A fourth helping of fire

The Adelaide Fire has again called on FLTLT Lachlan Arneil for its national Hockey One campaign.

FLTLT Arneil’s performance in club competitions, combined with being named Port Adelaide’s best and fairest in 2025, propelled him into the Fire’s line-up for the competition now underway and running through to the end of November.

This year’s Hockey One, run along similar lines to the AFL and cricket’s Big Bash, marks FLTLT Arneil’s fourth consecutive season with the Adelaide Fire since he was posted to South Australia in 2023.

The 26-year-old aeronautical engineer has been in the Air Force for seven years and works at Systems Development Flight, AWE SQN at RAAF Base Edinburgh, developing modifications and flight test instrumentation for ADF aircraft.

“It’s my fourth selection and I’m proud to be part of it every year,” FLTLT Arneil said.

“Being exposed to that higher level of competition is what keeps pushing me and the team to lift our standard.”

FLTLT Arneil has been playing hockey for 21 years after picking up his first hockey stick in Melbourne with a family full of players.

Juggling Air Force duties with a national hockey campaign is no small task, but FLTLT Arneil said the backing of his unit means it’s one he’s happy to take on each year.

“A lot of days I’ll start later and finish later, then go straight from work to the hockey stadium and train for a couple of hours,” FLTLT Arneil said.

“It's about being efficient with my time and fitting training in around work as best I can.”

FLTLT Arneil said sport and military service reinforce the same instincts.

“The leadership skills you develop from playing team sport and dealing with different people is a perfect parallel to any workplace,” he said.

“Understanding what your people do, what they’re like, and how to get the best out of them.

“It comes down to how you integrate with the people around you to get the job done.”

Recognition as an Air Force elite sports participant means FLTLT Arneil no longer has to take annual leave to chase a hockey season.

“It allows me to be supported through the right channels while I’m representing the state,” he said.

The Adelaide Fire is looking to make its mark, having yet to qualify for the finals series in previous years of Hockey One.

“We want to be a team that the local community can get behind and support,” FLTLT Arneil said.