Latest news with #Kookaburras
The Advertiser
3 days ago
- Sport
- The Advertiser
Kookaburras suffer woeful end to Pro League defence
The Kookaburras have suffered an end-of-campaign let-down in Berlin as their German hosts crushed them 5-0 to ensure Australia's defending champions can't even finish as runners-up in the International Hockey Pro League. In their final match on Wednesday (Thursday AEST), evidently feeling flat after their title hopes were extinguished at the weekend by the loss to England in London, Australia were unable to give Tom Craig a 150th cap to remember. Instead, it was home hero Martin Zwicker who was left celebrating his record-breaking 336th appearance as the most capped German men's player of all time. The five-goal trouncing lifted Germany into second place in the standings on 27 points, the same as the Kookaburras and still with two matches to play. Netherlands took the title with 35 points from 16 matches, having lost just twice all tournament. Benedikt Schwarzhaupt put Germany ahead with a fifth-minute drag flick, Malte Hellwig made it two with his 13th-minute tap-in, and Moritz Ludwig's penalty-corner deflection six minutes later effectively sealed the deal. Australia's best spell was then thwarted by German keeper Jean-Paul Danneberg, who made an inspired double save and dived to keep out a penalty corner, only for Hellwig to grab his second and put Germany 4-0 up by halftime. Joel Rintala got a yellow card and Connar Otterbach a green as the Kookaburras' woes multiplied, with Raphael Hartkopf scoring a deflected fifth in the 36th minute. It meant Australia ended their campaign with eight wins, three draws and five losses. They are currently third in the table, but Belgium (fourth) and Spain (fifth) could yet overhaul them. "Germany were super clinical tonight, as they typically are, and it was a tricky way to finish a long tour," Craig said. "This trip was about development, and we gave ourselves the opportunity to go pretty deep into the tournament as well. Unfortunately, we came a little bit unstuck in the last few games, but I think we've made a lot of big steps, and we've got a lot of footage as a team now to review with next year's World Cup in mind. "It's definitely been a long journey, and maybe tonight I'll sit down and reflect on, maybe not this game, but the 149 before it, and feel a bit of pride." The Kookaburras have suffered an end-of-campaign let-down in Berlin as their German hosts crushed them 5-0 to ensure Australia's defending champions can't even finish as runners-up in the International Hockey Pro League. In their final match on Wednesday (Thursday AEST), evidently feeling flat after their title hopes were extinguished at the weekend by the loss to England in London, Australia were unable to give Tom Craig a 150th cap to remember. Instead, it was home hero Martin Zwicker who was left celebrating his record-breaking 336th appearance as the most capped German men's player of all time. The five-goal trouncing lifted Germany into second place in the standings on 27 points, the same as the Kookaburras and still with two matches to play. Netherlands took the title with 35 points from 16 matches, having lost just twice all tournament. Benedikt Schwarzhaupt put Germany ahead with a fifth-minute drag flick, Malte Hellwig made it two with his 13th-minute tap-in, and Moritz Ludwig's penalty-corner deflection six minutes later effectively sealed the deal. Australia's best spell was then thwarted by German keeper Jean-Paul Danneberg, who made an inspired double save and dived to keep out a penalty corner, only for Hellwig to grab his second and put Germany 4-0 up by halftime. Joel Rintala got a yellow card and Connar Otterbach a green as the Kookaburras' woes multiplied, with Raphael Hartkopf scoring a deflected fifth in the 36th minute. It meant Australia ended their campaign with eight wins, three draws and five losses. They are currently third in the table, but Belgium (fourth) and Spain (fifth) could yet overhaul them. "Germany were super clinical tonight, as they typically are, and it was a tricky way to finish a long tour," Craig said. "This trip was about development, and we gave ourselves the opportunity to go pretty deep into the tournament as well. Unfortunately, we came a little bit unstuck in the last few games, but I think we've made a lot of big steps, and we've got a lot of footage as a team now to review with next year's World Cup in mind. "It's definitely been a long journey, and maybe tonight I'll sit down and reflect on, maybe not this game, but the 149 before it, and feel a bit of