Author: Mitch Wynd
Australia play their final home & away matches in Amstelveen this weekend, as the Pro League Finals draw closer.
There is no better opponent to face leading into the finals than the Netherlands, with plenty of history between the nations across both the men’s and women’s teams.
A near sell-out crowd is expected at the Wagener Hockey Stadium on Saturday for the men and Sunday for the women; the Orange Army are a loud and passionate group.
Head coaches Colin Batch (Kookaburras) and Paul Gaudoin (Hockeyroos) were both looking forward to playing tough teams in front of a big crowd, including Australian fans.
“There is a big contingent of travelling Australians supporting both teams which has been fantastic and we are again looking forward to their support.
“We are really looking forward to our final round matches of the FIH Pro League and playing a quality opposition in the Dutch. We will need to be disciplined and stick to our game plan so we can put in a consistent performance across the four quarters,” Batch and Gaudoin said.
The Kookaburras are coming off an impressive 2-0 victory over Belgium in Antwerp, which finished in torrential rain on Wednesday.
The win also means that the Kookaburras will be the first minor premiers in the FIH Pro League men’s competition, currently four points ahead of second place going into the last matchday.
With form building at the right time for the men, it is important to maintain the momentum against a team that has beaten them in the last two meetings (both shootouts).
The Hockeyroos are also in for a major challenge against the high-flying Netherlands, who have won their last thirteen consecutive matches. The only match where they dropped points at all was a 1-0 defeat to Australia in Melbourne back in February.
Defeated 1-0 by Belgium on Wednesday, the Hockeyroos will be keen to get back to their winning ways and claim an impressive double over the already-crowned minor premiers.
With 30 points in total and one match remaining, the Hockeyroos will finish the home & away season in third place.
Both matches will be streamed live on Kayo Sports, with the Kookaburras on Saturday (11pm AEST) and the Hockeyroos on Sunday (11pm AEST).
The matches will also be shown on delay on FOX SPORTS 503 from Sunday 11am AEST (Kookaburras), and Monday 12pm AEST (Hockeyroos).
There will be live updates on the@Kookaburras and@Hockeyroos Twitter pages throughout the games.
FIH Pro League – Wagener Hockey Stadium, Amstelveen
Netherlands v Kookaburras – Saturday 11pm AEST
Netherlands v Hockeyroos – Sunday 11pm AEST
Hockeyroos 19-member squad:
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)
Jodie Kenny (Wamuran, QLD)
Rachael Lynch (Warrandyte, VIC)
Ambrosia Malone (Burleigh, QLD)
Georgina Morgan (Armidale, NSW)
Kaitlin Nobbs (Newington, NSW)
Brooke Peris (Darwin, NT)
Grace Stewart (Gerringong, NSW)
Renee Taylor (Everton Park, QLD)
Sophie Taylor (Melbourne, VIC)
Mariah Williams (Parkes, NSW)
Kookaburras 21-member squad:
Athlete (Hometown, State)
Jacob Anderson (Mackay, QLD)
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)
Jack Hayes (Wollongong, NSW)
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)
Josh Simmonds (Melbourne, VIC)
Matthew Swann (Mackay, QLD)
Corey Weyer (Biggera Waters, QLD)
Jacob Whetton (Brisbane, QLD)
Aran Zalewski (Margaret River, WA)