Olympic hopeful Kieron Arthur is riding the success of the Tassie Tigers to push his case for a Kookaburras berth by Tokyo 2020.
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The Launceston 26-year-old has set the next Olympic Games as a realistic ambition to represent Australia.
Arthur is already a capped Australian under-21 player and was also included in the Australia A series earlier this year against Malaysia.
“That’s obviously the goal that I’m working towards at the moment,” Arthur said.
“Opportunities like that come with the [Tassie] team doing well, so I feel like I am playing as well as I have.
“I am hopefully putting my hand up to be in consideration for one of those spots.”
Inclusion in the World Cup squad for this November in India is doubtful after being overlooked in the recent international series in Darwin.
But national selectors have cast an eye over Arthur ahead of regeneration of the national squad since Australia’s sixth-placed finish at Rio 2016 equalled its worse performance since the Rome Olympics 56 years earlier.
The ex-Queechy Penguin’s credentials has been given a further boost in the absence of regular Kookaburras Eddie Ockenden and Jeremy Edwards in two of the state’s three Australian Hockey League games this campaign.
“Our focus is that everyone is a key member in this team, especially missing Eddie and those guys this year,” he said.
“We needed the younger guys to put their hands up and they have so far. So I take a bit more of a leadership role in regards to organisation and stuff on the pitch.”
The Tigers have been the standout side along with WA Thundersticks, winning all of their three matches ahead of Thursday’s quarter-finals.
The aspirational striker has goaled twice off corners after leading scorers last year with nine goals in six matches.
“That’s the thing that in the men’s side of the game, we’ve had a consistent showing of Tasmanians in the national sides for as long as I can remember, really,” Arthur said.
“When the state’s performing so well on the pitch, it’s more likely we can get more players in those squads.
“It just comes down to how well you perform at the AHL and you’ll get your opportunities from there.”