Kookaburras great Jamie Dwyer believes 'dominant' Aussies are primed for Paris charge
It's been 20 years since Jamie Dwyer and the Kookaburras broke a near 50-year hoodoo to win gold in Athens.
The Kookaburras had won everything else there was to win in field hockey to that point, but had never managed to finish the job at the Olympics.
In Barcelona, Atlanta and Sydney, they'd won silver, bronze and bronze.
READ MORE: Aussies plot to silence US rivalry in gold medal race
READ MORE: Married couple make history at opening ceremony
READ MORE: Dreary opening ceremony sparks athlete fears
"It makes me feel so old," Dwyer told Wide World of Sports on Saturday.
"Watching all the Instagram stories and stuff, it makes me want to get out there and play hockey again, and be 20 years younger and relive those experiences.
The moment Jamie Dwyer clinched Olympic gold for the Kookaburras in Athens. Stuart Franklin/Getty Images
"It's the time of their life. I can't believe it's been 20 years."
What made the wait that much harder was watching the women win gold in Seoul, Atlanta and Sydney.
Neither team has won gold since.
But less than 24 hours before the men get their campaign underway against Argentina, Dwyer, a Stan Sport expert for the Paris games, said a Kookaburras victory would be among their biggest ever tournament wins.
"The men's comp is the closest you'll ever see," he said.
Of the two pools, Pool A is significantly stronger. It has Tokyo gold medallists Belgium, plus China, France, Germany, Japan and the Netherlands.
In Group B with the Kookaburras are Argentina, Spain, Great Britain, South Africa and the USA.
The Kookaburras won the most recent FIH Pro League, but Dwyer suggested form in that competition was difficult to read.
Striker Ky Willott (in action for the NSW Pride in the Australian Hockey One league) will be key for the Kookaburras. Getty
"It's all over the shop. No one played their top team, everyone was just preparing for the Olympics," he said.
"But we've played two games while we've been in Paris against Germany (3-2) and Great Britain (2-0).
"Apparently, we dominated that (Germany) game ... the guys are in pretty good form at the moment."
Watch every moment, every medal of the Olympic Games Paris 2024 live and free on Channel 9 and 9Now. Plus, every event streaming ad free, live and on demand with 4K on Stan Sport.
The Kookaburras celebrate a goal against India in 2022. Getty Images for Hockey Australi
It's a different story on the women's side though, where the Netherlands have dominated the sport for the past decade.
In Tokyo, they won all eight games on their way to gold, and conceded only four goals.
Dwyer said they're coming into Paris incredibly relaxed, having only arrived in the village late last week. Many of the players have been on holidays in recent weeks.
"The Netherlands are so good - they've lost 10 games or 11 games over the last 12 years or something, which is ridiculous," he said.
"But they've got everything to lose."
The Hockeyroos went through the pool stages in Tokyo undefeated, before suffering a shock loss to India in the quarterfinals.
While India are not in Paris, Dwyer said the key now would be avoiding a quarterfinal against the Dutch.
"Hopefully they've learned a lot from the last Olympics. They played really well in the pool stages, but they just slipped up.
"They know if you're off your game one, two or three percent, it's going to be a a tough fight."
The Hockeyroos celebrating a Ambrosia Malone goal in Tokyo. Getty
"You've got to get through the group stages and then hopefully put yourself in a position, not to face the Dutch in the in the quarter or the semis.
"Whatever happens in the first five games, if you make the quarters, it doesn't matter, and India proved that."
The Kookaburras play Argentina at 9.15pm Saturday, before the Hockeyroos play South Africa 8.45pm Sunday.
Jamie Dwyer is a hockey expert for Stan Sport throughout the Paris 2024 Olympic Games.
