Can the Kookaburras atone for their heartbreaking defeat in the Olympic final in Tokyo?
That will be the question on all Aussie hockey fans’ lips heading into the Paris Olympics, with Australia’s men’s side hoping to go one better than they did at the Games three years ago.
Here’s everything you need to know about the Kookaburras upcoming Olympic campaign, including who they’ll play against, who is in the squad, and which team is the favourite to win gold.
What are the Kookaburras fixtures at the Paris Olympics?
All times below are AEST.
| Time | Teams |
| Saturday July 27, 9:15pm | Australia vs Argentina |
| Monday July 29, 6pm | Ireland vs Australia |
| Wednesday July 31, 3:45am | Australia vs Belgium |
| Thursday August 1, 6:30pm | New Zealand vs Australia |
| Friday August 2, 9:15pm | Australia vs India |
The 12 nations that qualified for the Paris Games will be split into two groups of six, with the top four from each group progressing to the quarter-finals.
For the full fixture, check out our comprehensive list of the scheduled events at the Paris Olympics.
Who is in Australia’s men’s squad for the Paris Olympics?
The Kookaburras official squad for Paris 2024 was unveiled on July 1, and it is jam-packed with Olympic experience.
By far the most experienced player in the group is Eddie Ockenden, who will become the first Australian to play hockey at five Olympic Games when he takes the field in Paris.
Captain Aran Zalewski and fellow veteran Jeremy Haward were also included in the squad announced by coach Colin Batch, with the latter shortlisted for the International Hockey Federation’s player of the year award late last year.
Kookaburras squad for Paris Olympics: Joshua Beltz, Tim Brand, Andrew Charter, Tom Craig, Matthew Dawson, Blake Govers, Jake Harvie, Jeremy Hayward, Eddie Ockenden, Flynn Ogilvie, Lachlan Sharp, Corey Weyer, Jake Whetton, Tom Wickham, Ky Willott, Aran Zalewski
Has Australia ever won an Olympic gold medal in men’s hockey?
Yes, the Kookaburras have won an Olympic gold medal before – at the Athens Games in 2004.
It was a case of “always the bridesmaid, never the bride” for many years before that, with Australia winning three bronze and three silver medals before finally cracking the big one.
It looked like another gold was on the cards for the Aussies at the Tokyo Olympics, when they made it through to the final before going down to Belgium in a penalty shootout.
The Kookaburras’ overall Olympic medal tally of 10 is the second-highest in the world, but they’d desperately want to add some more gold to the collection.
Tim Howard (L) and Jake Whetton (R), pictured here at Rio 2016. (Photo by Francois Nel/Getty Images)
Will the Kookaburras win gold at the Paris Olympics?
Given the number of players likely to be named in the squad for Paris who were on the field for that heartbreaking final in Tokyo three years ago, the Aussies will be more desperate than most to claim gold this year.
The Kookaburras are currently ranked fourth in the world and come into the Games in strong form, having gone undefeated (in regular time) through six games in early June against fellow heavyweights Germany, Great Britain, Belgium and Argentina.
Whether this translates into a gold medal-winning performance remains to be seen, but they’re certainly in with a shot.
Who is the favourite to win gold in men’s hockey at the 2024 Olympics?
Just as in the women’s draw, Netherlands are the team to beat in Paris.
The Dutch are currently ranked No.1 in the world and have been the form team for the last couple of years, although they didn’t win the World Cup last year – that honour went to Germany after the Dutch were stunned by Belgium in the semi-finals.
Which countries have qualified for men’s hockey at the 2024 Olympics?
Group A
France
Germany
Great Britain
Netherlands
South Africa
Spain
Group B
Argentina
Australia
Belgium
India
Ireland
New Zealand