Nickname: The Kookaburras

Previous FIH Hockey Pro League placements: 2019: 1st. 2020-21: 2nd. 2022-23: 7th

Notable honours: Olympic gold medallists (2004) 4x Olympic silver medallists (1968, 1976, 1992, 2021), 5x Olympic bronze medallists (1964, 1996, 2000, 2008, 2012), 3x FIH Men’s World Cup winners (1986, 2010, 2014), FIH Hockey Pro League champions (2019), Hockey World League champions (2015, 2017), 15x Champions Trophy winners (1983, 1984, 1985, 1989, 1990, 1993, 1999, 2005, 2008, 2009, 2010, 2011, 2012, 2016, 2018), 7x Commonwealth Games gold medallists (1998, 2002, 2006, 2010, 2014, 2018, 2022), 12x Oceania Cup champions (1999, 2001, 2003, 2005, 2007, 2009, 2011, 2013, 2015, 2017, 2019, 2023).

By their own very high standards, Australia’s seventh place finish in the 2022-23 edition of the FIH Hockey Pro League was something of a disappointment. While an uncharacteristic eight defeats in 16 matches would have been far below the expectations of revered head coach Colin Batch, an emphatic 7-2 thrashing of eventual champions the Netherlands – the team that denied them a bronze medal at the FIH Odisha Hockey Men’s World Cup 2023 earlier in the year – in Eindhoven reminded everyone of their extraordinary talents in an inconsistent campaign. In August, the team secured their ticket to the Olympic Games Paris 2024 by winning the 2023 Oceania Cup, claiming a 2-1 series victory over hosts New Zealand in Whangerei. With one win apiece in the opening two games, goals from Ky Willott, Jeremy Hayward and Jack Welch gave the Kookaburras a 3-1 triumph in the decider. It was Australia’s 12th continental championship title, one that will give world class talents such as Aran Zelewski, Eddie Ockenden, Blake Govers, Jake Whetton and Tim Brand the chance to surpass the Olympic silver medal achieved at Tokyo 2020 by landing gold in Paris.

This season, Australia will take to the field for FIH Hockey Pro League ‘mini-tournaments’ in Bhubaneswar (IND), Rourkela (IND), Antwerp (BEL) and London (ENG).

One to watch: Eddie Ockenden. One of hockey’s all-time greats, 36-year-old co-captain Ockenden is Australia’s record caps holder, being one of just seven players in the history of men’s hockey to have made more than 400 international appearances. Equally comfortable in defence or midfield and blessed with composure in the most stressful of situations, Ockenden – a world champion with the Kookaburras both 2010 and 2014 – remains a pivotal figure.