Kookaburras Game for Strong Pro League Start After Paris Olympic Disappointment

Every team relishes the prospect of making the most of playing in front of the home crowd and the Australian men’s hockey team would be thinking similarly as they kickstart their 2024-25 Pro League campaign at the Sydney Olympic Park, Sydney locking horns with the likes of Olympic champions Netherlands and Olympic semifinalist Spain.

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The Kookaburras – ranked 6th in the world – would be keyed up to set the record straight after a rather forgettable 2024 Paris Olympic campaign where they were shunted out in the quarterfinal by the Dutch – under new coach Mark Hager’s debut tournament, they would strive to put a performance that saw win the 2023-24 Pro League crown.

Clearly, the reigning Pro League champions may not find it all smooth sailing to retain the crown as the yellow-and-gold brigade is going through a phase of transition at the start of the new Olympic cycle with several big names announcing their international retirements after the 2024 Paris Olympics. The combined international experience of Olympic captain Aran Zaleskwi (268 caps), Eddie Ockenden (451 caps), Jake Whetton (280 caps), Andrew Charter (251 caps), Matt Dawson (215 caps), Daniel Beale (241 caps and Andrew Charter (250 caps) would be surely missed by the Kookaburras but it is a window of opportunity for young and emerging players to make a mark and drive Australian hockey forward.

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The national team would look upon the likes of Paris Olympians Jeremy Hayward, Jake Harvie, Corey Weyer, Joshua Beltz, Lachlan Sharp, Ky Willott, and Nathan Ephraums to provide the required firepower as well as ease the entry of several youngsters who are set to make their international debuts. Victorian goalkeeper Jed Snowden, who had a superb season for HC Melbourne in the Liberty Hockey One League season, would look to fill in the big shoes of retired Andrew Charter.

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The Aussies have two young forwards in Cooper Burns and Ben White as well as defender Connar Otterbach and midfielder Liam Henderson. The Pro League marks a call-up for Jake Harvie’s younger brother Tom Harvie. However, three members of the Paris Olympic squad – all of whom played in the 6th Men’s Hockey India League – Tom Craig (Tamil Nadu Dragons), Tim Brand (Hyderabad Toofans), and Blake Govers (Tamil Nadu Dragons) (Tamil Nadu Dragons) are not part of Australia’s Pro League campaign at Sydney.

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One hopes that Mark Hager would guide the Kookaburras to a statement-making performance at the Sydney Olympic Park.