The first season of the FIH Hockey Pro League was a successful one for the Kookaburras. They won the inaugural competition, beating Belgium 3-2 in an exciting Grand Final, after storming to the top of the league with 10 wins during the season.
This weekend of FIH Pro League action sees that final being replayed as Australia men play host to Belgium men on Saturday 25 and Sunday 26 January at the Olympic Park in Sydney. In the corresponding league matches during the previous season, Belgium won 4-2 in the opening match in Australia, while the Kookaburras exacted revenge when they won 2-0 in Belgium. Tyler Lovell is a long-standing member of the team, having made his international debut in 2013. Here he talks about the forthcoming season and how the squad’s preparations have continued apace, despite the country being hit hard by bush fires.
You have a tough couple of matches against Belgium to open your FIH Pro League campaign, how is the squad feeling ahead of the fixture?
Tyler Lovell: “I think we are feeling good. We have had three weeks back now and we have been building slowly over the past two weeks. I mean, what an opportunity to play the current World [Cup] Champions. If you look across their team, they have a very fast and talented strike line, a dynamic midfield and a pretty rock solid defence, and Vincent Vanasch is probably their best player – in my opinion. So it will be a good challenge for us to see where we are at.
How have the preparations gone for the Pro League and have the devastating fires in Australia had any impact on the team’s preparations?
Tyler Lovell: “The fires haven’t directly affected us here in Perth but they have come really close to a lot of the athletes’ family homes on the East Coast, particularly in the countryside near Sydney and across New South Wales, so we have been very lucky. But it has really hit home.”
What are your thoughts on the changes to the FIH Pro League format this season?
Tyler Lovell: “Yes, we are unsure at this stage as it is new to hockey and means you have to perform every game for the whole season and means you cannot just make the top four and then play finals. It is going to be a good challenge for us to play good hockey game in, game out.
What can the spectators expect from this opening weekend of hockey in Australia?
Tyler Lovell: “I hope they will see a lot of high skilled, fast hockey, exciting hockey, and hopefully a lot of goals scored by the Kookaburras and Hockeyroos.
What are your ambitions for the season?
Tyler Lovell: “I just want to do my part in every game this year. We have a great year leading into Tokyo. It’s going to be a lot of challenges for us and, if we can perform, play our best when it counts that will be fantastic.”
To see the confirmed match schedule for the FIH Hockey Pro League, which includes links to ticket sites for each of the matches, please click here. For information about how to purchase tickets for the FIH Hockey Pro League matches, please click here.
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