The incident at the team meeting was far from confrontational, but the outcome shattered the young Aussie.

Waking up in his German hotel room on the morning of the final, Govers had convinced both himself and the team doctor that he had overcome a bout of laryngitis.

But Charlesworth wasn't convinced.

If Govers had any troubles breathing before the team meeting, Charlesworth only added to his woes.

The Aussie mentor was the bearer of bad news, shattering Govers' dream and ruling him out of his first Champions Trophy final.

"I would have played if I wasn't sick," Govers said.

"It was pretty disappointing watching the guys from the sideline."

The Kookaburras made it two from two against the English in the tournament, sealing their third consecutive title with a 4-0 win in Moenchengladbach.

For Govers, the gold medal-winning performance eased the pain of missing out on the chance to play in a World Cup and Champions Trophy final in the same year.

"After awhile I realised I wasn't up for it and I probably would have dragged the chain if I played," he said.

"The boys gave me some space at first but they all thanked me for my positive attitude."

Govers has enjoyed a remarkable debut international season, but he still has one more accomplishment to tick off his 2010 to-do list.

Flying to Brisbane next week, Govers will get his final chance to book a seat on the plane to Delhi for the Commonwealth Games in October.

Also in the mix for selection are the six high-profile players who were rested from the Kookaburras recent European campaign.

Regardless of whether Charlesworth opts to include the attacking midfielder in his Commonwealth Games squad, Govers' future in the sport is secure.

A lack of financial backing in Australia has prompted his move to Germany to join Aussie team-mate Jamie Dwyer in Mannheim next year.