The Woolsthorpe midfielder managed the injury throughout the tournament, helping Australia Country to a nine-game unbeaten streak.

Lanman, 27, said the team’s fairytale run ended in a 3-2 grand final defeat to New Zealand Maoris.

“We won all of our games except the important one — the final,” she said.

“It was a physical game but it was still a good effort. We only lost by one.

“It was a good lead-up and we were all tired.

“We got pushed around. Our downfall was we couldn’t keep our pace up.

“We got team of the tournament still. I guess we got a bit of a consolation prize.”

Lanman, donning green and gold in an overseas trip for the second time, said injuries hit the side hard, such was its busy schedule. Australia Country played two practice matches in Rotorua before travelling to Napier for the Festival of Hockey.

It capped off its tour with two more practice matches in Auckland and Whangarei.

The vice-captain said her hamstring injury was managed throughout the tour.

“I had a bit of a problem with my hamstring earlier on but I managed to keep going,” she said.

“I missed one or two games early on to preserve it for the tournament.

“I was lucky we had good physios.

“We had quite a few injuries with the (high) number of games we played.

“A couple of girls did knees and one dislocated her jaw, so I got out easy compared to them.”

Lanman arrived home on Good Friday and will switch her focus to premier league duties with St Kilda.

“The hammy is holding together now,” she said.

“I haven’t done much running since I got back.” 

Lanman was invited to the All-Stars Cup, a Victorian Institute of Sport and Hockey Victoria collaboration.

But she is unsure if time and travel commitments will allow her to compete in the four-week tournament.

“Unfortunately it’s on a Wednesday night and living here it’s hard to get down for a midweek game,” she said.

“It probably won’t go ahead (with me) but it’s nice to be invited.”