WA Hockey Players Announced in Mens Olympic Squad

WAIS scholarship holders Kiel Brown, Fergus Kavanagh, Tyler Lovell, Trent Mitton and Aran Zalewski have been named in the Kookaburras squad as they prepare for team selections leading into Rio 2016.

The 27-man squad will train together in the lead up to Rio before 16 names are submitted to the Australia Olympic Committee in July.

Selections come after Hockey Australia reviewed athletes past performance in competitions including the Australian Hockey League and Hockey World League in June.

Selectors outlined the extensive process undertaken which included the collation of large amounts of information where every player was assessed beyond previous high level performance, in terms of the team dynamics.

Over half the squad are vying for a spot in their first Olympic Games including Lovell, Mitton and Zalewski.

On the other end of the spectrum Olympic veteran Fergus Kavanagh has the opportunity to represent Australia in his third consecutive Olympics.

After playing in the 2008 Games alongside Kavanagh, and being an accredited reserve in 2012, Kiel Brown will have his chance to reclaim a position in Rio De Janeiro.

In addition to the Olympic squad Hockey Australia named an 11-man 2016 National Development Squad which included WA athletes Tristan Clemons, Chris Bausor and Tom Wickham.

From this Clemons has been awarded a full time Hockey Australia scholarship allowing him to train with the Australian Olympic squad.

The athletes will return to training for a camp in the first week of January following a Christmas break before 20 players head to India to play in the Hockey India League for a month.