Australia to host Canada
in preparation for Olympic Qualifier
The
Australian Baseball Team will play hosts to the Canadian National
side in a five game showdown as both countries prepare for the
final Olympic Qualifying Tournament in Taiwan next month
The series, to be held in Brisbane and the Gold Coast from February
28 - March 3, will double as the Australian Team’s final
stage of selection trials and has been targeted to help the Aussies
peak ahead of their must win tournament in Taiwan
Australian Head Coach, Jon Deeble, is excited about playing the
Canadians on home soil, especially as he puts some of the National
Squad’s youngest talent through the rigors of the two-week
selection camp
“For the first time in a number of years there are several
spots in the team that are wide open for selection
I’m really looking forward to letting these guys go at it”
Deeble said
“In terms of our preparation, we have had the benefit of
the recent Claxton Shield season to identify some emerging talent
and will now we get the chance to see how they perform against
Canada, one of the World’s top sides
Truth be told, nobody is guaranteed a ticket to the Qualifiers,
so I am going to take whoever’s 'hot' at the time” he
said
The games against Canada will mark the first time the National
Team has hosted the North American powerhouses on home soil in
well over a decade, and promises to deliver a thrilling showcase
between two evenly matched teams
When the two sides locked horns at the Baseball World Cup last
November, Australia came away with a nail-biting 7-6 victory that
eliminated Canada from the finals, a result that the Canadians
will be eager to avenge next month as they battle the Aussies
for one of the final three Olympic berths in the eight-nation
tournament in Taiwan
Canada, who finished fourth in Athens, remains one of the biggest
threats for the Aussies’ and will join Korea, Mexico, Chinese
Taipei, Germany, Spain and South Africa as they vie for their
own piece of Olympic history
Although Australia will enter the March Qualifier as reigning
Silver Medallists, they clearly face an uphill battle on their
road to Beijing, placing even greater emphasis on their preparation
in these games against the touring internationals
The five game series will follow closely on the heels of a two-game
Exhibition Schedule in Sydney that sees the Australian Squad match
up against the New South Wales Patriots at Blacktown Olympic Park
on February 22nd and 23rd
Simply click on the "PLAY"
button in the controls below
Windows Media Player is required
O Canada
Our home and native land
True patriot love in all thy sons command
With glowing hearts we see thee rise
The True North strong and free
From far and wide, O Canada
We stand on guard for thee
God keep our land glorious and free
O Canada, we stand on guard for thee
O Canada, we stand on guard for thee
CLICK HERE
to read a
Congratulations Letter
from the Australia Baseball Federation
along with all the program details from Thursday 21st February
to Saturday 15th March 2008
CLICK HERE
to read a this manual which covers:-
Introduction ... Games
v Canada Details ... Olympic Games Qualifying Tournament Details
Flight and Accommodation Information ... Uniforms and Equipment
... Olympic Games Schedule NOTE - this is a
fourteen page 'pdf' file and is 205Kb in size - it should open
quickly
"Baseball star
confident of overcoming ankle injury"
"Roneberg eyes third Olympics"
CLICK HERE
to read this article from The Cairns Post
Brett discusses:-
His Right Ankle Injury
... National Team Selection Camp ... Australia v Canada Games
Olympic Games Qualifying Tournament ... 2008 Beijing Olympics
... and there is a photo of Brett being treated by physio Tom
Maher
CLICK HERE
to read this article from The Cairns Post
Brett discusses:-
National Team Selection
Camp ... Australia v Canada Games ... Olympic Games Qualifying
Tournament ... 2008 Beijing Olympics ... Playing future in Asia??
or Mexico??
... and there is a photo of Brett
CLICK HERE
to read this article from The Australian Olympic Team web site
Australian Team Manager Jon Deeble speaks about:-
Australia v Canada Games
... Olympic Games Qualifying Tournament ... 2008 Beijing Olympics
CLICK HERE
to read this article from The Cairns Post
Brett discusses:-
National Team Selection
Camp ... Australia v Canada Games ... Olympic Games Qualifying
Tournament ... 2008 Beijing Olympics ... Playing future ... "A
busted-up Leg!!"
... and there is a photo of Brett
------------------------------------------------------------------
