Hockey selectors wield the axe

Press, Volume CXIV, Issue 33609, 10 August 1974, Page 4

Hockey selectors wield the axe

(By

K. R. TUTTY)

Sweeping changes have been made by the Australian hockey selectors in naming the team for the World Cup tournament at Kuala Lumpur early next year.

The Australian captain at the international tournament in Christchurch in February-, T. McAskell. and a former captain, B. Glencross, have been discarded. McAskell has played for his country since 1967, and Glencross since 1964, including three Olympic Games tournaments. Four other plavers in the side which finished second at Christchurch have also been eliminated. They are G- Reid, a goal-keeper. P. Richards and B. Rourke, both forwards, and J. Mason, a full-back. Rourke was an energetic and penetrative forward at the international tournament, and the experience of McAskell. Glencross and Mason were inavaluable. But the selectors (Messrs L. Hailey, J. McCormack and E. Eastman) announced the side after the Australian championships in May. Performances there were important in the selection of the team.

The new captain, is R. Haigh. who was vice-captain at Christchurch, and has been playing for Australia since 1966. The vice-captain for Kuala Lumpur is R. Charlesworth, aged 22. He has had two years in the Australian team, and has represente .1 Western Australia at both cricket and hockey. An Australian cricket magazine last season said Charlesworth had prospects of making the national side as an opening batsman, but hockey duties were taking preference. Western Australia which for many years dominated the Australian championships, had its first outright win this year since 1970, and again has a large representation — five — tn the Australian team. Three new players. D. Bell. T. Walsh and G. Walter, are all from Western Australia. The other new recruits are D. Golder (Victoria) and W. Greene (Queensland). The team is: Haigh, S. Marshall. T. Smith (South Australia); Charlesworth, Bell, M. Poole, Walsh, 1 Walter (Western Australia); 1. Cooke, B. Procter (New South Wales): G. Browning, B. Dancer, W. Hammond, Greene (Queensland); Golder, J. Irvine (Victoria), i Coach: Mr M. Adams.