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Sports Enthusiast. Head of Health & PE @ Como Secondary College, Hockey Coach! Perth, Liverpool, Freo, Boston, Claremont, UWA!
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When West Coast traded away their 2019 and 2020 first-round draft picks to secure Tim Kelly from Geelong, they potentially traded their future for…
The decision by the AFL to develop a bushfire relief response should be applauded. Australia has suffered through some of the most devastating bushfires…
The Kookaburras missed a medal and the semi-final round at the Rio de Janeiro Olympics, the first time they have missed the medal round…
The Waterloo Ducks Hockey Club (WatDucks) completed a remarkable victory on Monday, defeating German powerhouse Rot-Weiss Koln 4-0 in the Euro Hockey League (EHL)…
Seven editions of the Big Bash League have achieved a major thing for Cricket in Australia, other than filling the coffers. It has brought…
The scene is in Brussels, less than 24 hours after Belgium’s Red Lions, the men’s field hockey team had secured the country’s first ever…
When the dust settled on the 2018 Hockey WA Men’s Premier League season Ian Smyth’s sense of satisfaction may have been more justified than…
The coming AFL free agency and trade period may yet deliver the Fremantle Football Club the key forward it has yearned for since Matthew…
Friday's announcement of a new 40-year to keep the Australian Football League grand final at the Melbourne Cricket Ground is a slap in the…
The Suburban (Subs) Lions Hockey Club have a good chance to do the unthinkable and win the Hockey WA (HWA) Women's Premier League in…
Wesley South Perth (WASPS) Hockey Club is tipped to turn the tables on their 2017 grand final defeat according to the Hockey WA (HWA)…
While Sunday's JLT Community series opener between the Crows and the Dockers was headlined by Fremantle skipper Nat Fyfe's excellent form, the return of…
Scott Tupper of Schaerweijde Hockey Club, on the outskirts of Utrecht in the Netherlands, scored a goal from a penalty corner after the full-time…
Victoria has claimed both the men's and women's Australian Hockey League titles in penalty shootouts after a dramatic final day at the Perth Hockey…
https://www.hockey.org.au/news/kookaburras-team-named-for-tokyo-olympics/
How the Kookaburras squad is shaping up for Tokyo 2020
So obviously COVID-19 impacted the Olympics, it also meant that some of the Kookas had some extra time to develop/prove their case/fitness.
So in late May I revisited my initial team, just prior to the Announcement of the Olympic team, and from my initial team there were some interesting movements. By far the biggest improver in my eyes was TJ (Tom) Wickham. Nearing his 31st birthday (2021), TJ used 2020 to really push his case, worked his butt off and became super consistent in both the Hockey WA Premier League (for Runners-Up UWA) and for the Kookaburras on both the training track and any internal games. 😁
Matt Swann’s decision to withdraw in late May, opened up a spot in the defensive group, which I found hard to fill, with my choice to put an extra midfield/striker into the final team. 😢
By far the hardest choice was GK, with Charter & Lovell both more than worthy of an opportunity, but as has been the case since 2008, teams have prepared with one GK, with two to three field players learning how to “keep” in an emergency (Luke Doerner, Kiel Brown are some who have done it), with teams naming one GK as one of two emergency (injury) replacement players that can be brought into the team at the Olympics. 😔
My Final 16 (dated Monday 1st June)
Strikers (4): Blake Govers, Tim Brand, Trent Mitton, Tom Wickham
Midfielders (6): Aran Zalewski (C), Jacob Whetton, Flynn Ogilvie, Daniel Beale, Tom Craig, Lachie Sharp
Defenders (5): Eddie Ockenden (C), Jeremy Hayward, Matt Dawson, Tim Howard, Jake Harvie
GK (1): Andrew Charter
Upon announcement of the final team, I was surprised that both TJ Wickham and Jake Harvie were overlooked. The team balance looks like three strikers, six midfielders and six defenders and obviously the one goalkeeper, with Josh Simmonds getting the nod as replacement for Matthew Swann, and Dylan Martin (only 4 caps) earning the final spot in the defensive group. With players like Tom Craig and Lachie Sharp able to play as strikers and Eddie Ockenden able to move into the midfield group (Ed can play anywhere except maybe GK) it looks like the final selection has been around flexibility…..let’s hope it proves successful. 👍
How the Kookaburras squad is shaping up for Tokyo 2020
How the Kookaburras squad is shaping up for Tokyo 2020
I think Belgium are the best team in the world right now. Australia still have that flair/x-factor through players like Brand, Craig, Ogilvie & Sharp and that will count for something somewhere, but you just can’t go past the likes of van Doren, Dohmen, Briels, Denayer, Gougnard, Vanasch etc…. that is some team, much like our team in 2012…..
I don’t think the Kookaburras team for Rio was well balanced. Originally left Aran Zalewski out, only an injury to Tristan White brought Aran in. Jeremy Hayward, Kieran Govers and Trent Mitton left out as well, I would’ve thought all three would’ve made that team in front of Chris Ciriello and Matt Dawson. I know Dawson & Ciriello (sometimes Def Mid) are defenders, but we had plenty of defenders. Also Mark Knowles injury…..
Our penalty corners let us down horribly (the match against Belgium we had 9 and did not score one). Even the lead-up tournament, Ciriello didn’t score a single PC goal at the Champions Trophy, while B.Govers scored two and Mitton scored one. Mitton as the fourth choice flick option after Ciriello, B.Govers, Dawson, but then missed the team, meanwhile Ciriello & Dawson in….
Warning signs were on the wall in the warm-up game against Argentina!
How the Kookaburras squad is shaping up for Tokyo 2020
Unfortunately, we will have to disagree here. Clearly, the AFL should put in some protocols that must be met by the Bidding team (food & beverage standards, amenities, number of corporate suites etc..).
