I'm one of the shooters on the team you're likely referring to, and yes I too had some issues with the selection process being used to select the shooters. I think I was the last shooter called up.
I think it's not an unreasonable call to select shooters based on their performance at National titles. You attend a Nationals event, you're guaranteed to be competing against shooters from around the country, who are often also the best shooters in the country. If you win the event, then you'd be considered the best of the best, no? If someone were sitting at home thinking they're the best of the best, but didn't compete at the Nationals, they may indeed be the best of the best, but that fact is not backed up by evidence that they truly are the best of the best.
You want to take the best of the best to a Worlds event, yes?
I've suggested to the selectors that the process should have included a scaling factor, whereby the Nationals just completed = 100% of score, the Nationals 1 year previous = 75% of score, and Nationals of 2 years previous = 50% of score. Yeah the current process is flawed towards those who attended prior Nationals, but that was the selection process at the time. I believe they're thinking of modifying this slightly, thus my comments above.
I was a long way down the list of competitors for selection, and only made it into the team because people called up prior had decided not to go to the Worlds, and that I decided I really wanted to get there and thus made the commitment and effort to get up to Brisbane. That said, I came 6th overall out of 55 competitors at the 2010 RBA Nationals, and ended up something like 32nd or so on the list. Why? Because people before me had competed in two or three Nationals events, I'd only competed in one. I was too late to get a higher listing, because I'd only just started shooting benchrest when the 2009 RBA Nationals were held in Sydney (the 2010 Nationals were held in Brisbane - and that RBA Nationals was my second ever attempt at shooting RBA
).
It's also a fair assumption that those shooters keen enough to seek selection to a Worlds team would travel to whatever events are required in order to be selected, even if those events were two states away. Do you know what is required to be selected to a Commonwealth Games/Olympic shooting team? A lot of effort, a _lot_ of shooting, and a lot of travelling around Australia competing in the various AISL shooting events. Selection certainly wouldn't be gained purely on performance at club level.
Ya just have to get out there and compete against shooters from other states and territories, and sometimes even internationally. If that costs money, then go on a sponsorship drive to get some backing, get a loan from the bank, or what not, or decide that shooting at that level is not for you.
Unfortunately, we're all amateurs, and there's little backing from government until you get to the top level of internationally recognised disciplines.
I see shooting at State, National and Worlds level a real test of abilities. But don't forget, it's not just about the shooting, but the camaraderie of the shooters during and afterwards too.
For me, selection into the Australian Shooting Team heading over to the US was a lifetime achievement. I worked hard to get that selection, and it cost me a lot of money. As my (ex-sniper) uncle said to me afterwards, "you've obviously found your calling in life".