Mark Hager will lead a dramatically overhauled Kookaburras squad in their first games since the Paris Olympics when the Pro League returns to Sydney.
The new coach has cast the net wide for a four-game series against Spain and Olympic champions the Netherlands, who knocked Australia out at the quarter-final stage in Paris last year to trigger massive squad upheaval.
Coach Colin Batch stepped away after eight years, while Eddie Ockenden, Aran Zalewski, Jake Whetton, Matt Dawson and goalkeeper Andrew Charter all retired.
Only nine of that 22-man squad will assemble in Sydney between February 5-9, where Australia haven't played for more than two years.
Nine of this squad are members of the wider Kookaburras squad, with Hager set to award seven more full-time contracts in March.
Victorian bolter Jed Snowden impressed for Adelaide in the Hockey One League and will duel Queensland's Mitchell Nicholson for time in goal to replace Charter, who was the Kookaburras' custodian for 13 years.
Snowden's uncle Neil kept for Australia at the 1984 and 1988 Games, and counted Hager as a former teammate.
"A little bit here and there, but he doesn't want to impact me too much but he loves it and he's proud of me," Jed, 23, said of his uncle's impact.
"It (waiting for the call-up) was very nerve-wracking ... I've dreamt about it since I was a little fella."
Continuing the family theme, uncapped West Australian Tom Harvie is set to debut alongside brother and Kookaburras regular Jake.
Their grandfather Gordon Pearce won silver at the 1968 Mexico City Games and played at three Olympics alongside three of his four hockey-playing brothers.
"Huge relief more than anything," 24 year-old Tom Harvie said.
"There have certainly been some tough nights and some long conversations with mum and dad about whether I was going to get my opportunity or not.
“It was cool to be in the senior leadership group alongside Jake in the Perth Thundersticks ... and now for two brothers to play alongside each other for Australia is another level of rare.
“I’m so grateful, and especially grateful I’m getting the opportunity to debut on home soil.”
The matches will coincide with the Hockeyroos' four-Test series against Spain and their Paris quarter-final conquerors China.
KOOKABURRAS: Davis Atkin, Jayden Atkinson, Josh Beltz, Cooper Burns, James Collins, Nathan Czinner, Nathan Ephraums, Anand Gupte, Jake Harvie, Tom Harvie, Jeremy Hayward, Liam Henderson, Tim Howard, Craig Marais, Mitchell Nicholson, Connar Otterbach, Lachlan Sharp, Jed Snowden, Jack Welsh, Corey Weyer, Ben White, Ky Willot.
