A tilt at Commonwealth Games gold on home soil, followed by the last ever Champions Trophy and rounded out with a World Cup debut in which the Kookaburras would seek their third-straight World Cup crown. 

Twelve months down the track, and Govers freely admits the year did not perfectly fit the script he had so carefully written.

A broken hand just days before the Commonwealth Games ended his Gold Coast dream before it had even begun. A shootout loss to the Netherlands in a World Cup semi-final ensured the Kookaburras would fall short of Cup glory. 

Wedged in between the disappointing moments were a number of incredible highlights. A resounding Kookaburras victory at the Champions Trophy was followed by the return of older brother Kieran to international hockey. 

It was clearly a rollercoaster journey for the 22-year-old.

“It was an eventful year for me,” Govers said. “I felt I started off fairly well, had some form and was really feeling comfortable, but then breaking my hand put me back a little bit and it took me a while to get back that momentum. 

“Then I came back and started to play some good hockey leading into the World Cup. Finishing third, losing in a semi-final in a shootout was pretty difficult but it was good to bounce back the next day to get third.” 

While he looks back on the highlights with fond memories, it’s the lowlights that Govers will use as motivation for what’s shaping up to be a challenging 2019. 

The Kookaburras will contest a brand new competition, the FIH Pro League, that will see the side play the top teams in the world both home and away. To add to the importance of the next 12 months, the FIH Pro League will also play a role in qualifying for next year’s Olympics.

Having endured last year’s World Cup hiccup, Govers is confident there are numerous lessons the side will take into the Pro League. 

“Obviously we want to go to the World Cup to win, everyone goes there to win. But going away and getting third, it can be a blessing in disguise, because we’re going to learn a hell of a lot out of it and it’s important we take those learnings out of it.

“We want to be a great team, we know we have a long way to go, but we’re showing glimpses of it. We’re obviously a really young team and we’re pressing towards getting a result at Tokyo after we didn’t do so well in Rio.

“There’s tournaments along the way that we need to tick off to become great, we have a massive year of hockey ahead, heading towards Tokyo. It’s still two years away but you can’t just rock up there and expect to win.”

The Kookaburras have been drawn to face a familiar foe in their first match of the Pro League, the Netherlands in Melbourne on Saturday February 2.

A further six matches on home soil against the likes of Great Britain, New Zealand and Argentina will follow throughout the next six weeks before the side hits the road for the second half of the competition. 

Given the history between Australia and the Netherlands, Govers is confident his team won’t be lacking in motivation when they take to the field for the season opener.

“We always seem to come up against the Dutch in very important games. They knocked us out of the Olympics and at the World Cup as well. That’s two in a row they knocked us out, so I think we will all be pretty hungry, and so will they. It’s going to be some great hockey.”

Despite his young age, Govers has now experienced the two biggest tournaments in world hockey, the World Cup and Olympics.

His Olympic debut was one to remember, but not for the right reasons.

Pre-tournament favourites and the top ranked team in the world, the Kookaburras floundered through a shambolic campaign before they were ultimately dumped out of the tournament by the Netherlands in the quarter-final.

As is often the case after such a disastrous campaign, a clean out ensued, with both players and coaches shown the exit door. 

Into the squad came a number of fresh faces as new coach Colin Batch embarked on a four-year project of turning the side into potential Olympic gold medalists. 

The early results were promising, with the Kookaburras reclaiming the number one ranking with victory in the 2017 World League Finals. The bronze medal at the World Cup, however, showed how far this team still has to progress in the next 18 months. 

Having experienced the lead in to Rio, Govers is confident the team is tracking nicely as they build towards Tokyo. 

”Our coaching staff has really put us on a good road. They manage our team very well, with life as well as hockey. Tactically, they’re ahead of the game and they give us great insights of what we need to be doing out there.

“Coaching wise, the team is heading in a great direction. Everyone believes in the direction we’re going and that’s the main thing. At the end of the day, we’re all striving together. It’s a new, young squad and I’m feeling very confident heading into Tokyo.”

While Tokyo looms as the ultimate goal, the Kookaburras have their eyes firmly focused on what they know will be a difficult 2019.

The upper echelons of world hockey have become increasingly congested in recent years and Govers knows the Australian men must continue evolving to return to the top of the mountain, starting with this year’s Pro League.  

It’s a challenge, however, that the team is embracing.

“The gap between the top teams has shortened and we have had to adapt, which has been challenging.

“International hockey is forever evolving and we need to stay ahead of it, so we’re not playing catch-up, but trying to extend that gap again.”