WA Country men’s side set to face off against Perth Hotspurs in hockey exhibition match

WA’s national championship-winning men’s country hockey side will take on a star-studded Perth Hotspurs side in an exhibition match on Saturday as part of this weekend’s South West Junior Carnival. The game will take place at Bunbury Hockey Stadium at 4.50pm with Olympic gold medal winner Michael Brennan headlining the Hotspurs side. For the carnival, 140 junior teams from all over the State will descend on Bunbury, with the event to go ahead despite the precinct suffering damage in a freak storm — featuring a tornado — earlier this month. Over the long weekend 544 games will be played between sides ranging from Year 5 to Year 10 school ages. WA Country assistant coach Dean Lomax said spectators would be treated to a high-level display of hockey. “After winning the national title last year, this is really a bit of a parade of national champions to come and showcase what a good team they were against a very good side coming down from Perth,” he said. “A lot of these guys who are playing this weekend are going to be up for selection again this year, so for them, it’s going to be a good chance to showcase to the senior coach Lawrie (Taylor), myself and the selectors how they’re travelling.” Ahead of the national country championships, which will be held in Goldburn in New South Wales in August, Lomax said he was confident in the side’s chances of going back-to-back. “We’ve had a big lot of nominations come in with some real quality players as well,” he said. “I think everybody (from last year) has put their hand up really, I don’t think we’ve had any drop-offs at all. I think everyone’s keen to stay a part of a winning team.” The State Country Championships will take place in Perth in June.