Rosie, sisters make Roos cut

Veteran up for WSL gong

LOCAL stars Rosie Malone and Madison and Savannah Fitzpatrick have been included in the Hockeyroos’ final 18player squad for looming FIH Pro League matches against Argentina and USA.

The initial 21-strong squad that defeated New Zealand 5-1 in Auckland last Thursday has been trimmed, with Jodie Kenny, Georgina Morgan and Amy Lawton returning home.

Gold Coast product Malone and the Tweed Coast-raised Fitzpatrick sisters will now prepare for Sunday’s meeting with Argentina in Buenos Aires, before playing world No.12 USA in Lancaster on Saturday week.

Argentina is ranked fourth in the world, with Australia ranked third but sitting fourth in the FIH Pro League standings.

“We’re looking forward to (the upcoming games),” Hockeyroos coach Paul Gaudoin said. “We’re going to have to work hard to make sure we get our rest and recovery given the travel.

“We’ve got four or five days in between matches to get prepared.” GOLD Coaster Jamie Mitchell is one of 15 nominees for the 2019 Men’s Best Overall Performance Award at the World Surf League’s Big Wave Awards.

The performance awards acknowledge the top surfers over the course of the last 12 months based on every ride captured on video or still images all around the world.

On a nominees list including WSL champions Grant Baker and Billy Kemper, Mitchell, 42, will learn his fate at the awards show on May 2 in California.

“The performance categories reward the athletes who amassed the most impressive body of work over the previous 12 months, which makes it a true test of a surfer’s efforts in the long run,” WSL Big Wave director Bill Sharp said.