Axe Falls As Kooka Cull Starts
Illawarra Mercury
Wednesday May 5, 2004
SYDNEY Olympian Adam Commens and long-serving goalkeeper Mark Hickman have been left out of the Kookaburras squad for their final tour prior to next month's naming of the 16-man Olympic hockey team.
Midfielder Commens, keeper Hickman and defenders Aaron Hopkins and Geoff Boyce were omitted from the 20-man European tour squad named yesterday.
The tour, starting on May 20, includes matches against world champions Germany, Pakistan, Great Britain and Belgium. It is the final chance for players to press their Athens selection claims before the Kookaburras Olympic squad is named on June 22.
Kookaburras coach Barry Dancer said the players left out were still in contention for Athens.
``It demonstrates the growing evenness of the players not selected in the squad," Dancer said.
Dancer has included the injured South Australian striker Craig Victory in the squad. Dancer said selectors wanted to give Victory every chance to prove his fitness prior to the Olympic squad being named.
Squad: Michael Boyce, Michael Brennan, Travis Brooks, Dean Butler, Liam de Young, Jamie Dwyer, Nathan Eglington, Troy Elder, Paul Gaudoin, Rob Hammond, Bevan George, Mark Knowles, Stephen Lambert, Brent Livermore, Michael McCann, Stephen Mowlam, Grant Schubert, Andrew Smith, Craig Victory, Matthew Wells.
© 2004 Illawarra Mercury