TASMANIA’S proud Olympic hockey pedigree is expected to be extended when Australia names its Kookaburras team for Rio.
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Chef de Mission Kitty Chiller will announce the 16-man hockey team in Perth on Wednesday morning and it is firmly believed that Eddie Ockenden and Tim Deavin will make the cut.
Performances in the victorious Champions Trophy campaign in London, where Deavin captained the team, combined with extensive previous experience presented a compelling case to national selections.
The Tasmanian Tigers teammates were in the Australian team that won a bronze medal at the Olympic Games in London four years ago while Ockenden also won bronze in Beijing in 2008.
Their selection would mean a third consecutive Olympic men’s hockey tournament featuring multiple Tasmanians and extend the state’s involvement to 20 years.
Along with Matthew Wells (2000, 2004 and 2008), Daniel Sproule (1996 and 2000) and David Guest (2008), Tasmanian men have won nine medals in the last five Olympic tournaments.
However, the Rio Games may have come too soon for young defender Josh Beltz whose growing case saw him take his number of international appearances to 15 in the Champions Trophy final against India last week.
If he misses out, the 21-year-old would switch his focus to the junior world cup in Lucknow, before further pushing his case for senior selection when the Kookaburras host a series against India.