The 21-year-old is Queensland born but grew up in Kingscliff, NSW on the Tweed Coast. 

“It is extremely incredible especially being from Kingscliff and it feels like I’m playing in my backyard,” Nance said

“I think my parents have organised literally everyone in Kingscliff to be at some games so it is going to be amazing to see so many familiar faces on the sideline," she said.

The Hockeyroos are currently ranked fifth in the world heading into these Games and sit behind fellow Commonwealth nations New Zealand and England. 

After a disappointing Rio Olympics campaign, where they lost in the quarterfinals to New Zealand, the 2017 season saw the Hockeyroos finish with a Test series clean sweep against Japan, a seventh Oceania Cup Title plus two third places at the International Festival of Hockey and Hawkes Bay Cup.

However, the pressure is on them to perform with a fourth consecutive gold medal on the line.

"There is this pressure from the outside," Nance said.

"I think within the group we know our job and understand that there is this external pressure but I think if we can stick to our processes and keep playing the way we are we will have an excellent outcome," she said.  

The Hockeyroos are in pool B alongside Canada, New Zealand, Scotland and Ghana.
 
They've had two warm-up matches on the Gold Coast with a 1-0 loss to South Africa and a 5-0 win over Wales but despite the mixed results, Nance said the team are prepared. 

“The Hockeyroos have had a long and hard preparation," she said.

"It is so exciting to see 18 of us here; fit, healthy and raring to go. 

"We can’t wait to play our first game on home soil.”

The Hockeyroos begin their gold medal defence on Thursday against Canada at Gold Coast Hockey Centre, Labrador.