The MCG does not provide the opportunity for more fans to attend (https://www.theage.com.au/sport/afl/32-000-buckets-of-hot-chips-and-21-000-pies-afl-grand-final-by-the-numbers-20190928-p52vqx.html).
40% of people who attend any Grand Final hold AFL or MCC memberships, roughly 40,000 of the 100,000 attendees. Only 34,000 seats are reserved for Fans of the participating clubs. The other 26,000 tickets are to corporate guests or Club packages.
If the AFL Grand Final was held at Perth Stadium, AFL or MCC Members, would not actually get access to seats. This would mean that excluding the Corporate areas, approximately 50,000 seats would be available to fans, Meaning MORE fans of the participating clubs would be able to attend.
The AFL bushfire relief game is not State of Origin
Love it. I’m not a Racing fan, don’t get me wrong I love it and I live some of the stories, but I’m not engrossed in it.
Hard to go past the top 3, So You Think & Northerly round out my top 5!
Favourites just for who they are: Happy Trails & Black Heart Bart
I know that the Melbourne Cup is the “Race that stops a Nation”, but it seems to me in the last 5 or so years it has lost its appeal to racing fans….
My favourite race is the Cox Plate!
The 20 greatest Australian racehorses of the past 20 years
Picks 7 & 8 will get the best talent.
Bell will use the leftover points to match the bid on Henry wherever it comes (means our first Round Pick next year will slide).
But I’d be putting one of our 2 Second Round Selections (our own or Melbournes) 2020 up for Trade after the Henry bid to get a second round this year and that secures Sharp!
Trade period and draft analysis: Fremantle Dockers
WCE had one first round pick in 2017 Draft, none in 2018, & have now traded away 2019 & 2020. They will have to trade for a 1st Round pick in 2020 draft or they’re in breach of AFL rules?
Clubs must make at least two first round selections in each four year period.
Correct me if I’m wrong @AFL, @WestCoastEagles had one first round pick in 2017 Draft, none in 2018, @ have now traded away 2019 & 2020. They will have to trade for a 1st Round pick in 2020 draft or they’re in breach of AFL rules? @TheWestSport #AFLTrades pic.twitter.com/ouCL5jUhxB
— SaturdayNightClive (@saturday_clive) October 13, 2019
AFL Trades 2019 report card: Every club graded
Well written Josh, spectacularly in depth!
I hope the improvement in youth continues as we’ve seen in the likes of A.Pearce, Ryan, Langdon, Tucker, Blakely, that’s what may make significant difference!
Peter Bell's hardball trades can make Fremantle a flag contender
I love Cricket, and one of the positives from T20 is that players, both batsman and bowlers have had to “reinvent” (find creativity) themselves.
The downside, which is evident in our test team is that one of the most important skills, mental toughness (along with concentration) has gone by the wayside!
I would love for the tribalism and parochialism of the BBL to come back to Shield and one day cricket!
Tribalism alive and well in the BBL
https://www.bigbash.com.au/news/bbl-player-availability-stanlake-turner-marsh-zampa-strikers-scorchers/2019-01-11
Peter Siddle named for first ODI in eight years as Finch reveals Australian XI
It’s true. The Scorchers have relied on some pretty handy top order batsmen (Gibbs, SMarsh, North, Katich, Klinger).
No problem with Klinger playing the anchor role. Great to see Bancroft make some runs. The batsmen and the order isn’t shabby.
Turner struggled early in the season, and Cartwright recently (is that two golden ducks in a row??).
Bosisto, not quite there.
In the early editions of the BBL the Scorchers would normally have an import batsman (Gibbs, Collingwood, Carberry). It must be on the cards with Usman Qadir barely getting a game and the batting not up to scratch.
But if this lineup can find form……
1 – Klinger (S. Marsh)
2 – Bancroft (WK) (Whiteman and/or Inglis)
3 – Cartwright
4 – Turner (Bosisto)
5 – Agar
6 – Willey (M. Marsh)
7 – Coulter-Nile
8 – Richardson
9 – Tye
10 – Behrendorff (Paris)
11 – Qadir
The gap between bat and ball is finally showing for the Perth Scorchers
Thanks so much. As an outsider looking in, it has been great to watch the rise of Belgian Hockey.
I had the privilege to be involved with the Aussie Schoolboys (U17) teams in 2012, 2015 & 2017, and on each trip we had games against the Belgian U18 or U16 teams. They were all tough!
Please share!
https://www.facebook.com/fihockey/videos/221598568731122/
The long path to Belgium's ultimate hockey glory
Thanks. Yes, seems an autocorrect error there with Joel Rintala!
Agreed that Hockey in Australia is dominated by what I dub the “Big 4” (NSW, QLD, VIC, WA). So it is was good to see Tasmania win a few years back!
Whether Queensland is “the” dominant hockey state is debatable.
The Queensland Scorchers are 6 from 17 in Finals in the last 21 years, but 3 of those wins have been in the last 5 years, so maybe they have shaken a bit of a hoodoo off, I know in the 11 years between 2000-2010 they played in 10 finals for only 1 win!
That hoodoo was almost as bad as the Victorian Vipers on the men’s side who made 17 consecutive semi-finals between 1999-2015 before finally winning one in 2016.
Cheers
Hockey: Victoria on top down under
I think the impact of COVID-19 will affect the Non-European nations more. The European teams have been back playing each other in Pro-League matches for almost a year and have had the benefit of the recent European Championships.
Unfortunately for us (Australia) 4 matches against New Zealand are the only international preparation we’ve had in more than a year……. 😢
How the Kookaburras squad is shaping up for Tokyo 2020