Hockey: Veteran still yearns for elusive victory

By Terry Meddaford

John Radovonich was a wide-eyed 19-year-old on his first tour when the New Zealand men's hockey team beat Australia 2-0 in Melbourne early in 1985.

Now a 100-test veteran, Radovonich, who played alongside current national coach Robin Wilson in that rare victory, still looks for his second win over the world's fourth-ranked side.

In 22 games against Australia since that triumph in Melbourne, New Zealand (without Radovonich) have won only once - 1-0 in a tournament in Argentina in 1987 - and had a 1-all draw in 1991.

To say the odds of winning a three-test series and book the short route to next year's Olympics is a mission impossible is, surely, an understatement.

In Brisbane for the Oceania qualifying series, Wilson acknowledges victory over the highly-rated Australians is a long shot but one he is determined to meet head-on.

Already assured of their place in Sydney 2000 as hosts, the Australians could be excused for back-pedalling against their transtasman rivals but that is not the Australian way.

In their four games against Australia last year, New Zealand lost 21, 6-1, 6-3 and 2-0 but Wilson is not taking too much notice of those results.

If New Zealand, who play Australia tomorrow night, on Saturday and Sunday, do not win the series, they will have one last chance early next year in a 12-team tournament in Osaka, Japan.

New Zealand: Scott Anderson (captain), Bradley Apted, Ryan Archibald, Dion Gosling, Bevan Hari, Brett Leaver, Simon Towns, Paul Woolford (Auckland), Andrew Buckley, Andrew Hastie, John Radovonich, Darren Smith (Canterbury), Craig Russ, Greg Russ (North Harbour), Wayne McIndoe, Umesh Parag (Wellington).

Australia: Michael York (captain, ACT), Jay Stacy (Vic), Adam Commens (NSW), Stephen Davies (NSW), Damon Diletti (WA), Lachlan Dreher (Vic), Jason Duff (Vic), Troy Elder (Qld), James Elder (Vic), Paul Gaudoin (WA), Stephen Holt (NT), Brent Livermore (NSW), Matthew Smith (NSW), Daniel Sproule (Tas), Craig Victory (SA), Lachlan Vivian-Taylor (Vic), Scott Webster (WA), Matthew Wells (Tas).