Deepening crisis for hockey

Press, 22 October 1986, Page 48

Deepening crisis for hockey

By

KEVIN TUTTY

There was a time, between 1922 and 1937, when international hockey was in its infancy in this country, that the national side won every match it played against Australia. When international contact started again after the Second World War the Australians set about righting the imbalance in results to the point where they have now won 29 of the 53 encounters between the two countries. From 1948 Australia has enjoyed remarkable success at New Zealand’s expense. The only consolation ,in a steady run of defeats was New Zealand’s win, much to the chagrin of the Australians, in the 1976 Olympic Games final in Montreal, when New Zealand won 1-0. Since that success New Zealand has tried with increasing futility and frustration to recapture the form and results of 1976. Australia, by contrast, has gone from strength to strength since 1976, and after a series of disappointments at major tournaments in the ensuing 10 years, finally won the title it deserved when it beat England 2-1 to win the World Cup final on Sunday. In the last five years they have been easily the most consistent team in world hockey, and are now the most entertaining, following the demise of Pakistan. Government backing has been helpful but none of the success would have been achieved wihout an astute and respected coach, Richard Aggiss, and a selection policy which has nutured and encouraged players. By contrast hundreds of thousands of dollars have been spent in the quest to boost New Zealand’s international ranking, and while there have been a few isolated results of significance, generally results have been dismal. Rather than encourage players, the New Zealand selectors have left a trail of bewildered players who have been picked for New Zealand, and dropped without explanation. Their actions have made the national selectors the most feared men in New Zealand hockey. So many players have been selected and discarded after a short spell in the national side that one can only conclude wrong selections were made in the first instance. New Zealand’s ninth place in the latest World Cup was another unsatisfactory result for a nation which has the capability to perform to a much higher ranking in world hockey. The responsibility for the lack of acceptable results falls squarely on the

shoulders of the selection panel, and ultimately the coach. Trevor Blake, the coach, aimed some harsh comments at the two New Zealand goal-keepers, John Melhuish and lan Woodley, during the World Cup. But it was Mr Blake, the convener of the three man selection panel, who helped put the players there. Woodley’s only previous experience was in the international series against Australia and Argentina in Wellington in August. Melhuish played well for New Zealand in Europe a year ago but did not return to New Zealand until mid-June this year. He had played little hockey, but in spite of that he was tossed into the New Zealand team. The selectors were peeved when the Wellington coach, Doug McLean, did not include Melhuish in the Wellington A side for the national tournament > in September. But he had chosen his two goal-keepers for the season by the time Melhuish returned, and not surprisingly decided to stand by them. Melhuish played for Wellington B in the second section of the national tournament, and the signs were evident then that he was below form. Melhuish had failed to regain his form by the time New Zealand played Pakistan in London and he carried the can for the team conceding three goals in four minutes. The goal-keepers were not the only members of the defence to falter it seems. Too often the defence was apparently in disarray, which suggests a lack of defensive organisation, again the preserve of the coach. The New Zealand Hockey Association faces some tough decisions in the next few weeks. One must be whether to seek a new coach, and another is how it will finance New Zealand’s international programme over the next four years. It is a Catch 22 situation. The funding is a problem, with the association’s tours account already in deficit, but sponsorship and Sports Foundation grants will only begin to flow when the team produces worthy international results. The N.Z.H.A. is a kindly bunch of gentlemen, but if Mr Blake is a realist he must have wondered in the last week whether he is about to suffer a similar fate to Julius Caesar. His concern should be heightened when he hears that Wayne Boyd, who was the coach of the team that finished a commendable fourth at the women’s World Cup in Amsterdam in August, was outsted at the week-end.