Fox Names Sharks Olympic Train on Squad
Aussie Sharks head coach John Fox has named a 19-man train on squad as his team heads towards the London Olympic Games in the second half of 2012.
The squad contains no surprises with captain Sam McGregor and triple Olympians Gavin Woods and Thomas Whalan leading the way.
Overseas based players Aaron Younger, AJ Roach and Rob Maitland, who played a sensational game for the Australian Barbarians against the USA at the recent Pan Pacs in Melbourne to boost his selection chances, were also included.
That trio are unlikely to attend the team's next training camp in Sydney at the end of February or the camp in Perth in March.
Only 15 players will travel to the FINA World League preliminaries in May and the finals of that competition in June before the final Olympic team of 13 is named around June 22.
Fox also named two players - rising stars Joel Swift and James Howden Qld - as reserves that will be rotated at the training camps as back up for veterans Woods and Jamie Beadsworth as well as Mitch Baird as he continues to recover from a knee injury.
"These players are not in the updated squad, but given the history and vulnerability to injury of all our centre forwards this is seen as a good precautionary measure," Fox said.
"This also keeps in line with the fast tracking of players for this position beyond 2012."
There are still four goalkeepers in the squad too and they will also face a rotation system over the next few months.
The Aussie Sharks London Olympic Games train on squad is:
GK's Joel Dennerley (NSW), James Clark (NSW), John Hahn (NSW), Luke Quinlivan (NSW)
CF's Gavin Woods (NSW) Jamie Beadsworth (WA) Rob Maitland (Qld) Mitch Baird (NSW)
CB's Aaron Younger (WA) Richie Campbell (NSW) Anthony Martin (Qld) Tim Cleland (WA) RHS Rhys Howden (Qld) Billy Miller (Qld) Johnno Cotterill (NSW) LHS Sam McGregor (Vic) Thomas Whalan (NSW) Aidan Roach (NSW) Samuele Avallone (NSW)
Reserves Joel Swift (WA) James Howden (Qld)