Kavanagh Snapped Up in HIL Auction
WAIS athlete Fergus Kavanagh has been selected by Ranchi Rhinos in hockey’s latest and greatest venture, the Hockey India League (HIL).
Fifteen Australian players were selected at the inaugural auction for the newly formed Hockey India League which starts on 16 January 2013.
Led by Kookaburras Co-Captains Jamie Dwyer, Mark Knowles, Fergus Kavanagh and Eddie Ockenden, Australia was the most well represented overseas country with 15 players selected in comparison to the Netherlands and Pakistan with 9 players each.
The Hockey India League is made up of five franchises, with each of the squads comprising 10 overseas and 14 Indian players.
Two Australian coaches will take charge in the HIL with current Kookaburras coach Ric Charlesworth at the helm of the Mumbai Magicians, which selected four Australian players, and Kookaburras 2004 Olympic gold medal winning coach, Barry Dancer the head coach of Jaypee Punjab Warriors, which selected six Australian players.
Delhi Wave Riders
Young Queenslander Matthew Gohdes was the only Australian selected for the Wave Riders which is captained by Indian national team Captain Sardar Singh. Gohdes joins 2012 Olympic gold medalists Oskar Deecke and Nicolas Jacobi from Germany.
Mumbai Magicians
Ric Charlesworth has selected Kookaburras defenders Joel Carroll (NT) and Mark Knowles (QLD) to play alongside striker Glenn Turner (ACT) and midfielder Matthew Butturini (NSW). Teammates for the four Kookaburras include India’s number one goalkeeper PR Sreejesh and India’s number one drag flicker Sandeep Singh.
Jaypee Punjab Warriors
Barry Dancer selected five Kookaburras from the recent gold medal winning Champions Trophy team which defeated the Netherlands in the final in Melbourne. Kookaburras co-Captains Dwyer and Knowles are accompanied by Victorian Chris Ciriello, Wollongong local Kieran Govers, Simon Orchard (NSW) and 2004 Olympic gold medalist Rob Hammond (QLD). Jaap Stockman, arguably the best goalkeeper in the world will be in goals for the Warriors. A mouth-watering clash awaits the Hockey India League when Charlesworth’s Magicians take on Dancer’s Warriors.
Ranchi Rhinos
Kookaburra’s co-Captain Fergus Kavanagh is the lone Australian selected in the Rhinos squad of 24 players. Kavanagh will play alongside 2012 Olympics gold medalist Mortiz Fuerste who secured the second highest price at the auction. England poster boy Ashley Jackson secured the sixth highest price at auction and joins the most multinational squad which includes players from India, Spain, South Africa, Pakistan, Australia, Netherlands, New Zealand, Germany and England.
Uttar Pradesh Wizards
Three Australian’s join the Dutch heavy team which includes the Netherlands most capped player in history Teun De Nooijer and four 2012 Champions Trophy silver medallists Jeroen Hertzberger, Marcel Balkstein, Wouter Jolie and Sander Baart. Kookaburras co-Captain Eddie Ockenden (TAS), goalkeeper George Bazeley (VIC) and retried Kookaburra Luke Doerner (TAS) will play with the highest selling player at the auction De Nooijer and the fifth highest selling player VR Raghunath of India.
Australian Players selected
Matthew Gohdes (Delhi Wave Riders)
Joel Carroll (Mumbai Magicians)
Matthew Swann (Mumbai Magicians)
Glenn Turner (Mumbai Magicians)
Matthew Butturini (Mumbai Magicians)
Chris Ciriello (Jaypee Punjab Warriors)
Mark Knowles (Jaypee Punjab Warriors)
Jamie Dwyer (Jaypee Punjab Warriros)
Kieran Govers (Jaypee Punjab Warriors)
Simon Orchard (Jaypee Punjab Warriors)
Rob Hammond (Jaypee Punjab Warriors)
Fergus Kavanagh (Ranchi Rhinos)
George Bazeley (Uttar Pradesh Wizards)
Luke Doerner (Uttar Pradesh Wizards)
Eddie Ockenden (Uttar Pradesh Wizards)
– Hockey Australia
