U16 indoor national champions, with Chelsy Drews second from the left in the front row. Photo: Supplied.
CONTRIBUTED BY REDLANDS INDOOR HOCKEY
Three former Redlands Hockey Association players made waves in January while representing Queensland at the 2026 Indoor Hockey National Championships.
Sam Systa competed in the Open Men’s tournament in Canberra from January 11-15, marking his second appearance at the open indoor level. Sam previously debuted for Queensland in the Under 21s in Brisbane in 2023 before stepping up to the open division in Canberra in 2024. His representative experience also includes outdoor hockey, having played for Queensland at the 2023 Australian Men’s Country Championships in Shepparton, Victoria. That performance earned him selection in the Australian Under-21 Country men’s team, which toured Borneo in January 2024.
Queensland finished fourth in the Open Men’s competition after narrowly missing a medal with a loss to New South Wales in the bronze medal match. The result marked a significant improvement on 2025, when the team finished last, and is Queensland’s best Open Men’s finish since 2020. With several young debutants in the squad, the team is considered one to watch heading into 2027.
Chelsy Drews represented Queensland in the Under 16s tournament held in Goulburn from January 13-17. Her Queensland Maroon team claimed the gold medal with a 4-1 victory over traditional rivals New South Wales State team. Chelsy also competed at the 2025 outdoor national Under 16 championships in Adelaide, where Queensland secured its fourth consecutive title. That team was later recognised as the 2025 Queensland Junior Sport Team of the Year at the QSport Awards.
Continuing a strong family tradition in the sport, Chelsy’s cousin Max Curnow made his Queensland debut in the Under-18 indoor Queensland Gold team. The side finished fourth overall after a 3-1 loss to the NSW Blues in the bronze medal playoff.
