Author: Mitch Wynd
Australia’s European leg of the FIH Pro League kicks off on Sunday (11pm AEST) when both the Kookaburras and Hockeyroos face Great Britain in London.
The push for finals is well and truly on for both teams, with each currently occupying a top-four spot on the standings.
The Hockeyroos’ 3-2 victory over China on Sunday saw them hold third place in the women’s standings, with 24 points from 12 matches and a points percentage of 66.67.
Meanwhile, results from other matches see the Kookaburras currently on top of the men’s standings with 22 points from 9 matches and a points percentage of 81.48.
Belgium’s men and women are both directly below Australia, ready to make the most of any opportunity if either Australian team falters.
In the last meeting between Australia and Great Britain earlier in the FIH Pro League, both the Kookaburras (2-0) and Hockeyroos (3-0) recorded victories in Perth.
Hockeyroos coach Paul Gaudoin said: “We are looking forward to playing Great Britain, we respect what they can do.
“Whilst we got 3 points in China, our performance was below expectation and we are keen to perform better in London. There are some technical and tactical shifts we will make coming into this match."
In the Kookaburras camp, Jacob Whetton has been replaced in the travelling team by Corey Weyer after an injury at training last week.
With no Pro League matches since the 2-1 away victory over Argentina on May 4, the Kookaburras have had a solid training block in Perth, and will need to shift into international competition mode quickly.
Kookaburras coach Colin Batch said: “We’ve travelled well, we’re really looking forward to the match against Great Britain.
“They’ve had some good performances over the last couple of days…we’ll have a good look at them.”
Great Britain’s men and women are both coming off recent matches against Belgium and the Netherlands, meaning they will be match ready come Sunday.
“They’ll have some games under their belt which is an advantage, we’re playing our first game for a couple of weeks” remarked Batch.
There will be a sell-out home crowd to contend with at the Lee Valley Hockey & Tennis Centre, the same venue the Hockeyroos played at in the 2018 Women’s World Cup.
Both matches will be televised live on Kayo Sports and FOX SPORTS. The Kookaburras’ match will be live on FOX SPORTS 503 from 11pm (AEST) Sunday, while the Hockeyroos’ match will be live on FOX SPORTS 507 from 1am (AEST) Monday.
Follow both @Kookaburras and @Hockeyroos for live match updates.
Sunday 9 June – Lee Valley Hockey & Tennis Centre, London
Great Britain v Kookaburras – 11pm AEST
Great Britain v Hockeyroos – 1am AEST (Monday)
Kookaburras 18-member team:
Athlete (Hometown, State)
Daniel Beale (Brisbane, QLD)
Tim Brand (Chatswood, NSW)
Andrew Charter (Canberra, ACT)
Tom Craig (Lane Cove, NSW)
Matthew Dawson (Killarney Vale, NSW)
Blake Govers (Wollongong, NSW)
Jake Harvie (Dardanup, WA)
Jeremy Hayward (Darwin, NT)
Tim Howard (Wakerley, QLD)
Tyler Lovell (Perth, WA)
Trent Mitton (Perth, WA)
Eddie Ockenden (Hobart, TAS)
Flynn Ogilvie (Wollongong, NSW)
Lachlan Sharp (Lithgow, NSW)
Matthew Swann (Mackay, QLD)
Corey Weyer (Biggera Waters, QLD)
Dylan Wotherspoon (Murwillumbah, NSW) *Plays for QLD
Aran Zalewski (Margaret River, WA)
Hockeyroos 19-member team:
Athlete (Hometown, State)
Jocelyn Bartram (Albury, NSW)
Edwina Bone (Orange, NSW) *Plays for ACT
Lily Brazel (Sydney, NSW) *Plays for VIC
Emily Chalker (Crookwell, NSW)
Jane Claxton (Adelaide, SA)
Kalindi Commerford (Ulladulla, NSW) *Plays for ACT
Madison Fitzpatrick (Cabarita Beach, NSW) *Plays for QLD
Savannah Fitzpatrick (Cabarita Beach, NSW) *Plays for QLD
Rebecca Greiner (Bundaberg, QLD)
Rachael Lynch (Warrandyte, VIC)
Ambrosia Malone (Burleigh, QLD)
Georgina Morgan (Armidale, NSW)
Kaitlin Nobbs (Newington, NSW)
Brooke Peris (Darwin, NT)
Penny Squibb (Tambellup, WA)
Grace Stewart (Gerringong, NSW)
Renee Taylor (Everton Park, QLD)
Sophie Taylor (Melbourne, VIC)
Mariah Williams (Parkes, NSW)