New head coach has plenty to work with

MEN'S HOCKEY:NEW MEN'S Ireland hockey coach Andrew Meredith lists the things he enjoys on a German website: "Explore wine. Art," he writes. We love him already.

Born in Adelaide, Australia, Meredith is a FIH high performance coach and most recently worked alongside Markus Weise as the assistant coach of the men’s German team (2006-2012) so he brings oodles of high-level hockey experience.

His father was an international player and umpire so hockey runs in the blood.

After a summer of Olympic almosts Meredith comes with the best of backgrounds and after Paul Revington set the bar for what Ireland want to achieve, the hope is he will have Rio 2016 on his mind.

The good thing for the Australian is he has a talented bunch of players to work, many of them playing professionally.

Indeed he will have come across several in Europe. Having been associated with the German gold medal winning teams in London and in Beijing, it’s heartening the Irish Hockey Association made the appointment, even if Revington slipping through their fingers after the Olympic Qualifier in UCD this year was a bad miss.

A former professional player, it’s also a step up for Meredith to the head coach role of an international team.

“One of my key aims is to bring world-class specialist expertise and resources together, to create an operational program of excellence that, in time, delivers the best possible environment for producing world-class athletes,” he said encouragingly.

“The inspiration of the participation in the Olympic experience will be a key part of this. My immediate task is to prepare the team for the upcoming Champions Challenge in Argentina against some of the world’s top teams.”

FIXTURES: Tomorrow: Leinster Senior League: Division One– Pembroke Wanderers v Avoca, Serpentine Avenue, 2pm; Three Rock Rovers v YMCA, Grange Road, 1pm; Glenanne v Fingal, Glenanne Park, 2.45pm; UCD v Railway Union, Belfield, 1pm; Corinthians v Monkstown, Whitechurch, 1pm.