ll be the case again this year, but we’re shaping up well and hopefully we’ll be there again.”
Over nine days of intense competition starting with NSW’s game against Victoria on Saturday, the AHL will boast some of Australia’s recent Commonwealth Games gold medal-winning Kookaburras and Hockeyroos as each state guns for national glory in both men’s and women’s competitions.
Given the calibre of hockey players on show in Adelaide in the men’s AHL, the former Bloomfield now Burwood Briars player wasn’t expecting to waltz straight into the NSW outfit.
“I’m happy to play anywhere,” Hill said.
The men’s AHL will be held at the South Australia State Hockey Centre, Gepps Cross, Adelaide, from October 4.
