AUSTRALIA will be targeting an unprecedented grand slam at the Rio Olympics according to Tasmanian defender Tim Deavin.
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The Kookaburras are reigning World Cup and World League title holders and added a 14th Champions Trophy earlier this month when Deavin captained the side to victory in London.
However, the major hockey title every nation most desires remains the most illusive and on the day he was confirmed as a multiple Olympian, the Launceston 31-year-old said it is time to rectify that.
“We currently hold every other major trophy and it would be unprecedented to achieve the grand slam,” Deavin told Fairfax Media.
We would see anything other than a gold medal as a disappointment
- Kookaburras defender Tim Deavin
“We are the favourites and win the majority of tournaments we take part in so would see anything other than a gold medal as a disappointment.”
Australia’s 16-man squad for Rio will be captained by Mark Knowles backed by fellow triple-Olympian Jamie Dwyer, as well as dual bronze medallists Fergus Kavanagh and Deavin’s fellow Tasmanian Eddie Ockenden.
Deavin joins Chris Ciriello, Simon Orchard, Glenn Turner, Matthew Swann and Matt Gohdes at their second Games, while Blake Govers, Daniel Beale, Jake Whetton, Matthew Dawson, Andrew Charter and Tristan White make their Olympic debuts.
The Kookaburras head to Rio as the number one ranked team with Deavin and Ockenden seeking to join Matthew Wells as Tasmanian Olympic champions.
“I’m really thrilled and humbled to be going to my second Olympics,” said Deavin, who began his career with Tamar Churinga at the St Leonards hockey centre which bears his grandfather David’s name.
“It’s great to get a second chance at winning gold,” Deavin said.
“But it’s extremely hard to win and any of the top six countries in the world are capable of taking it. We just need to perform at our best to have the best chance.”
Deavin said the Champions Trophy final, which Australia won on penalties after a goalless draw against India, had taught the side the importance of taking chances.
“We learned that if we don’t take our chances in front of goal it makes it bloody tough. We had a lot of penalty corners and shots that we were not able to convert and we nearly lost because of that. We should have won by a lot more.”
Rio will represent a third Olympic Games for Ockenden, 29, of Hobart’s North-West Grads, who claimed bronze medals in London and Beijing.
The competition begins on August 6 and the Aussies face New Zealand, Great Britain, Belgium, Spain and hosts Brazil in the preliminary round.