Of those 13, two were from Crookwell: Jess Smith and Shelley Watson.

Both Smith and Watson have represented the ACT in the past, but Smith said that the selection was still a pleasant shock.

"It was always a surprise getting selected, you never know what to expect," she said.

"Personally I think I've been playing pretty well in my club stuff this year. I've put in a lot of hard work during training, so the hard work has paid off."

The Canberra Chill sides, which are fresh iterations of the Canberra Lakers and Strikers, will play in the new-look Hockey One competition, which replaces the Australian Hockey League.

Along with small changes to the rules, the competition is also going to be broadcast in 2019, which Smith said was "the best thing I've heard for the hockey community.

"For hockey to be getting out there, and broadcast, and to show people what it's like and how fun it is ... I don't think it gets the recognition it deserves compared to other sports.

"To have it broadcast is going to be great, especially for family and friends who can't make the away games."

Hockey ACT CEO, Rob Sheekey, said that the number of selections was indicative of the strength of the sport locally.

"Obviously [the GDHA has] been a breeding ground for a number of years for high-performance and high-level hockey players," Sheekey said.

"It's a big hockey town, as is Crookwell, and that area's been generating a lot of players, not just for ACT, but also for NSW over the years."

While there is a strong pedigree within the GDHA, Smith said that she had also been helped by the tight-knit community in the ANU side.

"It all comes from the team around you," she said.

"Us ANU girls, we've got a very tight connection on and off the field. I'm best friends with most of the team off the field, and that carries over on the field as well.

"I think that's definitely helped with the selection."

Both Canberra Chill teams will kick off their seasons against the Brisbane Blaze on September 29 at the National Hockey Centre in Lyneham, ACT.