Australia’s hockey teams are eyeing the podium in Paris with the Kookaburras out to better their silver from the Tokyo Games, while the Hockeyroos are hoping to make it through to the medal play-offs to win the side’s first medal since the Sydney 2000 Games.
The hockey will be held at Yves-du-Manoir Stadium - a legacy venue of the 1924 Olympic Games.
Named in memory of French rugby player Yves du Manoir, it was the main stadium hosting the Opening Ceremony and athletics during those Games.
Overview
The Hockeyroos and Kookaburras are two of Australia’s most successful Olympic teams, with a combined 13 Olympic medals between them.
The men have stood on the Olympic podium 10 times in 16 appearances, and as one of the nation’s most successful sporting teams, are arguably amongst the favourites to win gold in Paris.
The Kookaburras dominated on the world stage between 1992 and 2012, becoming the only Australian team, in any sport, to receive medals at six-straight Olympic Games.
Having won five bronze medals and three silver up until Athens 2004, it was an illustrious run that ended in 2016 when the Kookaburras placed sixth in Rio.
Now in a resurgent era, the Kookaburras came agonisingly close at the Tokyo Olympic Games, when they went down to Belgium 2-2 (3-4) in a penalty shootout.
The Hockeyroos first competed at the Olympic Games in 1984, one edition after hockey was introduced for women at the Olympics in 1980, which Australia boycotted.
They quickly followed the tracks of the Kookaburras, winning gold in 1988, 1996 and at their home Games in 2000.
Since then, the Hockeyroos have recorded consistent results with fifth at the 2004, 2008 and 2012 Olympics.
In 2016 and 2021 they finished sixth. They are coached by triple Olympian Katrina Powell, who was a part of the winning sides in 1996 and 2000.
Ones to Watch
Men:
The Kookaburras go into the Games in stellar form, recently crowned 2024 FIH Pro League champions, winning 12 from 16 matches. The Pro-League title came on the back of a five-match clean sweep over India at the 2024 Perth International Festival of Hockey Champions.
The team, known for their understated and hardworking approach, boasts a number of experienced Olympic campaigners, with five three-time Olympians (Andrew Charter, Matt Dawson, Blake Govers, Jake Whetton and Aran Zalewski) and seven returning from Tokyo (Josh Beltz, Tim Brand, Tom Craig, Jeremy Hayward, Flynn Ogilvie, Lachlan Sharp and Tom Wickham).
Midfielder Eddie Ockenden is set to become the most decorated hockey player in Australian history, playing at his fifth Games.
Jake Harvie, Corey Weyer and Ky Willott debut for the team.
Their biggest challenge will come from defending Olympic champion Belgium, and beyond the pool rounds, 2023 World Cup champion Germany. Australia will face Belgium in their third-round match on 30 July. Coach Colin Batch believes it will be the team’s “toughest” encounter in the preliminary stage of the tournament.
Women:
The Hockeyroos come into the tournament looking to improve on their fifth place from the 2020 Tokyo Games. They claimed silver at the 2022 Commonwealth Games going down 2-1 to England.
The team earned direct qualification for the 2024 Games by winning the 2023 Oceania Cup.
Teams to watch in Paris include The Netherlands, hoping to defend their Tokyo crown, with Argentina, Great Britain and India also ones to watch.
Captain Jane Claxton will lead the Hockeyroos at her third Olympic Games. Brooke Peris, Grace Stewart and Mariah Williams share the honour having competed in Rio, Tokyo and now Brazil.
Keep an eye on young gun Amy Lawton and defender Kaitlin Nobbs, a third-generation Australian hockey representative.
Nobbs’ parents are Lee Capes (gold 1988) and Michael Nobbs (1984), her aunt Michelle Hager (gold 1988, 1992) and uncle Mark Hager (1988, bronze 1996).
Her grandmother June Capes and aunt Shirley Tonkin both represented Australia prior to women’s hockey being included at the 1980 Moscow Games.
Sport Format
A match consists of four 15-minute quarters, with a half-time break of 10 minutes, and two-minute breaks after the first and third quarters.
During a knockout match, if scores are drawn after the end of regulation time, a shootout competition will be used to determine a winner.
Of the 16 players in the team, only 11 may be on the field of play at any one time, the other five may be substituted as and when the coach deems fit and as often as the coach pleases (rolling substitution).
The hockey competition at the Paris 2024 Olympic Games comprises women's and men's events. Both events have the same format and rules.
In the preliminary round (pool matches), 12 teams are divided into two pools of six teams. Each team plays every other team in its pool.
The two pools will be seeded by the international body FIH.
The top four teams in each pool will proceed to the quarterfinals, while the remaining four teams are eliminated from the competition.
The winners of the quarterfinals will proceed to the semifinals and the losers are eliminated.
The winners of the semifinals will play for the gold and silver medals. The losers of the semifinals will play for the bronze medal.
Competition Schedule
The Kookaburras begin Australia’s Olympic campaign on 27 July. There are 10 pool games across eight days before Finals commence on August 4.
Matches not to be missed include:
- Hockeyroos v Great Britain, July 30, 1.00am (AEST) – 2022 Birmingham Comm Games gold medal re-match
- Kookaburras v Belgium, July 31, 4.45am (AEST) - Tokyo 2020 Gold Medal re-match
- Hockeyroos v Argentina, August 2, 5.15am (AEST) – World No. 4 v World No. 2
- Kookaburras v New Zealand, August 1, 7.30pm – A classic Trans-Tasman clash acts as a double-header to the
- Hockeyroos v Argentina on Aug 1
