Belgium’s Darran Bisley completes Hockeyroos’ and Kookaburras’ coaching lineups
Published Wed 09 Apr 2025
The Hockeyroos and Kookaburras have bolstered their coaching lineups with European flair, appointing Belgium Under-21 Women’s coach Darran Bisley as Program Assistant Coach.
Hailing from Queensland, Darran brings significant European-based coaching experience to the men’s and women’s national programs, joining the role with over 20 years of coaching experience and having most recently led the Belgium under-21 Women’s team to a bronze medal at the last Junior World Cup.
Working across both the Hockeyroos and Kookaburras, Darran will play a key role in providing expert training support tailored to the specific needs of each team, as they build towards the 2026 World Cup and the 2028 Los Angeles Olympic Games.
“It’s more than a professional dream come true, it’s a kid’s dream and it’s a level I didn’t reach as a player,” Darran said.
“The Olympic dream has always driven my career, and to join towards the start of the 2028 Los Angeles Olympic cycle is exciting.
“Over the past 20 years, I’ve been developing athletes to get to the highest level. I was very proud watching our Belgium athletes perform in Paris and now I’m excited to work with the Hockeyroos and Kookaburras to help their dreams come true.”
Hockey Australia High Performance Director Bernard Savage says the addition of Darran’s expertise is a major asset to the national program.
“We’re embracing a fresh approach to our Assistant Coaching structure and having someone of Darran’s calibre step into this dynamic and crucial support role is a huge advantage,” he said.
“I’m excited to see how our program grows and evolves with Darran in the role as we continue to build ahead of the World Cup and the Los Angeles Olympic Games.”
Darran will work with Australia’s Europe-based athletes before commencing the role full-time in Perth at the end of April.
The Hockeyroos and Kookaburras play India and Malaysia in practice matches in Perth from 24 April – 4 May before touring Europe in June as they prepare for the 2026 World Cup Qualifier at the Oceania Cup when international hockey returns to Darwin in September.
All sanctioned Kookaburras and Hockeyroos matches, home and away, will be streamed live and free on 7plus.
