New quartet selected in 2023 Men’s National Development Squad

A group of 15 athletes, including four new additions, have been announced in the 2023 Men’s National Development Squad (NDS), which is regarded as Australia’s best male hockey talent outside the Kookaburras squad.

Davis Atkin (ACT), Jack Holland (SA) (pictured above) and Victorian duo Connar Otterbach and Jed Snowden are the new inclusions to next year’s Men’s NDS.

They join a host of exciting emerging men’s hockey talent who are seen as having the potential to play for the Kookaburras.

The NDS size of 15 players is reduced from 20 selected in 2022, Kookaburras Head Coach Colin Batch saying the added opportunities to see players in action throughout the past 12 months allowed the selectors to narrow down the list.

“It was a large group last year due to the restrictions players, coaches and selectors have had over the past couple of years because of COVID,” said Batch.

“This year there were opportunities through Visiting Athlete Agreements, the Domestic Series on the Gold Coast in March, the Japan Series in August and then the Hockey One League to assess the group.”

As the Kookaburras continue their mission of maintaining their number one world ranking and succeeding at major tournaments, Batch said there are attributes selectors were looking for when considering players for the NDS.

“There have been some big changes in the NDS but it’s also reflective of what we need in the national squad or what I perceive we need in the national squad going forward,” said Batch.

“There are some set skills we believe are necessary for international hockey, but it’s also about players’ resilience.

“Their resilience through training and being disciplined over a period of time is also a trait we value.

“We need this group to understand that they haven’t been forgotten and we’re relying on their performances when they come into the Daily Training Environment and also during the Hockey One League.

“I was delighted by some of the younger players’ performances throughout the year, and while we can’t add everyone to the Kookaburras squad, there are some guys in this NDS who we look forward to watching develop and progress over the next couple of years.”

Batch used Queenslander Joel Rintala, who was recently announced in the 2023 Kookaburras squad after a number of years in the NDS, as an example of what is possible.

“Someone like Joel who has made the Kookaburras squad for the first time…he will be 27 years of age next year so it shows if you keep performing you never know when a chance will come for you,” said Batch.

“With some good performances in the Development Squad, players could get an opportunity and they just need to be ready when it comes.”

The NDS is an important stepping stone to the senior national squad, with one of the main positives being it allows players who bloom later than others to hold onto the dream of representing the Kookaburras.

Players selected in the Men’s NDS will continue to train at their home National Training Centre (NTC) under the guidance of National Pathways Program (NAPP) coaches with possible opportunities to train with the Kookaburras squad.

2023 Men’s National Development Squad
Davis Atkin (ACT)
Hayden Beltz (TAS)
Fred Gray (SA)
Sam Gray (NSW)
Anand Gupte (ACT)
Tom Harvie (WA)
Jack Holland (SA)
Mitch Nicholson (QLD)
Connar Otterbach (VIC)
Daine Richards (NSW)
Ben Staines (ACT)
Christian Starkie (WA)
Damon Steffens (VIC)
Jed Snowden (VIC)
Ash Thomas (NSW)