Kookaburras Set To Go Full Tilt At Champions Trophy
Illawarra Mercury
Tuesday October 2, 2007
THEY may have qualified for the Beijing Games but there will be no let-up for the Kookaburras in the countdown to their Olympic title defence.
Coach Barry Dancer says he will bring a full-strength Australian men's hockey team to the 2007 Champions Trophy tournament that has been officially relocated from Pakistan to Malaysia. After Australia downed New Zealand 3-1 in the Oceania Olympic qualifying tournament final on Queensland's Sunshine Coast last month, key Kookaburras were expected to receive a well-earned break to freshen up before Beijing. The weary Kookaburras players looked like they may have got their wish when Australia refused to play in the Champions Trophy at Lahore along with South Korea due to security concerns. But the event was relocated to Kuala Lumpur and will be held from November 29 to December 9. Instead of using the tournament to tinker with his line-up or blood fringe players before Beijing, Dancer yesterday said he would throw everything he had at the Champions Trophy. "The Champions Trophy will tell us where we are against the top nations," the coach said.
© 2007 Illawarra Mercury