pride." The Kookaburras have suffered an end-of-campaign let-down in Berlin as their German hosts crushed them 5-0 to ensure Australia's defending champions can't even finish as runners-up in the International Hockey Pro League. In their final match on Wednesday (Thursday AEST), evidently feeling flat after their title hopes were extinguished at the weekend by the loss to England in London, Australia were unable to give Tom Craig a 150th cap to remember. Instead, it was home hero Martin Zwicker who was left celebrating his record-breaking 336th appearance as the most capped German men's player of all time. The five-goal trouncing lifted Germany into second place in the standings on 27 points, the same as the Kookaburras and still with two matches to play. Netherlands took the title with 35 points from 16 matches, having lost just twice all tournament. Benedikt Schwarzhaupt put Germany ahead with a fifth-minute drag flick, Malte Hellwig made it two with his 13th-minute tap-in, and Moritz Ludwig's penalty-corner deflection six minutes later effectively sealed the deal. Australia's best spell was then thwarted by German keeper Jean-Paul Danneberg, who made an inspired double save and dived to keep out a penalty corner, only for Hellwig to grab his second and put Germany 4-0 up by halftime. Joel Rintala got a yellow card and Connar Otterbach a green as the Kookaburras' woes multiplied, with Raphael Hartkopf scoring a deflected fifth in the 36th minute. It meant Australia ended their campaign with eight wins, three draws and five losses. They are currently third in the table, but Belgium (fourth) and Spain (fifth) could yet overhaul them. "Germany were super clinical tonight, as they typically are, and it was a tricky way to finish a long tour," Craig said. "This trip was about development, and we gave ourselves the opportunity to go pretty deep into the tournament as well. Unfortunately, we came a little bit unstuck in the last few games, but I think we've made a lot of big steps, and we've got a lot of footage as a team now to review with next year's World Cup in mind. "It's definitely been a long journey, and maybe tonight I'll sit down and reflect on, maybe not this game, but the 149 before it, and feel a bit of pride."
Yahoo
3 days ago
- Sport
- Yahoo
Kookaburras suffer woeful end to Pro League defence
The Kookaburras have suffered an end-of-campaign let-down in Berlin as their German hosts crushed them 5-0 to ensure Australia's defending champions can't even finish as runners-up in the International Hockey Pro League. In their final match on Wednesday (Thursday AEST), evidently feeling flat after their title hopes were extinguished at the weekend by the loss to England in London, Australia were unable to give Tom Craig a 150th cap to remember. Advertisement Instead, it was home hero Martin Zwicker who was left celebrating his record-breaking 336th appearance as the most capped German men's player of all time. The five-goal trouncing lifted Germany into second place in the standings on 27 points, the same as the Kookaburras and still with two matches to play. Netherlands took the title with 35 points from 16 matches, having lost just twice all tournament. Benedikt Schwarzhaupt put Germany ahead with a fifth-minute drag flick, Malte Hellwig made it two with his 13th-minute tap-in, and Moritz Ludwig's penalty-corner deflection six minutes later effectively sealed the deal. Advertisement Australia's best spell was then thwarted by German keeper Jean-Paul Danneberg, who made an inspired double save and dived to keep out a penalty corner, only for Hellwig to grab his second and put Germany 4-0 up by halftime. Joel Rintala got a yellow card and Connar Otterbach a green as the Kookaburras' woes multiplied, with Raphael Hartkopf scoring a deflected fifth in the 36th minute. It meant Australia ended their campaign with eight wins, three draws and five losses. They are currently third in the table, but Belgium (fourth) and Spain (fifth) could yet overhaul them. "Germany were super clinical tonight, as they typically are, and it was a tricky way to finish a long tour," Craig said. Advertisement "This trip was about development, and we gave ourselves the opportunity to go pretty deep into the tournament as well. Unfortunately, we came a little bit unstuck in the last few games, but I think we've made a lot of big steps, and we've got a lot of footage as a team now to review with next year's World Cup in mind. "It's definitely been a long journey, and maybe tonight I'll sit down and reflect on, maybe not this game, but the 149 before it, and feel a bit of pride."
