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Haddin, Healy headline 'Keepers Week

Some of Australia's greatest glovemen - and a group of generation next - gathered in Brisbane for a week-long camp

Wicketkeeping greats Ian Healy and Brad Haddin have overseen the next generation of Australian glovemen during a week-long Wicketkeepers' Camp at the Bupa National Cricket Centre in Brisbane.

Eight of the finest young 'keepers in the country – six men, two women – have been put through their paces by legends Healy and Haddin, as well as current Test gloveman Peter Nevill, South Australia rep Tim Ludeman, and former Redbacks coach Mark Sorell.

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For Haddin, who retired from international cricket last year, the experience is a dipping of the toes into the coaching world, with the former Blues and Australia rep also completing his Level III coaching certificate at the NCC this week.

"I'm just trying to help the guys understand the basics of wicketkeeping, and showing them drills that will help them get better but also explaining why you do this and that, and how you turn that over into the game," Haddin told cricket.com.au.

"They've been very receptive. They work hard and there's some extremely talented wicketkeepers there, and the best thing is they want to listen, and they ask a lot of questions. We're lucky to have someone like 'Heals' here as well to bounce questions off, so it's been an enjoyable couple of days."

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Haddin has been hands-on with the young wicketkeeping group, offering practical and specific advice focusing on both their techniques as well as their mindsets.

"What I like to see is they're always training to get better," he said. "I think sometimes they're falling into the trap of training for long periods of time rather than concentrating on training to get better.

"All the training we do here is so that when we're put under pressure in a game we don't second-guess our techniques, and in those big moments we go back to basics and we're confident we can get through."

Image Id: ~/media/4CDC165C5F58406D800D0667F3785698 Image Caption: Tasmania's Jake Doran is put through his paces // cricket.com.au

Highly-rated Tasmania youngster Jake Doran said the camp had been particularly beneficial, with the added bonus of Test keeper Nevill in Brisbane to showcase his skills in various drills as he prepares for Australia's tour of Sri Lanka next month.

"It's been awesome for the guys, especially myself, to have 'Hadds' and (former Tasmania coach and ex-first-class wicketkeeper) Tim Coyle, and Peter Nevill when he's been around.

"It's been good to have that experience there to get their knowledge and pick their brains," Doran said.

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"They've been around the traps and done everything, especially Nev at the moment – he's at the peak of his game.

"It's great for us younger guys to be able to listen to them and basically try to do exactly what they've done.

"The main thing they've reiterated to us is the importance of the basics – be really, really good at your basics, and then anything else that happens outside of that, your natural instincts will take over."

Ludeman is another completing his coaching course but the Redbacks gloveman, who is present in a coaching capacity, says even he has picked up some helpful information through an intense week.

Image Id: ~/media/A1336E6AFFB24C04BF7252A6CFC03F69 Image Caption: Tim Ludeman works with Southern Stars 'keeper Beth Mooney // cricket.com.au

"It's been a brilliant week, obviously with the knowledge of Heals and Hadds in particular, and Nev has been floating around, it's been good for all the young guys – they've learnt plenty so far and they've probably got some sore bodies as well," he said.

"I'm up here doing my Level III (coaching certificate), it's been a good opportunity and I've learnt a lot myself so far.

"It's reminded me a lot about what you work on; reinforcing the basics and getting yourself ready for the pressure situations.

"To have those guys with that amount of knowledge up here, it's not something that you get at your state set-up, so it's a great chance for all the young guys to be sponges and learn as much as they can."

Wicketkeepers Camp participants: Josh Inglis, Sam Harper, Alex Reardon, Jake Doran, Lewin Maladay, Tom Healy, Beth Mooney, Megan Banting, Peter Nevill.