Posselt primed for big year
FOR two years Kane Posselt has trained six days a week with the Queensland Academy of Sport hockey squad in Brisbane, knowing full well that it could all be a waste of time.
But the love of the game, even if that sometimes wears thin, has kept him on course and the 20-year-old is now within sight of some seriously good outcomes.
The Atherton-born Posselt will play for the Australian under-21 team at next week's Junior World Cup qualifying tournament on the Gold Coast alongside fellow Cairns product Simon Borger.
The pair will stake their claim for selection for the main event, to take place in December in India.
Other motivations include the new and lucrative Hockey India League and high-paying European club hockey stints, that are almost within Posselt's reach.
``I'm only really a step or two away from that,'' he said.
``I know it's a lot of work, and it gets tough. I'm not going to lie, you get sick of it sometimes. But you make the most of your time off and these goals motivate you.''
The midfielder is one of the sport's emerging stars, scoring the winning goal for the Queensland Blades to win last year's Australian Hockey League and dominating the Brisbane club competition with Easts.
While admitting his back-up plan - a university degree - is a necessary move, Posselt said the opportunities for Australian hockey players to turn professional were certainly increasing.
``All the high-profile Queensland players are making a living now; it's definitely improved in that regard,'' he said. ``There's good money in Europe and now the Indian Hockey League is another outlet.''
It is a far cry from his first foray into hockey on the grass fields in Atherton, but it's something he certainly doesn't forget.
``I was just playing because my brother did, and just having fun. But now, playing overseas and making a living out of hockey is certainly what I want to do.''
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Pushing on: Kane Posselt can see opportunities opening up for him in hockey.
