Tokyo silver medal sinking in for Govers, Ogilvie, as focus turns to future

Flynn Ogilvie wonders what could have been.

For all their time thinking - when you are forced into two weeks of hotel quarantine, there's plenty of time for thinking - the Illawarra duo still don't know how to feel about the silver medal won at the Olympics.

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Govers and Ogilvie were key members of the Australian men's hockey team that finished second in Tokyo.

It's a medal that still holds bittersweet emotions. On one hand, winning silver at the Olympic Games is a remarkable achievement.

On the other, it represents how close they were to gold, the Kookaburras falling to Belgium in a shootout in the decider.

"Every time I look at the medal now, I still think we lost the gold medal," Ogilvie said. "Talking to people, I have begun to realise it is a big achievement."

Govers has experienced similar emotions, almost preferring to have won bronze, rather than fallen into silver.

"If you play for bronze, you win that and you're cheering," Govers said. "Silver is one better, but you're more disappointed.

"Time does make you more proud of the silver medal. I go back and it could've been a lot worse, we could've walked away without anything.

"Winning silver is super amazing and I'm grateful for it, but as a professional you want to be the best. We'll reset now, in three years' time we'll go win the real one."

The result has sparked a fire inside Govers, the 25-year-old determined to go one better in Paris.

Tokyo marked a significant step forward for both Govers and the Kookaburras, after the side was eliminated in the quarter-finals at the 2016 Olympics.

Despite this, the Albion Park talent knows he is yet to summit the mountain. That can only come once he wins gold.

To achieve this goal, Govers is determined to develop into one of the world's best players.

"The fire's in the belly," Govers said. "I'm starting to hit my straps, my body's starting to get into top shape. I'm in the best time of my life.

"These next three years I'm looking to push the envelope to see how good I can be. I'm building slowly and have been challenged a lot from the coaching staff.

"Hopefully, instead of being one of the best drag-flickers in the world, I can be one of the best players in the world."

While Govers is determined to push on for Paris, Ogilvie's future remains uncertain.

One of Australia's standout performers in Tokyo, the midfielder knows he still has more to give.

But, at 27, the Wollongong talent is starting to plan for the future.

A bumper period lies ahead for Australia, with Commonwealth Games, World Cup and Olympics all on the agenda.

Ogilvie would like to compete at those events, however has questions he needs to answer before committing to another three years at the team's Perth base.

"I'd love to go to Paris, but as I get older I need to focus on other things as well," Ogilvie said. "I worry a bit more about work and family.

"I want to continue for sure, but it might be in a bit of a more balanced way and have more focus on stuff away from hockey."

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