Perth Now
3 days ago
- Sport
- Perth Now
Kookaburras suffer woeful end to Pro League defence
The Kookaburras have suffered an end-of-campaign let-down in Berlin as their German hosts crushed them 5-0 to ensure Australia's defending champions can't even finish as runners-up in the International Hockey Pro League. In their final match on Wednesday (Thursday AEST), evidently feeling flat after their title hopes were extinguished at the weekend by the loss to England in London, Australia were unable to give Tom Craig a 150th cap to remember. Instead, it was home hero Martin Zwicker who was left celebrating his record-breaking 336th appearance as the most capped German men's player of all time. The five-goal trouncing lifted Germany into second place in the standings on 27 points, the same as the Kookaburras and still with two matches to play. Netherlands took the title with 35 points from 16 matches, having lost just twice all tournament. Benedikt Schwarzhaupt put Germany ahead with a fifth-minute drag flick, Malte Hellwig made it two with his 13th-minute tap-in, and Moritz Ludwig's penalty-corner deflection six minutes later effectively sealed the deal. Australia's best spell was then thwarted by German keeper Jean-Paul Danneberg, who made an inspired double save and dived to keep out a penalty corner, only for Hellwig to grab his second and put Germany 4-0 up by halftime. Joel Rintala got a yellow card and Connar Otterbach a green as the Kookaburras' woes multiplied, with Raphael Hartkopf scoring a deflected fifth in the 36th minute. It meant Australia ended their campaign with eight wins, three draws and five losses. They are currently third in the table, but Belgium (fourth) and Spain (fifth) could yet overhaul them. "Germany were super clinical tonight, as they typically are, and it was a tricky way to finish a long tour," Craig said. "This trip was about development, and we gave ourselves the opportunity to go pretty deep into the tournament as well. Unfortunately, we came a little bit unstuck in the last few games, but I think we've made a lot of big steps, and we've got a lot of footage as a team now to review with next year's World Cup in mind. "It's definitely been a long journey, and maybe tonight I'll sit down and reflect on, maybe not this game, but the 149 before it, and feel a bit of pride."
The Advertiser
4 days ago
- Sport
- The Advertiser
Germans claw their way back to thwart Kookaburras
The Kookaburras are ruing missed opportunities after Germany stormed back from two goals down to claim a 3-2 win in Berlin. It was the home nation's first FIH Pro League meeting of the European campaign. The match on Tuesday (Wednesday AEST) fell on a special occasion for Queensland defender Tim Howard, who made his 150th international appearance in green and gold, as the Kookaburras sought to atone for their 1-2 loss to England. Australia came out with the intensity that had seen them win five from six matches on their European tour. But a second-half resurgence from Germany flipped the script, with the hosts delivering a blistering third quarter to snatch the lead and hold on in the final minutes. "It was a tough game out there today,'' Howard said after the match. "I've played with and against a lot of the guys over here in Germany in their domestic competition and they're a really tough team. "They made the most of their opportunities and they really pushed after what was probably a poor start.'' Despite the loss, Howard said his milestone reflected how much he loved the sport and the team. "The past 150 games have been amazing,'' he said. "I'm loving it a lot, I'm loving it more than I probably ever have, and I'm very grateful to still be playing. "I love this team, I love playing international hockey, so I'll try and do it for as long as I can." Kookaburras coach Mark Hager made four changes to the side that went down to England on Sunday night, including the return of prolific striker Blake Govers. Within three minutes, Govers rocketed home the opener off his right foot, his 161st international goal and his seventh in four games of the European tour. Drag-flick specialist Joel Rintala then scored with a thunderous strike to double Australia's lead midway through the first quarter. Germany responded in the second quarter, striking back through Gonzalo Peillat. Australia's Ash Thomas was suddenly the busier of the two keepers, while Howard marked his milestone with a crucial tackle on the halftime buzzer to preserve the