Kookaburras coach Colin Batch steps down

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Kookaburras coach Colin Batch steps down

A new era at the Kookaburras has begun, with Colin Batch stepping down as coach and veteran Eddie Ockenden still weighing up his future following the team’s disappointing quarter-final exit at the Paris Olympics.

Batch enjoyed huge success during his eight-year stint in charge of the *********** men’s hockey team, winning two Commonwealth Games gold medals as well as a silver at the Tokyo Olympics in 2021.

He also led the side to six FIH international tournament Championship titles and the past three Oceania Cups.

But the Kookaburras’ Olympics campaign in Paris was brought to an abrupt halt in the quarter-finals when they suffered a 2-0 loss to eventual champions the Netherlands.

The race is now on to replace Batch, with former Kookaburras stars Matthew Wells and Brent Livermore possible candidates for the role.

Mark Knowles, who was deputy chef de mission in Paris and currently has a role with Hockey Australia as boss of the pathway program, could also be in contention.

Knowles won gold alongside Wells and Livermore at the 2004 Athens Games.

But it’s not just in the coaching ranks where there will be changes.

Six of the 16-man squad that were named for Paris were on Olympic debut and Batch hinted there would be further chances for fresh faces after trialling a host of options in the lead-up to the Games.

“This group has been together for basically eight years so natural attrition, that’s what happens at the end of an Olympic cycle,” Batch said after his team’s last-eight loss to the Netherlands.

Ockenden, who at 37 has already appeared at five Olympics, is yet to announce his future plans and looms as the most likely to call it quits in the not-too-distant future.

Others may also wish to retire, or be nudged aside, to allow the introduction of more fresh faces.

Despite failing to snare a podium finish in Paris, Batch walks away proud of his achievements, which included guiding Australia to the 2023/24 FIH Pro League crown in June.

That feat secured the Kookaburras automatic qualification in the next men’s Hockey World Cup in 2026 – the only nation to do so other than hosts Belgium and Holland.

“The Kookaburras have been a major part of my life, as a player, assistant and head coach for almost 30 years,” Batch said in a statement.

“I am extremely proud to have been part of this program, which has seen much success.”

Hockey Australia’s high performance director Bernard Savage paid tribute to Batch.

“He has overseen a ******* of consistently high-level performance, making the Kookaburras one of the most successful *********** teams,” Savage said in a statement.

“Colin leaves the program in a great position and Kookaburra success well into the LA cycle will have his mark on it.”

The Kookaburras haven’t won Olympic gold since their triumph in Athens.

Batch came close to breaking that drought in Tokyo, only for the Kookaburras to suffer a penalty shootout defeat to Belgium in the gold medal match.

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