FOUR Tasmanian hockey players have been named in the initial Kookaburras squad for the Champions Trophy tournament in India in December and two others have received invites to a national training camp.
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Eddie Ockenden, Tim Deavin, Nick Budgeon and Jeremy Edwards are part of new coach Graham Reid's first squad since taking over at the helm of the Australian men’s hockey team last month.
Fellow Tassie Tigers teammates Josh Beltz and Kurt Mackey are among nine players invited to attend the national camp next month.
Reid, and senior assistant coaches Barry Dancer and Paul Gaudoin have named a 27-man Kookaburras squad, following the Australian Hockey League tournament.
The group will also face Commonwealth Games silver medallists India in four matches in Perth at the start of November with the final 18-man Champions Trophy squad to be announced after that series.
With a firm focus towards the Rio 2016 Olympic Games and the desire to expose a greater number of athletes to the rigors of top level international competition, the group contains a number of new and returning faces.
Five of those named – Northern Territory goalkeeper Leon Hayward, New South Wales triumvirate Matthew Dawson, Tom Craig and Flynn Ogilvie, and Queenlander Dylan Wotherspoon – have never previously been capped by the Kookaburras.
Three others – Western Australian Craig Boyne, New South Welshman Matthew Willis and Tasmanian Jeremy Edwards – have a handful of caps between them after making their senior international debuts in early 2013. Edwards and Boyne were part of their states’ respective teams that contested the final of the AHL on Saturday.
``This next period provides us with a unique opportunity to expose some younger players in a national camp environment and a total of five matches against India, including one for Australia ‘A’,'' Reid said.
``We will use this competition to refine selection and choose a team for the Champions Trophy that will have a good mix of youth and experience."
A number of athletes were not considered for selection due to their injury status including captain Mark Knowles who is undergoing rehabilitation for a foot injury, Joel Carroll, Matthew Butturini and Kieran Govers.
Jamie Dwyer sustained a ligament injury in his foot at the end of the club season, ruling him out of Queensland’s AHL campaign and Australian selection.
ACT’s Glenn Turner, Queenslander Jason Wilson and Victorian Andrew Philpott are unavailable due to personal commitments.
The nine athletes invited to take part in a national training camp are: Kiran Arunsalam (VIC), Chris Bausor (WA), Robert Bell (QLD), Josh Beltz (TAS), Tim Cross (VIC), Tristan Clemons (WA), Blake Govers (NSW), Nathan McGuire (WA) and Kurt Mackey (TAS).
Australian men’s squad – Champions Trophy preparation
Daniel Beale (Brisbane, QLD)
Craig Boyne (Perth, WA)
Kiel Brown (Toowoomba, QLD)
Nick Budgeon (Hobart, TAS)
Andrew Charter (GK) (Canberra, ACT)
Chris Ciriello (Melbourne, VIC)
Tom Craig (Sydney, NSW)
Matthew Dawson (Central Coast, NSW)
Tim Deavin (Launceston, TAS)
Jeremy Edwards (Hobart, TAS)
Russell Ford (Melbourne, VIC)
Matt Gohdes (Rockhampton, QLD)
Jeremy Hayward (Darwin, NT)
Leon Hayward (GK) (Darwin, NT)
Fergus Kavanagh (Geraldton, WA)
Tyler Lovell (GK) (Perth, WA)
Trent Mitton (Perth, WA)
Eddie Ockenden (Hobart, TAS)
Flynn Ogilvie (Woonona, NSW)
Simon Orchard (Maitland, NSW)
Glenn Simpson (Melbourne, VIC)
Matthew Swann (Mackay, QLD)
Jake Whetton (Brisbane, QLD)
Tristan White (Wollongong, NSW)
Matthew Willis (Tamworth, NSW)
Dylan Wotherspoon (Mulwillumbah, QLD)
Aran Zalewski (Margaret River, WA)