CAIRNS Taipans fans need not worry about their stars defecting to the Australian hockey ranks.

Taipans trio Darnell Mee, Gary Boodnikoff and new recruit Ian Crosswhite were on hand at the Kookaburras’ training session yesterday and none of the three looked particularly comfortable with the sticks.

See our hockey picture gallery.

"I’d rather have a ball in my hand than a stick in my hand," Mee said after the meeting of athletes.

"It’s a bit more challenging than it looks. Hitting the ball is one thing but hitting it square, and all these other ways, is another."

The Taipans players were shown a few of the skills of the game by injured Kookaburras defender Mark Knowles.

Mee said although basketball and hockey were vastly different codes, the players shared a lot in common.

"For any player to go to the Olympics you’ve got to be the best at what you’re doing and these guys (the Kookaburras) are the best players in the country," he said. "They all know what they have to do to get there."

The Kookaburras play the third and final match in their three-Test series against Korea at the Cairns Hockey Centre today at 2pm.

Share this article