The 26-year-old was the sole Tasmanian in the men’s and women’s national development squads named by Hockey Australia on Wednesday.

The selection continues the steady progress through the national system of the former Queechy player and St Patrick’s College student as he seeks to join fellow Tasmanians Eddie Ockenden, Josh Beltz and Jack Welch in the Kookaburras senior squad.

A dynamic drag flicker, Arthur featured at the 2013 Australian Youth Olympic Festival in Sydney, was part of Tasmania's historic breakthrough win in the 2014 Australian Hockey League and added to Hockey Australia's futures camp later that year.

He was leading goal scorer at the 2017 AHL and part of this year’s bronze medal-winning campaign in October.

The national development squads sit under the senior squads which are based at HA’s high performance unit in Perth. The 27-member national senior men’s squad was announced in late November when Tasmania’s Commonwealth Games winner Jeremy Edwards was a surprise omission.

Ockenden was the sole Tasmanian in the Kookaburras’ team that won a bronze medal at last week’s World Cup in India.

Both national development squads have included 12 players, with numerous members from last year’s squads debuting in 2018 and graduating into the senior squads, including Tasmanian Jack Welch.

HA high performance director Toni Cumpston said: “The overarching principles for selection was identifying athletes capable of progressing to the national senior squads through the training and competition opportunities the national development program provides in addition to development in their home daily training environment.”

The program will provide potential international competition opportunities.

The Kookaburras are due to play in Hobart early next year when they face Pakistan in the inaugural Pro League on Saturday, February 9, and Germany on Sunday, February 10.

There were no Tasmanians in the women’s national development squad.