Hockey Australia Country Challenge: WA men’s captain Darren Parkes bullish on chances at annual carnival

Four Lower Great Southern Hockey Association players are ready to tackle the Hockey Australia Country Championships that begin on Saturday. Georgina Lilford, Darren Parkes, Paul Stobie and Hayden Mills will pull on State colours at the national championships played in Shepparton, Victoria from August 5-12. WA selectors used trial and training sessions along with the recent country championships as tools to narrow it down to the final 18 players. The WA men’s team will be aiming to go one step further after securing a silver medal finish in last year’s country carnival, which was held in Albany. They will face other country outfits from Queensland, South Australia, New South Wales and Victoria along with a team from the Australian Defence Force. Parkes, who will fill the role as captain for the second-straight year, said WA have been able to retain a strong list of talent from across the State and is expecting an enthusiastic showing from both a young and experienced crop. “I reckon we are strong this time around, we’re quite a bit different to last year but there are a few guys that have come back that are our core players,” he said. ‘We also have a few coming in that give us a youthful look with speed which is something we really needed. “The goal is definitely to go out there and do one better than silver and win the tournament but we’ll have to see what happens. “Queensland have almost an unchanged team and New South Wales look like they are going to send a really strong outfit too. “Another thing on our side is that we’ve had a lot better of a preparation than last time, we’ve had the chance to play against other teams from Narrogin, Rockingham and Bunbury in the lead-up” Stobie is playing his first season in the LGSHA and has been a shining light in a struggling Vikings side in 2023. “It’s always good to go away with someone from the same association, I’d love for more guys to go away but the cost of these things are quite high so you have to really love the sport to go away,” Parkes said. “He’s (Stobie) one of those younger guys that has played in Perth and has plenty of experience. “Not to take anything away from his defence but he’s a very attack-minded player which is important in a lot of aspects. “WA teams in the past have struggled to score goals so I’m really excited to see what he can produce for us.” Manypeaks young gun Hayden Mills, initially a reserve, was a late addition to the WA side. It is the second year running that Mills has been named as a reserve player before being called upon to fill a permanent role in the team. Lilford will pull on State colours for the first time after battling through injury and missing out on the 2021 championships which were cancelled due to COVID-19. “G (Georgia) is another one that has had a few injuries in her time, she was selected before but she’ll bring a lot to the women’s team too,” Parkes said. ‘She’s a quick and exciting forward. “Being from Albany, we might have the upper hand being accustomed to the wind, the wet and the cold over there.” The WA women and men will face NSW on Saturday before clashes with Queensland on Sunday, ADF on Monday, Victoria on Tuesday and SA on Wednesday. Finals will be played on August 11 and then the medal matches on August 12.