KEY POINTS:
Black Sticks regular Bryce Collins is out of February's Olympic qualifying tournament and, should the team clinch selection for Beijing, his chances of playing on the big stage are, at best, 50-50.
A key midfielder, Collins had an operation on his injured knee yesterday and faces at least
six months on the sideline in recovery.
"It is touch and go whether he will be ready for the Olympics," said New Zealand men's coach Shane McLeod. "It is really unfortunate that he burst his ACL in the second test against Australia last week. But, in typical fashion, Bryce is really keen to do everything he can to get back."
Given the injury problems which dogged the New Zealand team, their three draws against Australia in Sydney were top efforts and the fillip they were looking for heading into the Olympic qualifiers.
McLeod was without Collins' North Harbour teammate Ben Collier, Shea McAleese, Hayden and Brad Shaw and lost Gareth Brooks along the way for the matches in Australia.
But McLeod is hopeful all but Collins will be ready for action when they play a series of internationals against Chile and Japan in Tauranga and Pukekohe next month.
"We will assemble in Tauranga on January 6 after training right through December in Auckland," said McLeod. "Brad Shaw remains the biggest concern. He has a hip stress fracture which needs time and rest. Hayden Shaw is still troubled by a calf injury but that appears to be progressing."
The bolter in McLeod's 21-strong squad to prepare for the games against Chile and Japan is Central's 17-year-old Nick Wilson.
Between them, the 21 players in that squad have a total of 1754 international caps.
Of his team's inability to "seal the deal" when leading Australia 3-1 with nine minutes to play in the third test - a failure which brought back memories of a similar lapse against Argentina earlier in the year - McLeod said the circumstances were different.
"Against Argentina we struggled to get possession in those last few minutes," said McLeod. "Against Australia we had the ball but tended to go individual, which defeated our game plan. They probably got a bit ahead of themselves."
It was still a commendable effort against a full-strength Australian side preparing for the Champions Trophy. The Black Sticks were impressive enough for the Australians to invite them to a four-team tournament with India and Korea in April.
That invitation will be taken up, subject to funding, only if the New Zealanders qualify for the Olympics.
Meanwhile, national women's coach Kevin Towns has included two uncapped teenagers in his 20-strong squad to prepare for the Olympics.
He has named Northland defender Jasmine McQuinn, 18, and Midlands striker Gemma Flynn, 17, in a squad which otherwise has a settled and experienced look about it with most players involved in the Oceania Cup win over world No 3 Australia - the victory which sealed New Zealand's Olympic spot.
Towns is pleased to welcome back Canterbury's Stacey Carr, who missed the 2007 season with a serious knee injury, and influential Central midfielder Kayla Sharland, who is back to full fitness.
The women will be based in Auckland from January 14 to begin their intense Olympic build-up which starts with a four-test series against Korea early in February and, later the same month, five matches against the highly rated Chinese.
ON THE LIST
* Black Sticks women (to play Korea and China in February): Charlotte Harrison, Jasmine McQuinn (Northland), Jaimee Claxton, Lizzy Igasan (North Harbour), Krystal Forgesson, Kim Noakes (Auckland), Gemma Flynn, Kate Mahon (Midlands), Tara Drysdale, Caryn Paewai, Emily Naylor, Kayla Sharland, Anita Wawatai (Central), Beth Jurgeleit, Niniwa Roberts (Wellington), Stacey Carr, Jo Galletly, Meredith Orr, Kate Saunders (Canterbury). One goalkeeper to be added.
* Black Sticks men (to play Chile and Japan in January): Ben Collier, Steve Edwards, David Kosoof, Blair Hopping (North Harbour), Ryan Archibald, Gareth Brooks, Simon Child, Dean Couzins, James Nation, Paul Woolford (Auckland), Casey Henwood, Richard Petherick, Lloyd Stephenson (Midlands), Bevan Hari, Shea McAleese, Nick Wilson (Central), Phil Burrows, Kyle Pontifex (Wellington), Andy Hayward, Brad Shaw, Hayden Shaw (Canterbury).