Kookaburras To Lead The Australian Hockey Charge
The Age
Friday July 5, 2002
Something extraordinary has happened in Australian hockey, something wholly unexpected.
For the first time in memory, the Kookaburras are heading into a major tournament on a firmer footing than the Hockeyroos, who have long been the darlings of the Australian public.
While both teams are favourite to win gold in Manchester (there will, after all, be no Germans, no Dutch, no Argentinians), it is the men who have created the greater buzz since the Sydney Olympics, which heralded widespread retirements from both camps.
The Kookaburras, by virtue of claiming silver behind Germany in the World Cup in March, are ranked two in the world.
And the Hockeyroos? For the first time in eight years, they have been knocked from their perch, finding themselves in the unfamiliar third spot when rankings for November's World Cup were released last month.
Each team is now based more on youth than experience, has a new coach and is rebuilding towards Athens.
Hockey was not played at the Commonwealth Games until 1998, when 12 teams did battle for both the men's and women's titles. Twelve has become eight for Manchester, weakening the men's tournament in particular, which will be without India or Malaysia.
The men's semi-finalists are expected to be Australia, South Africa, England and the unpredictable Pakistanis, who rarely fulfil their potential because of the instability of their administration.
The women's semi-finals should feature Australia, England, New Zealand and possibly South Africa or Scotland.
While the Australians are clear favourites for both gold medals, the greatest threat could come from the English, who enjoy rare insights into the workings of the green and gold.
The English women are coached by Tricia Heberle, who coached the Adelaide Suns in the national league and was employed for several years as video technician to the Hockeyroos, up to and including the Sydney Olympics.
On the flip side, Australian men's coach Barry Dancer coached the English men at the Sydney Olympics, before returning to Australia to take over the reins of the Kookaburras.
As Dancer observed last week, the peculiar cross-pollination has its downs as well as its ups. ``The English know a lot about my style and therefore the direction and strategies our team will be taking," he said. ``There are benefits for both sides, I am sure."
Much has been made of the relative inexperience of the Hockeyroos. Of the 16 players who won the gold medal at the Sydney Olympics, only five will play in Manchester - strikers Katrina Powell (now captain), Nikki Hudson (vice-captain) and Julie Towers, goalkeeper Rachel Imison and defender Angie Skirving.
But the presence of four seasoned players who missed selection for Sydney 2000 - Louise Dobson (vice-captain), Bianca Langham-Pritchard, Brooke Morrison and Karen Smith - strengthens the team.
Skirving, the reigning international young player of the year, said the new-look team was not burdened by the reputation of the all-conquering Hockeyroos who ruled world hockey from 1993 to 2000.
``This year has been a rebuilding process," Skirving said. ``I think we have a lot of potential. I am proud of the team and look forward to what we can achieve."
THE EXPECTATION
Make no mistake, Hockey Australia expects two gold medals in Manchester.
While much has been said about the loss of playing strength in the Hockeyroos since the Sydney Olympics, the young team seeded three in the world (behind Argentina and the Netherlands) goes into the Games seeded one.
Hockeyroos expectation: gold.
The men's team is ranked two in the world by virtue of a silver medal at the World Cup in March. Germany, which won the cup, is not part of the Commonwealth so the Australians have the form to prevail in Manchester.
Kookaburras expectation: gold.
© 2002 The Age