Slaying The Curse

The Age

Friday August 27, 2004

Richard Hinds

Despite its historic strength, the Australian men's hockey team has never won Olympic gold. As Richard Hinds reports, the Kookaburras can wipe this dark stain with victory over Holland in the final tonight.

When the question comes ? and it always does ? it brings a knowing smile to the lips of these Australian hockey players rather than an agonised grimace. The hoodoo.

The curse. The monkey on the back. Why will it be any different this time?

After 48 years, three losing Olympic finals and several other missed chances, a team can get a reputation. The Australia men's hockey team certainly has.

Yet, rather than avoid its history, the muscular team that will take on the Netherlands in tonight's final seems determine to wrestle it to the ground and give it a good kicking."

I remember people asking that at Sydney," said midfielder Matthew Wells, one of four survivors from the team beaten by the Dutch on penalty strokes in the 2000 semi-final."

But this is a totally different team. You can say hoodoo, or whatever you want. But it is a new team, we've never been in this position, but we've done everything we can to be ready for this match."

Wells was speaking from a position of strength. Australia had just beaten Spain 6-3 in the semifinal, a performance of such flare and authority you could not help give Australia a good chance against the back-to-back Olympic champions Holland in the final ? curse or no curse.

Particularly given the way both coach and players have confronted the challenge of winning the team's first gold medal. "We will continue to address it," said coach Barry Dancer of the team's history."

It is not as if we now need to visit it all of a sudden and it becomes in our face in the next 24 or 48 hours. We are going to go through a process and a steady process and the players are already talking about game seven of this tournament and not the final."

While there is a long list of heartbreaks, the supposed Curse of the Kookaburras stems from just one game ? the 1976 Olympic final against New Zealand.

A richly talented team was not only heavily favoured to beat the Kiwis, but the Montreal final had become the focus of extraordinary public attention because of Australia's failure to win a gold medal in any event.

However, the Kookaburras conceded the only goal and each subsequent failure seems to have added to the burden. Perhaps the strangest twist to Australia's latest attempt to win that first gold medal is that both coaches in this final ? Dancer of Australia and Terry Walsh of the Netherlands ? were members of Australia's team in Montreal.

Dancer says there is little to be drawn from his own experiences."

Different context, different time of life," he said."

But I think Australian hockey teams have benefited enormously from a lot of experience that has been passed down. There is a strong hockey tradition and culture around this team and others. The messages of Seoul and the messages of Los Angeles and particularly Montreal are still in the folklore."

Dancer has cut an impressive figure during the tournament. He has a calm demeanour and is an astute tactician, but also clearly carries some authority. Angered by his players' loss of concentration after some elaborate goal-scoring celebrations against India, Dancer made his displeasure known. They have not made the same mistake again.

Australian hockey teams have always contained some of the world's most talented individuals and, with the likes of brilliant striker Jamie Dwyer and playmaker Brent Livermore, this is no exception.

Dancer, however, did not merely want to be better than the opposition, he wanted to be fitter and stronger too.

Former Hockeyroos coach Richard Charlesworth liked his players wearing tight fitting lycra outfits because he believed vanity would encourage them to keep their weight down. The Australian men's team now play in sleeveless shirts, their bulging biceps fully revealed.

In their pool matches, their superior fitness has been obvious as they came from one goal down to earn a win or a draw in three games."

We can't compare to other teams," said Dancer. "But we know this is the fittest ever Australian hockey team and it's something we pride ourselves on."

Dancer is equally proud of his team's mental strength. So far, their focus on the gold medal has not wavered. After their semi-final victory over Spain, the players immediately gathered in a tight huddle and reminded each other there was a greater challenge ahead."

Looking at the boys, we didn't get too excited after the game like probably the Dutch did the game before (after beating Germany in their semi-final)," said midfielder Matthew Wells."

We didn't celebrate hard because we know the jobs not done. One to go and we are going to be not satisfied until we win the next game."

For the Australians, the key to winning the final will be to patch some holes in their deep defence.

Both Dutch goals in a 2-1 victory over the Kookaburras in the pool match came from penalty corners.

Australia also needs to make a fast start, as they did against Spain, because it is always difficult to come from behind in finals.

One by one, those issues have been addressed during an impressive campaign. So well, in fact, that for all the weight of history, you can't help thinking this is not only a team of skill, strength and composure. It is also a team of destiny.

COACH GOES DUTCH OLYMPICS 2

THE KOOKABURRA

HOODOO

The Australian men's hockey team at the Olympics

1956 Fifth

1960 Sixth

1964 Third

1968 Second (lost final 2-1 to Pakistan)

1972 Fifth

1976 Second (lost final 1-0 to New Zealand)

1980 Boycott

1984 Fourth

1988 Fourth

1992 Second (lost final 2-1 to Germany)

1996 Third

2000 Third

© 2004 The Age

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