Australian field hockey star Lizzie Watkins dies in freak on-field incident

Australian field hockey star Lizzie Watkins, 24, has died in a freak on-field incident after a ball struck her on the head, possibly after a deflection from her own stick.

According to the Brisbane Times, Watkins was playing alongside her elder sister at Perth Hockey Stadium in Western Australia, when the incident occurred.

She was reportedly revived after collapsing but died on the way to hospital.

"It was a fairly innocuous incident which occurs 100 times each game," her coach Colin Brandis in the representative team WA Diamonds, told WA Today.

"She rushed from fullback to make a tackle when the ball deflected and hit her on the back of the head."

Brandis told the West Australian newspaper that the competition in which she was playing was one of the best in the world with a huge number of current and former Olympic players.

"This was not a backyard game of hockey, this is the strongest local competition in Australia, if not the world," he said.

Hockey WA chief executive Kevin Knapp said the shocking tragedy would be investigated. 

The West Australian newspaper also quoted the president of Watkins' hockey club, the Raiders, as saying Watkins had spent her entire playing career with the club.

"Everyone associated with North Coast are in deep shock," Craig Vallipuram said.

Olympic gold medalist Jamie Dwyer used Twitter to express condolences on behalf of the Australian men's hockey team.

"All the Kookaburras thoughts are with the Watkins family after the devastating news today. Such a sad day in the hockey world," he wrote.

Female national team member Anna Flanagan reportedly said: "You are in our thoughts and prayers. Our heart goes out to your family at this terrible time."

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