AN ideal preparation has put Cairns pair Kath Messer and Nigel Giacomi on track to star on the Australia Country hockey team's tour to Singapore.
The men's and women's Australia Country line-ups will play a series of warm-up games and two Tests against Singapore national teams on the tour, which starts on Saturday.
Messer said she had trained hard leading up to her departure from Cairns tomorrow and was pleased to get a testing workout by her Trinity Stingers opponents in club competition last Saturday.
"I did a lot of running against Stingers, just trying to get the ball and get away from the defenders," Messer said after she was heavily marked in the match.
"It was a good preparation for going away where I will have to do a lot of running because the game will be a lot faster."
While Stingers kept Messer quiet in stages of the game, she still continued her goal scoring exploits, lifting her tally to nine for the season.
"I've been getting a few goals which is always good as a striker," she said.
Messer, who has undergone extra fitness and skill sessions with Cairns regional coaching director Mick Evans, hoped to further satisfy her hunger for goals against Singapore.
"Singapore will be a good test for us," she said.
"I just want to play good and score a few goals."
Giacomi is also keen to show his attacking skills despite having forged a reputation as Cairns hockey’s version of a brick wall.
The Australia Country regular got the chance to enhance his offensive skills while on a stint with the North Notts club in England and hopes it has improved his game.
"I played in midfield (at North Notts) and it's helped add an extra bit to my game," he said.
