HOCKEY: Australian hockey legend Jamie Dwyer says the Kookaburras are being driven by their failure to bring home Olympic gold from the London Games.

And none more than Dwyer - the five-times world player of the year - who admits he's watched the heart-breaking semi-final loss to Germany five times.

The Kookaburras are preparing for the Champions Trophy which starts on Saturday at the State Netball Hockey Centre in Melbourne.

A win in the nine-day tournament would return them to world No.1 status.

It would also be a record fifth successive time Australia has won the title.

After starting the Olympics as raging favourites, co-captain Dwyer said coming away with bronze was motivation to work even harder.

"We watched the game a couple of nights ago in Perth when we had a team meeting about the London Olympics and watching it hurt," the 33-year-old said.

"It makes you appreciate what we'd done for three years before that; winning the World Cup, winning the Commonwealth Games, Champions Trophy, and not to take those wins for granted.

"It definitely drives you; that hurt makes you want to have success and appreciate winning more."

Dwyer said he felt the pain more than from other losses because the London Games was his last Olympics.

He said he planned to continue on to 2014 and play in the Commonwealth Games in Glasgow and the World Cup in Holland but ruled out the 2016 Rio Olympics.

"I'm not tempted at all.

"I've been to three Olympic Games and by that time I think I'll be getting too old and a bit slower and as soon as I lose my pace and fitness my game will really struggle and I want to go out performing well for my country."

Australia open their Champions Trophy on Saturday against Belgium and are on the other side of the draw from Olympic champions Germany.

They go into the eight-team tournament in good form having beaten England in the final of the International Hockey 9s in Perth on the weekend.

Melissa Woods
AAP