Kavanagh, Lovell and Zalewski Earn World Cup Call-ups
Western Australian Institute of Sport hockey athletes Fergus Kavanagh, Tyler Lovell and Aran Zalewski have earned call-ups into the Kookaburras’ World Cup squad as the Australians seek to defend their world title.
Kavanagh was a member of the Australian team that defeated Germany to win the prestigious trophy in 2010 and will be joined by debutants Lovell and Zalewski in the 18 member squad for the tournament to be held in the Hague, the Netherlands from May 31 – June 15.
Announcing the squad, Charlesworth said of the selection process: “It’s as hard as it’s ever been for me. 28 [fit athletes] doesn’t go into 18. It’s been a difficult process and there are two or three very unlucky people; some we just couldn’t find a place for.”
Of the 2010 gold medal winning side, Liam De Young, Jamie Dwyer, Kieran Govers, Rob Hammond, Fergus Kavanagh, Mark Knowles, Eddie Ockenden, Simon Orchard, Matthew Swann and Glenn Turner will all make the trip to The Hague. For Queenslanders Dwyer and De Young it will be a fourth World Cup having both also played in the Kookaburras’ 2002 and 2006 silver medal winning campaigns. Mark Knowles, Rob Hammond and Russell Ford were also part of the 2006 squad.
For 21 year old Northern Territorian Jeremy Hayward selection marks another milestone in an exciting few months. Having played for the Australian Under 21 side, the Burras, at the Junior World Cup in December 2013, he made his senior international debut just last month in the Kookaburras’ successful Sultan Azlan Shah Cup campaign, scoring three goals.
Charlesworth added: “Jeremy Hayward and Aran Zalewski have earned their spots through what they’ve done in the past few months. Jake Whetton and Glenn Simpson are two others who will go to a tournament of this magnitude for the first time.
“There’s a few senior heads there who have stood up to the load. We’ve got Liam De Young playing in the midfield but we know he gives us flexibility in defence too. And our forward line are all good goal scorers.
“A number of our players – both in the World Cup squad and amongst those that haven’t been selected – have been injured but we believe they are on the right trajectory; the next month is critical for them to consolidate that recovery.”
Having come through last week’s Test series against New Zealand unscathed, Matthew Swann and Fergus Kavanagh are named following lengthy layoffs through injury.
Goalkeepers Andrew Charter and Tyler Lovell receive the call up. Victorians Chris Ciriello and Glenn Simpson are included with 2012 Olympian Ciriello having missed the World League Finals through injury and Simpson set to play in the biggest tournament of his career having missed out on selection for the 2012 Olympic Games and the World League Finals in January.
Speaking about his ambitions for the tournament, Charlesworth said: “As with every tournament we enter we want to play in the main games at the end. To do that you need to hit the ground running and perform consistently through the tournament. We’ll have a few two and three-day breaks in this competition, which will be a new challenge for us but one I believe we’re capable of managing.”
The Kookaburras have won the World Cup on two previous occasions; in 1986 and 2010. Only Pakistan (1978 and 1982) and Germany (2002 and 2006) have successfully defended a men’s World Cup title.
Both the Kookaburras’ campaign, and the Hockeyroos’ World Cup being held at the same time in The Hague, will be broadcast in Australia by the ABC.
Before departing for the World Cup, the Kookaburras will select two reserves to travel to Europe as contingency cover. The Kookaburras’ final World Cup preparations will take place in England and the Netherlands with two matches against World League bronze medallists England at Bisham Abbey on 24 and 25 May. After arriving in the Hague, the team will face Argentina and Germany in two unofficial, shortened practice games before opening the World Cup against Malaysia at 4:30pm AWST on Saturday 31 May.
-HockeyAustralia
