Australian hockey’s Eddie Ockenden eyeing off a place at fifth Olympics

With his injury issues of last year now behind him, Australian hockey star Eddie Ockenden is eyeing off a place at a fifth Olympic Games. He gives an insight to what’s ahead.

Eddie Ockenden. (Photo by Mark Brake/Getty Images for Hockey Australia)

Eddie Ockenden’s quest for a fifth Olympic Games appearance is back on track, after the national games record holder missed the entire Hockey One League season with a knee injury late last year.

Ockenden has played 427 times for his country, but his last match came back in August when he helped guide the Kookaburras to the Oceania Cup and Paris Olympic qualification.

If selected Ockenden would become the first Australian hockey player to be selected for five Games.

After a period of rest and recovery, the former-Friends School student says he’s motivated to secure an elusive Olympic gold medal in Paris in six months’ time.

“I’ve been back in full training for a few weeks now and prior to that, I was really pleased to be able to get a solid body of running into my legs, which coupled with the enforced rest from my injury, will hopefully set the foundation for a really good year,” he said.

“I don’t know what life holds for me after Paris at the moment and I’m just firmly focusing on the next six months to be the best I can be and to assist the team to improve with every session.”

The Kookaburras will send an extended squad to India to play in the FIH Pro League shortly, competing against key Olympic opposition.

“Every Olympic campaign is different. We’re not looking back at the Tokyo gold medal game and thinking there’s one key area we need to improve, because this is a new Olympic cycle and there’s many other areas as well that we’re focused on,” Ockenden said.

“With the Commonwealth Games and World Cups inside the last two years, Paris feels like it has come around quickly but we’ve a great squad all training together in Perth in a competitive environment with a squad of 27 athletes.

“There’s such fine margins at international level, you need a bit of luck and to make the most of your chances, so it’s mostly about being clear on how we want to play and handle situations at the moment.”

The 36-year-old was a nervous onlooker as the Tassie Tigers qualified for the Hockey One League semi-finals in Canberra in November but was impressed by the on and off-field signs.

“It was disappointing to miss playing with the Tassie Tigers, but I was grateful for the opportunity to still link up with the squad as an assistant coach and take a more analytical approach to how the games were played,” he said.

“I think Tigers coach Stephen McMullen and the team did a fantastic job to set the squad up for success in the future and I was impressed by the young guys coming through that did well at that level.

“When you also consider the Tasmanian Under-18 boys’ side that won the nationals undefeated, it’ll be great to see those guys coming through the Tigers program in future years.”

The Kookaburras squad for the FIH Pro League will be announced in coming days, with fellow Tasmanians Josh Beltz, Jack Welch and Hayden Beltz in contention.

Originally published as Australian hockey’s Eddie Ockenden eyeing off a place at fifth Olympics