Versatile forward has ball at his feet

Press, 26 April 1979, Page 28

Versatile forward has ball at his feet

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KEVIN TUTTY

George Carnoutsos harbours no regrets at being forced to play hockey at the age of seven. Especially not since he won national honours in February at the age of 20. Carnoutsos received his primary education at St Mark’s in Opawa, and hockey was the only winter sport for boys. “The grounds were not large enough for soccer or rugby fields." recalls Carnoutsos, “but they were big enough for a hockey field." From those early days it has been a relatively rapid rise to New Zealand renresentation, but a conclusion that seemed inevitable from the time Carnoutsos won selection in the Canterbury colts and New Zealand colts in 1975 when still a schoolboy. A very gifted player, his greatest asset is very sharp reflexes which have brought him numerous goals. Combined with that he is deceptively fast and agile, and his sticks skills and passing are improving by the season. To be chosen for New Zealand at 20 with the wealth of forward talent available to the selectors at present, is an achievement of note. He is the only new cap in the team of 16 in Australia playing in the Perth International 10 nation tournament which started at the week-end. Last September Carnoutsos came as close as he could to New Zealand selection. At those trials to choose the side for the International Champions’ Trophy tournament in Lahore. Pakistan, in November, Carnoutsos was put on standby in the event one of the seven forwards had to withdraw.

With the withdrawal of Barry Maister and Jeff Archibald from consideration for the team to Australia, Camoutsos became almost a certainty for selection.

After the September trials he was both relieved and disappointed that he was not chosen to go to Pakistan. Disappointed because he thought he had played up to his best form at the trials. This was no slight on the other forwards chosen because they too had played well.

He was relieved because he was apprehensive about making his international debut in Pakistan, a country. notorious for its debilitating affects on Euro-

peans. He was even more relieved when he saw the condition of some of the Canterbury players when they returned home. Most had lost the best part of 6kg in weight. The prospect of playing in Perth and the warm-up games before the tournament are much more appealing to Camoutsos. All matches in Perth will be on a new Astro-Turf surface, the same as that used for hockey matches at the Montreal ’Olympics.

Camoutsos is well prepared for the tournament from the February trials to the time the team left for Australia, he — with other team members — was on a seven day fitness schedule based on interval and circuit training and compiled by the team ocach, Brian Maunsell.

“I am fitter by miles, that I have never been before,” said Camoutsos.

What positions he will play in was unclear to him before he left New Zealand. At the trials he was used mainly at insideright and inside-left, with a short spell on the rightwing.

Much of his club hockey in the last four seasons has been at centre-for-ward, but he did not play there at the trials. “I was a little puzzled I didn’t get a run at centre-for-ward,” and with Barry Maister not available his puzzlement was understandable. When he made his debut for Canterbury A last season, Camoutsos played on the right-wing

where his stickwork and footwork were valuable assets. It was surprising he did not get more of a chance to show his ability as a wing in the trials.

New Zealand has not had a regular right-wing since Bruce Judge, and unless players with potential in the position are given a chance to develop, the national side will be without a specialist rightwing for some years yet.

Camoutsos is no stranger to inside-right. He has played there for New Zealand colts, but while John Christensen is still available for New Zealand and Canterbury, he is not likely to get many chances in the position.

He admits to favouring inside-right to other forward positions. ‘‘You are always in the game there. Because you are involved in deweloping attacks it is the most important position on the field. On the

right-wing you tend to spend long spells without seeing the ball.”

The greatest transition Camoutsos had to make in his hockey career was four years ago when he left Cashmere High School and immediately became a senior club player. “It takes three or four years to learn to pace yourself through a game at senior level. You are always learning playing senior hockey, mostly from playing beside and against experienced players.”

Although he did not play for Canterbury A until last season he has been a member of the Canterbury squad since leaving school and this has helped tremendously in his development in the last few years. He has come under the influence of Cyril Walter as a member of the Canterbury team, and Carnoutsos admits Mr Walter has taught him much. But there have been other coaches too who have helped his progress, notably Jim Bowden, who coached the high school teams during Carnoutsos’s five years at Cashmere. Last season Bowden took control of the Selwyn senior team. ,

Camoutsos is another of the many Canterbury and New' Zealand players whose representative career started at Hatch Cup level — the national primary schoolboys’ tournament.

Now' he has achieved the ultimate — national representation — Carnoutsos looks to have a decade of international hockey ahead of him. Naturally his immediate ambition is to play well in Australia and secure a place in the New Zealand side to play in the Moscow Olympics in 18 months.