Eddie joined us to discuss theupcoming Olympic campaign for the Hockeyroos and how he sees our chances going into his fifth Olympics!
Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices
SEN Tassie
Hockeyroos legend Eddie Okenden (13.7.24)
Auto insurance can all seem the same until it comes time to use it. So don't get stuck paying more for less coverage. Switch to USA Auto Insurance and you could start saving money in no time. Get a quote today. Restrictions apply. Great to have you back, David. Let's go with you this morning and what a pleasure it is to welcome. Well, icon almost isn't good enough for this youngish man as we're all getting involved in good morning to future five time Olympian Eddie Ocken and G'day. Great to have you with us. Good morning. Thank you. How does it feel when I just say that, you know, five time Olympian? You've been thinking about it for a while. I know that. But now it's actually happening. Is that sort of sit back and not think, golly, this is unbelievable. Oh, it's sort of really interesting, like, I know it's definitely not special, like, and I've been sort of chasing it for a few years now, I guess, or after Tokyo. But it's so funny because like, oh, I feel like there's an opportunity for us to go sort of next week we're leading. And it's always this one, like right now that still is so much more important. So it's really difficult to sort of think about. But I sort of do realise that it's pretty special. It's been a really long time. So, yeah, and I'm very proud of it. But, yeah, it was feels like there's something coming right up for us. And that's sort of where you put all your energy into, I guess. What's your preparation been like? I know you were knocked up with a little lergie last week. But the reality is, is suddenly we're really, really close. How are you going on an individual level and, I guess, more in particular with your team mates? Yeah, I mean, we've had a really, really good preparation. Like, you never really, you never really sort of know. But we've been, in the year, earlier in the year, we've been in Europe, sort of May, June. And I think like performances, I mean, results on everything. But we've had some really positive results. And I guess, yeah, in saying that the performances have been really good. So, you know, we played a really big squad throughout the whole year. And we've been performing pretty well. And once you select the team, I guess it becomes closer even to deal in the last few weeks. I've just sort of been training with that team that's going away. A few practice matches in Perth, and I think the preparation has been really good. Like, we know our best is really good and it's good enough to beat all the best teams in the world. And that's really good to know, sort of know that going over there. Well, what have you got in your back pocket? You've got a bronze medal, you've got, you've got two, you've got one silver, two bronze. Is that right? Well, I've started well, then. Yeah, I mean, the last Olympics, obviously super successful, extremely disappointing, or at the same time how it finished. How do you feel about this one going in as you're hunting gold? Yeah, I mean, like I said, it's sort of really hard to know. I mean, yeah, we've got two bronze medals and a silver medal in my Olympic career. And we've been from fantastic performances and a few disappointing performances in that as well. So it's sort of really hard to know. You get to this point where you're leaving in a week and you just sort of sit there sometimes and guide you. So I hope this and I hope that. But realistically, there's a lot of evidence around us being a really good team. Having really strong results and really strong performances. And yeah, I think that's sort of mentioned before, but having the belief in the team that our best is good enough to win a gold medal, that's really nice to know that, because we know we're going to have to go over there and play well. There's no two ways about that. We know we're going to have to be good on a number of days to win everything. But like, I guess, having the comfort and the belief that we know that our best is good enough to beat any team in the world, that's really nice. Belgium and the Champions, of course, are runners up in 2016, Argentinians winning 2016. It's Germany before that and all traditional superpowers, although Belgium very much in the last seven, eight, nine, ten years. Who do you think is going to be the strongest competition for you? Oh, yeah, I think that that's a beauty about World Hockey at the moment. Like we say it to a lot of people that anyone can really win. But don't know if anyone really believes us, but I guess the European superpowers are still there. So we're talking about Belgium, the Netherlands, Germany, Spain and JB are also very strong. Traditional powerhouses in India took about Argentina who won in 2016. I mean, the competition is so strong, I