A late change to the draw means Otago has found itself in a tough pool for the national senior men’s tournament which gets under way in Whangarei today.
Coach John Daniel was a little perplexed but also philosophical about the prospect of round-robin games against the defending champions Canterbury, Waikato and North Harbour.
"They changed the pool around and it is a much tougher pool, to be fair," Daniel said.
"They’ve put all the hard teams in our pool. I don’t know how that works, but there it is. But it is a really good challenge for us and I know the guys are looking forward to it.
"Our guys are prepared and we are interested to see how we will perform against some of the better teams."
While Otago faces a daunting challenge, and perhaps does not boast some of the firepower other more talented sides possess, Daniel feels the team has a strong team culture.
"Nathan [Gilbert, the co-captain] and I were talking to the rest of the team and we were saying we have something that the other teams don’t — that’s ticker."
Gilbert will play up front alongside fellow co-captain Seb Buddle.
Buddle played for the Southern Dogs in the National Hockey League last season and is expected to have an impact.
Both players can penetrate the defence and take shots under pressure.
They also have good passing games and the knack of getting into good positions.
"They are just very good hockey players, both of them.
"The mobility of the team is one of the key factors for us. It is about the guys putting in the hard work and trying to support each other, really."
Midfield defender Vinnie O’Connor is an instrumental player and he will do a lot of "directing traffic".
Fellow midfielder Stirling Milicich and Tim Matthews are vital links as well, and Otago is well-served with two quality keepers.
James Bishop has played for the Dogs and is a good shot stopper, while Jesse Drake is promising talent.
"[Drake] will learn lots but he also has a lot to contribute."
Otago has a bye today and will get its campaign under way against Canterbury tomorrow.
"This is the first time in five years we’ve had a provincial team so it would be very hard for me to say where we’ll finish. But we are hoping to finish in the top four and I think we will provide a few surprises for a few teams."
National senior men’s tournament
September 10-16, Whangarei
Otago’s draw
September 10, bye
September 11, v Canterbury
September 12, v Waikato
September 13, v North Harbour
September 14-15, playoff games
September 16, finals
Otago: Jesse Drake, Tom Johnstone, Callum Slee, Tim Matthews, James Bishop, Ryan Hampton, Andrew Beverland, Vinnie O’Connor, Gareth Williams, Hanlin Johnstone, Nathan Gilbert, Matt West, Joe Piggot, Jason Dungey, Stirling Milicich, Bede Mann-O’Malley, Dave Stevens, Seb Buddle.
