Silver Is Not An Option
Sun Herald
Sunday November 25, 2007
The Kookaburras are on target to defend their Olympic title in Beijing, but captain Brent Livermore believes it's no time for complacency, writes David Sygall.
They have lost just two games all year but Australian hockey captain Brent Livermore is worried that the results his Kookaburras have achieved could lull some players into a false sense of security.The Kookaburras have received a wake-up call in their current three-match series against New Zealand, drawing the first match 3-3 in Newcastle, and drawing their second 1-1 in Sydney on Friday night.Livermore's concern is understandable, given the Kookaburras' many years as Olympic bridesmaids, not to mention the pressure of dealing with ever-improving competitors as they try to defend their Olympic title won in Athens in 2004."The next step is to challenge ourselves to find what's going to give us that next competitive edge to ensure we remain the best in the world," Livermore says. "Silver would be a failure. Back in '04 there was a lot of pressure, and even then we would have thought of silver as a failure. We're on top of the mountain at the moment. It's a hard road to get there. But we're realising it's even harder to stay there. We've had good results this year. But the results of success can camouflage performances. I believe there is room for improvement. We need to be constantly setting new goals and new standards." Livermore says the field is hot on the heels of the Australians, particularly the European nations."In 2004, we were underdogs and were always hunting and looking at other teams to see what they were doing better than us," he says. "But now they've woken up and improved. They're right up there with us now, and we've got to find another gear." The final 24-man Beijing squad won't be selected until March after the Australian Hockey League. Next week, however, could give a strong indication of the squad's set-up when they head to Malaysia to contest the Champions Trophy. "There's still opportunities for guys to work their way in [to the Olympic squad]," he says. "It doesn't matter who you are or what you've done in the past. No one's name is set in concrete." If there is one player assured of a place, it is Livermore. The 10-year international veteran of more than 250 matches has no plans to retire. Rather, having achieved everything in the sport, he is excited about playing a crucial leadership role over the coming months. He believes he has improved his own game and wants to impart his knowledge and experience to the younger members of the group."There's huge depth there and a lot of players coming through the junior ranks," he says. "They're really pushing us elder statesmen to continually improve, and that's a very healthy environment. "I really thrive on being the elder statesman. The young guys come in, and it's important to fast-track their knowledge so they can perform to their best. Often the biggest hurdle to overcome is nerves, so I like to chat with the younger guys and help them with their preparation and routines to help them feel welcome."The culture within the group and the way everyone gets along off the field helps make it easier. It's all set up very well, and when the going gets tough we'll know that nothing's been left unturned."Livermore is concentrating on the Olympics, but the lure of playing in the 2010 Commonwealth Games in India, where hockey is very popular, could keep him in the sport for some time yet."The way things are going with my body and the fact I'm enjoying it - even though I've got two young daughters and a family - I think it would be a great experience to go through another Commonwealth Games in 2010, as it's in India, which will be unbelievable for hockey," he says."You're a long time retired so you don't want to retire too early." Nevertheless, the 31-year-old from Grafton feels he could enter next year in the best form of his career."I like to think I've improved," he says. "But I think back to 2004 and realise that our performances then, when we won the gold medal, would not be good enough now. If we think that it's going to be good enough to win again, we won't be in the running for any medal, let alone retaining gold.KOOKABURRAS* Ranked in the world's top four for 30 years. * First competed at Olympic Games in 1956 and have won seven medals.* Won six World Cup medals, including one gold; 21 Champions Trophy medals, including seven gold; and all three Commonwealth Games gold medals, in 1998, 2002 and 2006. * The Kookaburras are the only Australian team, male or female, to win a medal at each of the past four Olympic Games, and have placed in the top four at every Games since 1976 (they did not compete in 1980), making them Australia's most consistent performer in any Olympic team sport.
© 2007 Sun Herald