Livermore: Pressure Is On This Time
Sun Herald
Sunday March 12, 2006
AUSTRALIA'S world-beating men's hockey team, the Kookaburras, can no longer escape the weighty expectation of success.
Captain Brent Livermore says the gold medal triumph at the Athens Olympics in 2004 has altered the way the Kookaburras are perceived and forced them to adjust before the Commonwealth Games. Though the team remains largely the same as in 2004 - and the players' expectations are similar - public and media pressure has increased."Things have changed a lot," Livermore said. "We've been No.1 in the world for the past two years and people see us differently now. "Before the Olympics, our expectations were high because we knew what we were capable of. "But at that time, there wasn't a lot of external pressure. The public and the media didn't think we were capable."Since the Olympics, and with the Commonwealth Games at home, there is a lot more external pressure. Everyone expects us to win gold. "But what most people don't realise is that to do that, we'll have to beat six out of the top 10 teams in the world. "They're all Commonwealth countries and one of them - Pakistan - has been a bogy side for us over the past 12 months."Livermore's explanation is not a pre-emptive excuse for possible failure. Rather, it is a factual account of what his team must overcome to win its third consecutive Commonwealth Games gold medal.The team's preparation has not been perfect. It is the off-season for Australian hockey and, though the players have been training hard, they lack substantial match practice. But Livermore, 29, said preparations were on track. He also explained what will be different about his role at the Games."It's a bit difficult because we've been in training mode for so long," he said. "We're physically and mentally prepared, but probably need a bit more match practice. I'll be moving into a more attacking role at inside forward. We're looking to change the chemistry of the team a bit."
© 2006 Sun Herald