Hoc: Dancer's Kookaburras on song for final tango in Beijing

AAP General News (Australia)
08-10-2008
Hoc: Dancer's Kookaburras on song for final tango in Beijing

By Laine Clark

BEIJING, Aug 10 AAP - Gold watches are usually handed out for sterling service when
people retire.

But outgoing Kookaburras coach Barry Dancer has another golden farewell gift in mind
for his swansong at the Beijing Games.

"Yes, of course it will be nice to finish off with another gold medal," Dancer said
as the Kookaburras prepared for tomorrow night's Games opener against lowly Canada.

"I'm not feeling sentimental at the moment though. For myself and a number of players
it will be the last campaign but it is more about determination to give it our best shot,
to leave no stone unturned.

"The players want to make sure they don't die wondering."

Dancer, 57, will draw the curtain on his seven year stint safe in the knowledge that
he has already achieved what no Kookaburras coach has before - Olympic gold.

Despite being the mastermind behind the much maligned Australians ending 48 years of
frustration at Athens, he is hardly satisfied.

In keeping with his "hockey 24-7" reputation, Dancer again held an intense build-up
in Perth for the team that lasted months before their Beijing title defence.

It created what Dancer calls a "brotherhood".

"We don't live in each other's pockets but we see a lot of each other outside of training,"

Kookaburras young gun Eddie Ockenden said of the Perth preparation.

"But the thing is we all get along. After training we are not running off in different
directions to get away from each other - we enjoy spending time together outside of hockey."

The gruelling build-up also made them the world's fittest team - a fact they reinforced
by running over the top of world No.2 Germany 2-1 in a pre-Olympic practice match despite
stifling conditions.

"We pride ourselves to be the best in the world in that regard," Dancer said.

"Certainly a lot of teams are at our (skill) level now and the difference is very minute.

"But we can match them (fitness-wise) and we can take the second half to teams."

But more importantly Dancer got the Kookaburras' head right.

It helped them shake a monkey of King Kong proportions from their backs four years ago.

And it will help them confront perhaps an even bigger challenge that awaits in Beijing
- defending their precious Olympic crown.

"There is expectation but we see it as setting new objectives," Dancer said.

"The depth of the squad has improved, we are in a much healthier position that we were
in say two years ago at the World Cup.

"What I have seen (of their preparation) I think we are well placed. I am pretty satisfied."

Australia arrived at Beijing full of confidence after claiming the world No.1 ranking
following a record equalling ninth Champions Trophy title win.

The Kookaburras are in the same pool as the team they beat in extra-time at Athens,
two-time champions the Netherlands.

But they avoided Pool A's "group of death" which features Germany, gold darkhorses
South Korea and world No.4 Spain who reached the recent Champions Trophy final.

The top two teams from each pool move into the semi-finals.

AAP lc/nh

KEYWORD: OLY08 HOCM AUST PREVIEW

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