Parkes’ Pioneer Oval will host the squad over the weekend, with the players running coaching clinics for the Parkes junior teams in the lead up to the 2011 New South Wales Junior State Cup as well as training as a squad on the Saturday, while they will also train again on Sunday.
While it’s a great opportunity for the team to get together to train, Australian Men’s Open coach, Tony Trad, is hoping the players benefit from it in other ways as well.
“It is really important for the Australian players to get out to some of the country affiliates and the grass roots of Touch. We like going to Parkes and we’ve been to Rockhampton, we’ve been to Townsville, we’ve been to Tasmania. I think it’s really good to get out there and work with the young players. We’ll be running some coaching clinics for the country kids and I think that’s really important and in turn, that gives our young players in the Australian team a sense of ‘wow they have achieved something’ as they are looked up to by these country kids and they get a little bit of celebrity status which is good,” Trad said.
With just months to go until the World Cup in Scotland, the camp gives Trad and his assistant coaches the chance to look at the squad and gives them a better understanding of who they will pick in their team for the event in June.
“I’ve got 19 players at the moment and am slowly dwindling the numbers down. I hope to go into the Elite Eight tournament with a maximum of 18, perhaps a bit less if that happens. This is one of the last opportunities to impress before I make another cut before the Elite Eight. We are looking to take 16 to the World Cup, so there are not many positions left and provides a lot of challenges in a lot of ways so this is their last opportunity now to really show me why they should be on the plane to Scotland.”
“It’s important to help me finalise all of the questions in my mind about a number of players in different positions. When you get down to this level, most of the players, you’re not talking about a big difference, you’re talking about hairs between players and it gives me an opportunity to go through those players with a fine tooth comb and hopefully make the right decisions,” Trad said.
The players will be assisting the local Parkes teams from 10.00am through to 3.00pm on the Saturday, before they train until 6.00pm. Sunday will see the squad train from 9.00am until lunchtime, leaving Parkes on Sunday afternoon.
“We really enjoy the town and its hospitality, it’s a lot of fun,” he said.