don't know, which is fantastic, I think, for World Hockey. But it is a really, really strong competition and we have quarterfinals now. So, whoever we cross over with, it could be a number of teams in the quarterfinals. We get that far, it's going to be a tough game. And, yeah, I guess that's why we've got to transfer so hard and prepare so much. Because, you know, you want to play your pool games, you want to be informed, but you know you're going to come up against a really good team in the quarterfinals. You have to win that day. So, yeah, it's difficult, but that's what, I guess, we love about it, the challenge. Hey, Liz, I know you love your footy. And I believe there's a footy team coming down here soon. What is Eddie Ockenden thinking when you're on the other side of Australia with an AFL team coming into town? Oh, I mean, I love representing Tazzy, it's a huge part of, I guess, how I feel about my sporting trail. Yes. I've been representing Tazzy and I'm really proud of that fact. And I guess, I have always said, you know, any, any advice I'd like to give. And I would always just tell kids I'd go out and play sport, any sport. Like, I would recommend Ockenden because I've had a good experience with it. But realistically, go and do whatever you want. And even if it's not organised sport, go and play in the park, go play in the playground. So I think when you've got teams like professional sport teams coming to Tazzy, the visibility and the connection that kids can have in that sort of sporting space, I think it's awesome, like they'll be able to, hopefully, we see a big uptick in kids playing sport and, you know, even, you know, watching and supporting is great for the community. But I think kids playing sport is what I really think is special. And look at a kids level and that competition, Eddie Israel, isn't it? We've seen the jack jumpers, super successful, basketball, humming right across Tazzy, foot is about to happen. At a kids level, field hockey, where is it at the moment, you think? I think we've always sort of been very community-based. You'll notice that people play through their families or they might have friends at a school that'll play and sort of get drawn to it like that. But yeah, very family-based. I think it's a very, I think, a high participation sport. I think it probably, I'm right in saying that it used to be slightly higher participation for kids, but I think it's very accessible. It's very inclusive. So there's a lot of ways kids can start playing hockey from a really young age, sort of like four or five years old, which is really cool. And you see the Masters playing well-placed 80. So it's a sport that men and women can play from that whole range of ages, which I think is pretty cool. But yeah, I mean, like, you know, kids choose hockey because I love it, but go do anything. So find something that you love and just keep doing it. It's a little different town. We've got going here since time when, you know, you left the shores and Hobart's certainly very evolving in that cultural sense, in the sporting cultural sense, which has got to be a good thing, doesn't it? Yeah, I mean, I think what you'll find, like, apart from just having kids is people having a connection to a sporting team, and that can be great for communities. Yeah, I guess like social connection as well, just supporting teams and going to watch games, you know, wearing a gear around to a cafe or whatever it might be, I think. Yeah, I feel very strongly about sport being connecting and a good thing for the community. So yeah, I think it's going to be great. What about this tournament? Have you thought past that? Not really. I mean, I think you sort of, in an Olympic cycle every, every four years, you sort of just put all the eggs in the basket of what's coming up and, yeah, haven't really thought too much without it afterwards. I think a lot of people are a bit like that. You sort of, you know, have such a massive opportunity and a huge experience right ahead of you. And you just sort of focus pretty hard on that. And yeah, lose plans and things like that. But yeah, I haven't thought too much ahead. Good luck. Well done to you. I believe there's a flag that goes around before. Does anyone have inquired with you and said whether you'd be available to help out? I mean, I heard a few people asking me that sort of thing is pretty good at looking at it really. I've never even thought that that's sort of like a possibility, like when you're a kid or when you're training, like it's not something that ever crosses your mind. Yeah, it's pretty crazy fun. Yeah, very nice. Well done. We're all very proud of you. It's great to see how you've continued to keep on keeping in as you're creeping through your late 30s. We can't wait to watch you again on the international stage, Eddie Ocken and well done and good luck in Paris. All right. Thanks for asking that. Thanks for joining us, Eddie.