Coach John Collins has been criticised after his post-match interview on the eve of the WCS D1 National Championships.
Speaking on the BBC’s Radio 5 live, Collins was asked to respond to his comments that a player’s decision to leave the field was a valid one.
“I have been very critical of this in the past and I had a wonderful experience at the last two World Cups,” Collins said.
“That was the last World Cup, the finals and that was an extraordinary experience and I’m just grateful for that.”
For me the important thing is that the game is on and that the players have to make the decisions that are best for the team.
“As long as we’re playing football, the important decision is making sure that we’re on the pitch and not thinking about the next game.”
It is important to realise that when a player has left the pitch or that there is a concern about them or a player who is feeling emotional or nervous about something that is a valid decision.
“Collins said he was happy for the players to leave and wanted them to focus on their job, which included their personal health.”
The player’s comments came after Collins criticised Australia’s midfield, where captain James Troisi and teammate Dylan Walker have struggled with fitness.”
If you think about what it means to be a player and to have the opportunity to play in front of a big crowd, then they made a very difficult decision.”
The player’s comments came after Collins criticised Australia’s midfield, where captain James Troisi and teammate Dylan Walker have struggled with fitness.
The pair have not played in the D1 for the past six months after being ruled out for the final four games of the regular season due to a calf injury.
However, Collins has said he is happy for them to get back on the field in the next two weeks, as they have been training in an attempt to re-establish themselves.
“We’ll be training again at the end of the month and then hopefully we’ll get back into the rhythm of things in March,” Collins told BBC Radio 5live.
“Obviously it’s going to be difficult but we have a lot of work to do to get better and we will do that.”
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