NT aiming to play ‘physically competitive’ style at Hockey Australia U18 Championships
The NT will look to implement a new passion-fuelled brand of hockey at the upcoming Hockey Australia U18 Championships. See the full teams.
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NT Under-18 hockey men’s coach Ben Tilbrook said his young side would focus on being “physically competitive” at the Hockey Australia U18 Championships beginning on Saturday.
With a tight-knit team of 18 flying to Tasmania on Thursday morning for the nine-day tournament, Tilbrook’s message to the players was to “hold your ground and protect your territory”.
“Rather than expectations being on our positional finish, it’s more about what does our hockey look like,” Tilbrook said.
“We have really been focusing on a Territory style of play over the last year and a half.
“We have had a great introduction in the academy programs from under 13s, under 15s and under 18s where we are trying to adopt a Territory style of play that will suit us and the population with the numbers that we have to deal with.
“So it is about how well we can implement those game plans against some of the bigger and stronger states.”
Tilbrook said the NT squads would benefit at the Hobart tournament from having an environment back home which allowed players to establish close relationships.
“We have got quite a strong bunch of local players in our team that play here in our Darwin Hockey League so I think the camaraderie is definitely something that is going to help us throughout the tournament,” he said.
“Obviously being joined by a couple of Queensland players as well.
“I have just got a really good feeling about the boys in terms of what sort of attitudes they bring forward and what sort of environment they have already created for other players to come in and join our Territory system.
“We’re in a pretty fortunate situation where unlike the teams at nationals where they have got kids coming from everywhere, for us, we have mainly got our six clubs here playing out of the same ground.
“So everyone has always been tight in that regard, everyone has already been well acquainted with each other.
“They have been friends since before the tournament preparations started.”
NT Hockey Under-18 boys team 2023
Carter Thomas, Commerce-Pints
Ty Modra (captain), Commerce-Pints
Joe Lauritsen, East Darwin
Tobias Jenner, East Darwin
Ashan Fonseka, Nightcliff
Travis Skippings, Nightcliff
Ethan MacDonald, Palmerston Saints
Luke Barnes, Palmerston Saints
Ethan O’Brien, Waratah
Aidan Abel, Waratah
Khaden Mallett (vice-captain), Waratah
Adam Richter, Queensland
Angus Shephard, Queensland
Harley Woodall, Queensland
Jerome Seleh, Queensland
Jesse Bender, Queensland
Riley Wondergem, Queensland
Zac Spillman, Western Australia
NT Hockey Under-18 girls team 2023
Mikayla Borg, Banks
Emma Lodge, Banks
Amy Stripling (co-captain), Banks
Evie Sievers, Banks
Macenzee Dixon (co-captain), Commerce Pints
Niesha Casimiro, Commerce Pints
Zita Varatharajan, Commerce Pints
Shaykoda Carne, East Darwin
Mia Grose, East Darwin
Madeline MacDonald, East Darwin
Holly Beath, Nightcliff
Mackinlee Swart, Nightcliff
Freya Wills, Nightcliff
Tiana Crompton (co-captain), Nightcliff
Phoebe Wiltshire, Waratah
Imogen Burger, Queensland
Talia Parry, Queensland
UNDER-18 MEN’S POOLS
Pool A: Western Australia Gold, Victoria, New South Wales Blues, Tasmania, Queensland Gold, Victoria Development.
Pool B: New South Wales State, Queensland Maroon, Western Australia Black, South Australia, Australian Capital Territory, Northern Territory.
UNDER-18 WOMEN’S POOLS
Pool A: Queensland Gold, Western Australia Gold, New South Wales State, Victoria Development, Australian Capital Territory, Northern Territory.
Pool B: Queensland Maroon, Tasmania, New South Wales Blues, Victoria, Western Australia Black, South Australia.
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Originally published as NT aiming to play ‘physically competitive’ style at Hockey Australia U18 Championships
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