Olympics Field Hockey Thread.

[Drummond]

I can't begin to express my disappointment. Wow, can't believe we lost. I got ahead of myself, when I heard the Dutch lost and we got up 2-0 I was thinking Gold.

Cmon Opals, please...

 

[Molons]

kookaburras are olympic duds. year after year they screw it up, how can they be 2-0 and then lose it. they threw a certain gold because they cant handle the big one. the writng was on the wall when they could only draw with GB!

lol. Do you know anything about Hockey?

I thought that the spainish kept dwyer very well tonight. I thought that was one of the ke factors. He had no impact.

As Bretski said, it's been the story of the olympics for Aus.

 

[Armitage2Riewoldt]

Man how did we lose that? I came on here when we were 2-0 up, go back after 5 minutes and it's 2 all? Arghhh

 

[Alpha1]

lol go Spain wohhoooo

 

[scottywiper]

BEen a great Olympics for our teams...been on the wrong end of a swag of thrillers.
Poop I say.

 

[krustyman]

BEen a great Olympics for our teams...been on the wrong end of a swag of thrillers.
Poop I say.

the Rudd factor stikes again!!

 

[Molons]

BEen a great Olympics for our teams...been on the wrong end of a swag of thrillers.
Poop I say.

Yeh your right, our teams have done well. But at those times where it came down to the crunch, we just got beaten.

Both Hockey teams.
Softball Team
Mens Water Polo Team
Womens Water Polo against US.

But i guess what we have to remember is that we do pretty well for our size.

 

[SOSBenny]

the Rudd factor stikes again!!

the man has some explaining to do if he doesn't pump some money in!!!

 

[Chops_a_must]

the man has some explaining to do if he doesn't pump some money in!!!

They didn't perform even when there was money there...

 

[Mr Meeseeks]

its been the story of the olympics for australia.

Got it in one.

Heartbreaking stuff.

 

[RussellEbertHandball]

Watching that bronze medal play off last night where the Kookaburras smashed the Dutch you can't help but feel they were the best team in the Olympics. Stuffed up being 2-0 up and not defending well enough. Shades of the socceroos at the MCG v Iran in 1997.

Good to see that they held their spirits and got the bronze. The teams of 1984 and 1988 couldn't come back from the disappointment of missing the gold medal game.

Look at the teams Olympic record and you have to say it is our best performing Olympic team. If you have a look at their international record you would have to say that maybe they have been the most consistent international Australian sporting team in any sport, even more than our cricketers.

They have only not made a world cup or champions trophy semi final on a few occasions.

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Australia_national_field_hockey_team

Their Olympic record since that first medal in Tokyo with only once missing the semis.

64 Bronze
68 Silver
72 5th
76 Silver
80 Hockey federation boycotted Moscow. A team was picked but never went
84 4th
88 4th
92 Silver
96 Bronze
00 Bronze
04 Gold
08 Bronze

 

[Chops_a_must]

Look at the teams Olympic record and you have to say it is our best performing Olympic team. If you have a look at their international record you would have to say that maybe they have been the most consistent international Australian sporting team in any sport, even more than our cricketers.

The problem is though, the 90s Men's Hockey Team was arguably the best in history, and continually choked.

No surprise that Frank Murray moves over to the women and they instantly underperform on a grand scale...

 

[RussellEbertHandball]

But the important point is that the administrators of the game have been able to develop the game and attract good sportsmen to the game to maintain successful national teams. they may have under achieved but they never have taken a dip for 3 or 4 years like the cricket team did in the mid eighties. They have reached the heights of the cricket team, but haven't been able to maintain a decade of dominance like the cricket team has. That's why I think they have been our most consistent international sporting team over 4 decades.

The frustration of not scaling the top of the mountain often enough and pitching a tent there for a decade is something different which of course shouldn't be ignored.

 

[Chops_a_must]

Well, eventually, not scaling the mountain often enough is what brings the consistency undone.

There has been murmurs for quite a while to undo the entire setup...

 

[sherb]

It's probably just me, but I keep thinking Shane Bourne is commentating - one of the blokes really sounds like him.

You're not alone. I thought it was Shane Bourne I was listening to as well.

Whoever it is, his voice hasn't changed in 8 years. He still sounds like Shane Bourne.

 

[Adelaide Hawk]

I struggle to watch hockey at the best of times, but it would be nice to see a goal every now and then.

 

[Illinois Nazi]

I struggle to watch hockey at the best of times, but it would be nice to see a goal every now and then.

Don't watch games with European teams. They play the eleven man defence and hope for the one-off breakaway goal at some point. Catch an India game if you can.

 

[Mr Meeseeks]

Watching that bronze medal play off last night where the Kookaburras smashed the Dutch you can't help but feel they were the best team in the Olympics. Stuffed up being 2-0 up and not defending well enough. Shades of the socceroos at the MCG v Iran in 1997.

Good to see that they held their spirits and got the bronze. The teams of 1984 and 1988 couldn't come back from the disappointment of missing the gold medal game.

Look at the teams Olympic record and you have to say it is our best performing Olympic team. If you have a look at their international record you would have to say that maybe they have been the most consistent international Australian sporting team in any sport, even more than our cricketers.

They have only not made a world cup or champions trophy semi final on a few occasions.

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Australia_national_field_hockey_team

Their Olympic record since that first medal in Tokyo with only once missing the semis.

64 Bronze
68 Silver
72 5th
76 Silver
80 Hockey federation boycotted Moscow. A team was picked but never went
84 4th
88 4th
92 Silver
96 Bronze
00 Bronze
04 Gold
08 Bronze

Not much has changed in 8 years.

- Still a dominant force
- Number one for the most part
- Trophies adorning the cabinets
- Australia's best sporting team by far
- Under performing in Olympics....... so far....

 

[Illinois Nazi]

Not much has changed in 8 years.

- Still a dominant force
- Number one for the most part
- Trophies adorning the cabinets
- Australia's best sporting team by far
- Under performing in Olympics....... so far....

Meh, the way they run international hockey tournaments now the preliminary matches don't really matter. Bottom line is you have to finish top four in your group, then win three sudden death games.

 

[damochandler]

Still not out of it. Can still win gold. Spain beat them the last 2 Olympics I think

 

[Mr Meeseeks]

Still not out of it. Can still win gold. Spain beat them the last 2 Olympics I think

Nah, we thumped them in London. Beijing yes.

 

[Mr Meeseeks]

Meh, the way they run international hockey tournaments now the preliminary matches don't really matter. Bottom line is you have to finish top four in your group, then win three sudden death games.

Oh I know. I said as much in the Olympics thread.

Was being flippant. That said they were less than convincing against the Kiwi's too....