WA under-21s men to tackle Malaysia head-on in six-game series

The WA under-21s men extended squad will compete against the Malaysia under-21s men’s team this Saturday, 21 January, in an invaluable opportunity that provides elite-level match play ahead of the Hockey Australia Under-21s National Championships.

The match is the first of a six-game series against Malaysia’s top side in the under-21s age bracket, with the WA under-21s men set to use the experience to prepare to back up their 2021 National Championships gold medal-winning efforts at Perth Hockey Stadium at Curtin University.

An extended squad of 40 athletes has been selected after the first two under-21s trials to compete in the series, with the hit-outs against the Malaysian side acting as a crucial selection tool for the final side set to head to Sydney for the National Championships in March.

The series is a unique occurrence – one that the side will try to use to its advantage.

“It’s a unique opportunity for the cohort to compete against an international outfit – it’s not often a side will be presented an experience like this heading into a National Championships, “ WA under-21s men’s head coach Tim Geers said.

“Personally, it also provides myself and the selectors the chance to see how each athlete performs in such a competitive environment, which is crucial to fine tuning the final side that will travel to Sydney in March.”

Geers says the series will also be used to present opportunities to some of the State’s emerging coaches.

“A big focus of ours moving forward is to invest in the development of our coaches and these games are a perfect opportunity to do so.

“We have a rich pool of talented coaches within our pathway and we’re committed to providing mentoring opportunities that contribute to their growth.”

All fixtures in the six-game series are free to attend for spectators to see our WA under-21s men up close in action ahead of their National Championships journey in March.

WA Under-21s Men v Malaysia Under-21s Men

Perth Hockey Stadium at Curtin University

Saturday 21 January – 6.30pm – PHS-1

Sunday 22 January – 5.30pm – PHS 1

Tuesday 24 January – 6.30pm – PHS-1

Friday 27 January – 5.30pm – PHS-1

Sunday 29 January – 5.30pm – PHS-1

Monday 30 January – 6.30pm – PHS-1