Socceroos get serious

THE Socceroos’ ‘‘Hunger Games’’, otherwise known as Australia’s pre-FIFA World Cup camp, has begun.

Coach Bert van Marwijk has started their month of intensive training with a first session in Belek on Turkey’s Mediterranean coast.

About 10 Socceroos have touched down in the resort city to ramp up preparations for their tournament opener against France on June 16.

More will join in the coming days as they finish club commitments across 13 countries.

The primary purpose of the camp is to indoctrinate Australia’s players with the Dutchman’s pragmatic playing style, ridding them of any lingering commitments to Ange Postecoglou’s possession-hungry approach.

And to shed three players. The group of 26 will be slashed to 23 in two weeks, making every training session critical. While the selection will be brutal for three Socceroos, the conditions are not.