Hockeyroos star Anna Flanagan draws support from family and teammates

The former ANU hockey player's dad Fred Flanagan said her profile had created a pattern where she was unfairly judged by the public and the media.

"Not only from the public but even more so from within the program by staff members," he said.

"It's taken its toll and time away is timely to get a strong mind again."

Anna Flanagan told Fairfax Media last month how a return to playing with old friends at the Canberra Strikers had reignited her love for the game but Fred Flanagan said her return to the national fold came too quickly. She was stood down by the Hockeyroos on Sunday morning for an undisclosed breach of team protocol.

Less than two months after the arduous Olympic Games campaign, the nation's best assembled for the Australian Hockey League in Perth ahead of two international campaigns this month against New Zealand and India.

This, combined with the heartbreak of being selected only as a non-playing reserve at the Games and the public spotlight following her drink driving charge earlier in the year had become too much for Flanagan.

"It has obviously been a tough year," Fred Flanagan said. "Even though she didn't actually play in Rio it was no less demanding, she has done all the work and probably had more pressure than all the other players."

While many internationals took time away from the sport, Flanagan said his daughter went straight back to hockey.

"She needs some time away from the daily training environment if she is to get her mind right to play again and she may in fact decide not to play on. But either way she needs time to get that right," he said.

"A freshen up for her, and a new coaching regime, is maybe all that is needed to have her back to her best, whether she is part of the new regime we will have to see with future squads."

Hockey Australia is in the midst of transformation punctuated by the axing of Hockeyroos coach Adam Commens due to allegations of serious misconduct during the Rio Games.

Fred Flanagan said he backed the centralised training facility in Perth but his daughter would benefit from a more stable management system.

"The program has obviously had internal problems for a while as evidenced by the recent exit of coaches and staff but that can happen anywhere," Flanagan said.

Australian hockey coaching legend Ric Charlesworth admitted he "was an outsider looking in" having retired from the national setup more two years ago.

But he said the Perth training base had produced sustained success over a number of years and that it was important Anna Flanagan was in the right frame of mind to cope with the intense training environment.

"It's probably a wise thing that she's taking some time away from it, sometimes you need a circuit-breaker," Charlesworth said.

"I suspect that the issue is not systemic management, I suspect it's particular issues that she's dealing with."

Fellow Strikers player Kalindi Commerford had been playing with Flanagan for Australia last week and she said she was in touch with her on Monday.

"I just hope that she's OK and I'm sure she'll seek the right help," Commerford said.

"The main thing is that she's a person first and a hockey player second."