Kieran Govers knows what it takes to win gold at a Commonwealth Games.
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Govers was 26 years old when he played a role in the Kookaburras' successful campaign in Glasgow in 2014. The Aussies were superb that year, going on an unbeaten run that culminated in a 4-0 victory over India to clinch the gold medal.
The key to that Games was a strong start, and it's something that Govers sees resonating again in the current Kookaburras campaign in Birmingham.
The Australian side - which features Govers' younger brother Blake and fellow Illawarra talent Flynn Ogilvie - opened their account with an emphatic 12-0 mauling of Scotland before outclassing New Zealand by 7-2 on Tuesday morning (AEDT).
The Kookaburras have two pool games remaining - against South Africa on Thursday and Pakistan on Friday - before the finals get underway this weekend.
"They've been going well. It's still early days in the tournament, but it looks like they're clicking together and playing good hockey," Govers told the Mercury.
"They're building up good basic skills and good execution, and it's now about trying to keep that momentum rolling. It's not been the hardest opposition so far, but this Comm Games brings in a lot the best teams in the world. It really comes down to cementing your spot in the semi-final and then it comes down to your crossover.
"When I was coming through, we were always taught 'don't flirt with form'. So even though you're playing lower-ranked opposition, you've still got to execute your skills at the highest level. So you want that momentum line to keep going up, you don't want a little speed hump in it. It's probably going to happen throughout that tournament but hopefully you can rectify it pretty quickly."
The Kookaburras have have been a dominant force at past Commonwealth Games, winning every gold medal since men's hockey was introduced in 1998.
Govers - who retired from playing the sport four years ago - remains confident the Australians can maintain that unbeaten record.
"Without trying to sound too arrogant, it's probably ours to lose" he said.
"There's other good opposition in there, and as I said it comes down to the crossover game, and you need to perform. So that's why you need to keep that momentum and good level of basic skills up, and see how you up against the bigger opposition."
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Joshua Bartlett
A sporting fanatic who is keen to promote all codes in the Illawarra and abroad. Mercury's chief football reporter.
A sporting fanatic who is keen to promote all codes in the Illawarra and abroad. Mercury's chief football reporter.
