KOOKAS ON SONG Bubba a roughie to snatch fourth title SUNDAY-MONDAY, 3AM He won the event last year and world No.2, American Dustin Johnson, looks like the man to FOR GOLD beat at this year’s Travellers Championship in Connecticut. While the rest of
Coach Colin Batch has the Kookaburras primed for gold at the Tokyo Olympics
When Kookaburras legend Colin Batch took on the task of rebuilding the national hockey team from their worstever Olympics campaign, he was under no illusions of the enormity of the role.
A veteran of 175 games at the national level, Batch knows full well the legacy the Kookaburra name carries, but even so he was given a timely reminder upon returning to Perth to start the overhaul.
Having signed on at the end of 2016, following the sacking of coach Graham Reid in response to a quarter-final exit at the Rio de Janeiro Olympics, Batch was lodging with his daughter when he awoke to the unmistakable call of Australia’s most iconic bird.
“I’d been living in New Zealand for four years, so I hadn’t heard it for some time but I woke up the first morning and there were Kookaburras singing in the trees,” Batch explains.
“That was wonderful to wake up to and to come back and be reminded of what such a strong bird the Kookaburras are and the legacy that lay ahead for this team, that was a nice reminder.
“Being made head coach at the end of 2016 it was certainly on my mind to uphold the Kookaburras’ legacy and to make sure that the cycle was as successful as we can – but we know it comes down to the Olympics in the end.
“We’ve ticked off a few things along the way and did very well at the World Cup and only finished with a bronze medal. While a lot of countries would be happy with that, we always strive for something extra.
In terms of Olympic preparation, the past 18 months could hardly have thrown up more challenges. The pandemic ravaging the world left Batch scrambling to keep his squad primed for a gold medal assault.
From March last year, they played no international fixtures until a recent four-Test series against New Zealand – with plans to play overseas scrapped over COVID-19 fears and quarantine hurdles.
“That was quite a strange situation because normally we would have almost 30 games a year and suddenly we weren’t having any,” Batch added. “So the immediate goal – of building up to the next Test match or tournament – unfortunately wasn’t in front of us.”
The Kookaburras will this weekend ramp up their Tokyo campaign with a further two-match series against New Zealand, with double-headers alongside the Hockeyroos on both Saturday and Sunday in Perth.
With both men’s and women’s squads whittled down to the Tokyobound 16 last week, Batch expects to see something different from his team.
“There’s still some tinkering to be done. There’s a lot to develop still, and a lot to learn,” he said. “Both (Australia and New Zealand) were experimenting a l bit in (the recent four-Test series).
“Tactically we’ll see if they try anything, and it’s the same with us – our tactics might change a bit as well..”
Batch admitted to a few sleepless nights when it came to trimming his squad to its final group of 16.
The likes of Jeremy Hayward, Tom Craig and Trent Mitton were all unlucky not to feature in 2016, while the new blood of Lachlan Sharp, Tim Howard, Josh Simmonds and Dylan Martin will bring a level of enthusiasm to match the experience of four-time Olympian Eddie Ockenden.
“It’s always a stressful time leading up to the naming of the Olympic team,” Batch said. “But we’ve got a good balance between the experience and bringing the group forward.”