EXCLUSIVE: 'We don't hold back': How Kookaburras 'brotherhood' are celebrating Olympic gold 20 years on
PARIS: When Jamie Dwyer slammed home a goal to lift the Kookaburras to Olympic glory in Athens, the Australian hockey great set off a party that was still raging when the sun came up.
Twenty years on, the party spirit sparked by that triumph is as strong as ever.
"It felt like time stopped for a few seconds," Dwyer told Wide World of Sports ahead of the Paris Games.
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"When you hit the ball it has to hit the backboard, and it took a little deflection and went up into the goal, and I remember saying to myself, 'Yep, that's a goal. Is that a goal? Yes, I'm pretty sure that's a goal'. Then the umpire blows the whistle for a goal. No referrals back then.
"Then I guess it was relief, happiness. A lot of emotions.
"I couldn't really believe it and still really can't.
"It [the venue] was packed to the rafters and all the Aussie supporters were going absolutely gangbusters."
The moment Jamie Dwyer clinched Olympic gold for the Kookaburras. Stuart Franklin/Getty Images
In the Greek capital in August of 2004, the Kookaburras clinched gold by defeating the Netherlands, the reigning Olympic champions, 2-1.
It remains the only Olympic gold Australia has won in men's hockey.
Dutchman Ronald Brouwer gave his side a 1-0 lead late in the first half, before Australia's Travis Brooks levelled the scores early in the second half.
The Australians bombarded the Dutch defence with relentless attack, but the scores were still locked at 1-1 come the end of regular time, forcing the match into an extra-time period.
Then, in the eighth minute of extra time, on the back of a penalty corner, Dwyer smacked the ball and scored a golden goal.
On the pitch and in the crowd, wild scenes erupted. As Dwyer set off on an impulsive, elated sprint, his hands thrust above his head, his teammates mobbed him. Music was blaring and horns blasting as the Australians in the crowd went delirious.
"Before we knew it, it was like eight o' clock in the morning, so it was light and time to go to bed for a few hours, before we got up and started celebrating again," Dwyer recalled with a laugh.
Australia's men's hockey team going wild in Athens. Clive Brunskill/Getty Images
Twenty years on, Dwyer and his teammates are so tight they're like a brotherhood. A group chat is always pinging and the next party is never far away.
To mark the 10-year anniversary, they met on the Sunshine Coast.
In September, the champion squad will gather on the Gold Coast to mark the 20-year anniversary.
"You have to get up and give a speech," Dwyer said.
"Well, we did in 2014. Everyone had to get up and say a little bit about your life since 2004 and what the win meant to you. A few guys got emotional and a bit choked up, which is really nice to see.
"The older we get the better we used to be.
"We don't hold back. We have a good time. We're getting older and we should be getting wiser, but I don't think we are."
A party is also thrown on the date of the win every year, where the blokes based in South East Queensland — a lot of them live there — and anyone else who can make it dress up like Greek people and hit up a Greek restaurant.
From left: Troy Elder, Jamie Dwyer, Brent Livermore, Liam de Young and Mark Knowles celebrating the Kookaburras' gold medal triumph many years after the Athens Games. Instagram
"It's an absolutely cracking day. It's so much fun," said Dwyer, who's a Stan Sport expert commentator for Paris 2024.
"I call a couple of my Dutch mates," he added with a laugh.
"They're probably not happy.
"A good mate of mine, Teun de Nooije, who was the best player in the world in 2004 — I played overseas with him and became really good mates with him and we have a really good connection. So after a few sherbets I give him a call and see how he's going.
"He expects it every year. He's great. He's like, 'Yeah, congratulations guys'. But he had won two [Olympic] gold medals already; he won in '96 and 2000, so I don't think it hurts him too much. He finds it funny and has a laugh. He's a really good bloke."
Elation in Greece. Andreas Rentz/Bongarts/Getty Images
Dwyer's goal took Australia's Athens gold medal tally to 17, a haul only ever matched by Australia at the Tokyo Olympics three years ago.
The Kookaburras' Athens team was coached by Barry Dancer and captained by Brent Livermore.
"We won the World Cup 10 years ago [in 2014] and that group hasn't stayed in touch, but this Athens 2004 team has always stayed in touch and is always on the chat," Dwyer said.
"Whether it's someone's birthday or someone does something good, it's always positive.
"It's special to me and I know it's special to the other guys.
"We had a bond and we've got a bond forever."
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