Hall of Fame - Kay Lehmann (nee Kindervater)
Published Tue 03 Nov 2020
A brilliant defender, Kay Lehmann had an indelible mark on the teams she played for, including when she represented her country.
Kay’s career for the Hockeyroos comprised 32 caps, one goal and two IFWHA tournaments. She made her debut on 14 August 1965 against New Zealand, becoming the 228th female Australian player to be capped.
Kay was an outstanding defender who used her arsenal of skills to great advantage. Her decisive hitting was used to considerable effect in the short corner battery. Along with her precise passing, excellent trapping and quick reflexes, her ability to read the play made her a most valuable player for the teams in which she played.
Kay was born in Maryborough in Queensland and was first selected to play for her state at the age of 18. She was a member of the state team for nine years.
Kay went on to play for Australia for over eight years. She toured to Europe and South Africa in 1970, and to the IFWHA tournaments in Germany in 1967 and New Zealand in 1971. It was at the New Zealand tournament that she was named in a World XI.
In 2000 Kay was one of the 11 players named in the Queensland Women’s Team of the Century and she was also an inaugural inductee into the Queensland Hockey Hall of Fame in 2002.
Kay’s induction into the Hockey Australia Hall of Fame was ratified in 2019.
What she said…
“It is of course a great honour to be recognised for my playing career but that is only part of it. My children were not around to see me playing at international level and they and their children were delighted to hear of this honour and this is perhaps the greatest source of satisfaction to me. It also probably helps them to understand why I spent so much time coaching various teams during their childhood and why they spent Saturdays at the hockey grounds. I would also say that I am in this position because I had lots of support from coaches in my earliest days in Maryborough Queensland, from Ruby Robinson in Brisbane and also from the many teammates in both Queensland and Australian sides. One player can do so much but without a team she is limited.” Kay Lehmann
From those in the know…
“Who could forget Kay’s outstanding match against England in front of 45,000 screaming school girls at White City in 1970. A match that finished 1-1 with her scoring from a short corner. A superb hockey career. Well done.” Wendy Pritchard (Hockey Australia Hall of Fame Committee Member and Award of Merit recipient)