It's the hockey rivalry that started in a Crookwell hallway, but Jess Smith says it's time to steal bragging rights from her Olympian sister Emily on a bigger stage at the Australian Hockey League in Perth.

Canberra Strikers midfielder Jess will have one eye on a potential finals showdown with Emily when the AHL starts with a clash against Western Australia on Thursday.

Two-time Olympian and new Australian Hockeyroos captain Emily will be playing on the opposite side of the draw in the pool stages when she suits up for NSW.

But 23-year-old Jess is far from daunted by the prospect of tackling her high-profile sibling, pointing to the black marks on the walls at home and broken picture frames as proof of a fierce sister competition.

"It's pretty feisty, our family has always been competitive so everything we do is all in. There are no half efforts," Jess said.

"Mum would always blow up because we were playing in the hallway and it got pretty aggressive. There were a few broken frames and the skirting boards have marks all over them.

"So I imagine it will be the same if we do meet again. We've played a couple of times at this level, and I know that any time she gets the ball it makes me want to go a bit faster."

The Strikers and Canberra's men's team, the Lakers, will be chasing drought-breaking titles at the tournament.

Former Hockeyroo Anna Flanagan will bolster the Strikers side, but Rio Olympian Edwina Bone has been forced to withdraw after injuring her knee.

Jess Smith is riding a wave of good form into her AHL campaign after winning the McKay Medal two weeks ago as the best player in the Hockey ACT competition.

But less than a week after her moment in the spotlight, Emily, 25, was unveiled as Australia's new skipper.

Emily Smith is the new Hockeyroos captain. Photo: Daniel Carson

"She stole the limelight. I guess it's good competition," Jess laughed.

"It was pretty exciting when she got announced as captain. She's one of the oldies of the group now, so we're all so excited for her.

"People always mention we've got the same playing style which is interesting."

The Strikers finished their preparation with a pre-tournament clash against India on Wednesday night and will play Western Australia, New Zealand, Queensland and the Northern Territory in the pool stages.

The only way the Smith sisters will clash will be if Canberra and NSW are ranked opposite each other in the finals, with the gold medal match to be played on October 8.

Former Australian Kookaburra Glenn Turner will lead the Lakers into action and they will start their AHL bid with a match against NSW.