"The sound of the ball hitting the stick is a pretty good feeling," she says with a grin, safe in the knowledge she's had more traction with the pings than the thuds since she started representing New Zealand women from 2004.
The Central Mysticks player, who also plays as wing half, is on the cusp of becoming the most capped Black Sticks women's representative. She has 230 games under her belt but the international leg of the inaugural Festival of Hockey in Hastings early next month may be the perfect platform to eclipse former Wellington rep Suzie Muirhead's 238 caps.
"I could get it here. It'll be pretty special because you don't often get to play internationals at home," she says before the Sticks host five other top nations at the soon-to-be-completed new, tier-one Unison Hockey Stadium at the Hawke's Bay Regionals Sports Park, Hastings, from April 5-13.
The six-nation tourney will feature world No 2 Argentina (International Hockey Federation ranking), No 4 Australia, No 5 New Zealand, No 7 China, No 8 Korea and No 9 Japan.
It is the brainchild of Bruce Mactaggart who got the ball rolling after the international body, FIH, approached Hockey New Zealand to host the world championship when India lost its rights in September 2011.
Plans are to include two more nations for an eight-team tourney next year.
Naylor is hoping social media, such as Twitter and Facebook, will become a platform for players views after the tourney here next month to lure world No 1 The Netherlands and No 3 England.
"We hope it'll give players a great experience and appeal so other nations will want to compete. It's [Hawke's Bay] also an attractive place to come to."
The ideal scenario will be to have the top 10 fighting for eight berths during a time of the year when their male counterparts are crossing sticks the Sultan Azlan Shah Cup in March every year for the past 22 years.
"It's an iconic event and a great opportunity for Hawke's Bay as a tier one facility to host internationals," says Naylor who has been organising the festival from Mactaggart's office in Havelock North.
The 71-game hockey smorgasbord, which offers an eight Bay schoolgirls' teams appetiser from late this month, will become a full-course 65-game international, national, representative and provincial fare in Hastings and Napier during the nine-day tournament in April.
The festival has enticed men and women's teams such as Australian Country, NZ Seniors, NZ Masters (35-plus,) NZ Maori and NZ Indian to compete against Bay rep sides. These teams will play in Hastings as well as the Park Island turfs in Napier.
Born and bred in Palmerston North, Naylor hasn't had the opportunity to play an international there, either.
"I've played a lot in Auckland but in Hawke's Bay the new turf is fantastic," she says, mindful family and friends from Manawatu will be able to travel.
She lives and commutes about 45 minutes to work from Kereru where her partner, Harry Gaddum, is a deer farmer.
"I'm not from a farming background. I've lived in the big smoke of Palmerston North. My mum was from a farm though."
She has been adjusting to the variances of a "wop-wop" lifestyle, digesting what makes a farm tick.
"It's beautiful land ... lots of hills to run on but not much chance to be a deer farmer," says Naylor who squeezes in two days a week with the Woodford House sports academy as a strength/conditioning coach and mentor. Her hectic schedule includes rigorous training.
The country scene has also altered her diet. "I have never eaten so much red meat. But I am loving all the venison, so tender and lean."
For someone who thrives on the competitive nature of sports, Naylor tends to psyche herself with a dose of Michael Jackson or Six Sixty numbers.
"I enjoy the pressure of putting on the face mask for PCs [penalty corners]."
The Mark Hager-coached Black Sticks returned from a tour of the United States last month when they drew two tests against the hosts in San Diego but won one to clinch the series.
They drew 1-1 in the Great Britain series.
Naylor says Hager was generally placid because they fielded predominantly young players and it was the first tour of the year but what is becoming a busy international calendar.
She hastens to add the Bay tourney will double up as a selection opportunity for those keen to make the cut to the World Cup, held every four years, so they will be at full strength.
The Hague will host the cup in late May before players turn their attention to the Glasgow Commonwealth Games, in Scotland, in July.
The Black Sticks women were world No 3 after the London Olympics but Naylor says they don't want to fall below No 6.
