Greater Dandenong Warriors Hockey Club’s best hockey export Chris Ciriello has made his mark to return to the peak of the international sport.
Ciriello, 30, from Endeavour Hills has made the grade as one of 16 men’s hockey players selected to take to the pitch at the Rio Olympic Games.
The Commonwealth Games gold medallist and World Cup champion has been selected for his second Olympic campaign as one of 10 returning Olympians and six eager debutants ready to fight together to claim top spot on the dais.
Tristian Knowles will lead the side in Brazil, backed by an extremely powerful leadership group.
Chris Ciriello leads the way from Simon Orchard, Glenn Turner, Matthew Swann, Matt Gohdes and Tim Deavin to feature in their second Games, while Blake Govers, Daniel Beale, Jake Whetton, Matthew Dawson, Andrew Charter and Tristan White will don the Olympic uniform for the first time.
The team will head into Rio as the number one ranked team in the world.
The side recently claimed its 14th Champions Trophy in London and was the 2015 World League Champions.
When the competition begins on 6 August, the Aussies will face trans-Tasman rivals New Zealand in the preliminary round as well as Great Britain, Belgium, Spain and the hosts, Brazil.
The top four from each of two pools will progress to the all-or-nothing quarter finals, with Rio 2016 being the first Olympic Games to feature the new format, all building to the gold medal match on 18 August.