Kookaburras' 2-1 lead. However, the third quarter belonged to Germany. They levelled early with a well-worked field goal, then struck again moments later off a penalty corner to take the lead for the first time. Both sides fought hard in the fourth quarter as Australia pushed desperately for an equaliser. Despite a late surge and mounting pressure, the Kookaburras couldn't find a way to send the match to a shootout. The Netherlands lead the standings on 35 points, with the Kookaburras second on 27 points, with Belgium third and Germany fourth. The Kookaburras are ruing missed opportunities after Germany stormed back from two goals down to claim a 3-2 win in Berlin. It was the home nation's first FIH Pro League meeting of the European campaign. The match on Tuesday (Wednesday AEST) fell on a special occasion for Queensland defender Tim Howard, who made his 150th international appearance in green and gold, as the Kookaburras sought to atone for their 1-2 loss to England. Australia came out with the intensity that had seen them win five from six matches on their European tour. But a second-half resurgence from Germany flipped the script, with the hosts delivering a blistering third quarter to snatch the lead and hold on in the final minutes. "It was a tough game out there today,'' Howard said after the match. "I've played with and against a lot of the guys over here in Germany in their domestic competition and they're a really tough team. "They made the most of their opportunities and they really pushed after what was probably a poor start.'' Despite the loss, Howard said his milestone reflected how much he loved the sport and the team. "The past 150 games have been amazing,'' he said. "I'm loving it a lot, I'm loving it more than I probably ever have, and I'm very grateful to still be playing. "I love this team, I love playing international hockey, so I'll try and do it for as long as I can." Kookaburras coach Mark Hager made four changes to the side that went down to England on Sunday night, including the return of prolific striker Blake Govers. Within three minutes, Govers rocketed home the opener off his right foot, his 161st international goal and his seventh in four games of the European tour. Drag-flick specialist Joel Rintala then scored with a thunderous strike to double Australia's lead midway through the first quarter. Germany responded in the second quarter, striking back through Gonzalo Peillat. Australia's Ash Thomas was suddenly the busier of the two keepers, while Howard marked his milestone with a crucial tackle on the halftime buzzer to preserve the Kookaburras' 2-1 lead. However, the third quarter belonged to Germany. They levelled early with a well-worked field goal, then struck again moments later off a penalty corner to take the lead for the first time. Both sides fought hard in the fourth quarter as Australia pushed desperately for an equaliser. Despite a late surge and mounting pressure, the Kookaburras couldn't find a way to send the match to a shootout. The Netherlands lead the standings on 35 points, with the Kookaburras second on 27 points, with Belgium third and Germany fourth. The Kookaburras are ruing missed opportunities after Germany stormed back from two goals down to claim a 3-2 win in Berlin. It was the home nation's first FIH Pro League meeting of the European campaign. The match on Tuesday (Wednesday AEST) fell on a special occasion for Queensland defender Tim Howard, who made his 150th international appearance in green and gold, as the Kookaburras sought to atone for their 1-2 loss to England. Australia came out with the intensity that had seen them win five from six matches on their European tour. But a second-half resurgence from Germany flipped the script, with the hosts delivering a blistering third quarter to snatch the lead and hold on in the final minutes. "It was a tough game out there today,'' Howard said after the match. "I've played with and against a lot of the guys over here in Germany in their domestic competition and they're a really tough team. "They made the most of their opportunities and they really pushed after what was probably a poor start.'' Despite the loss, Howard said his milestone reflected how much he loved the sport and the team. "The past 150 games have been amazing,'' he said. "I'm loving it a lot, I'm loving it more than I probably ever have, and I'm very grateful to still be playing. "I love this team, I love playing international hockey, so I'll try and do it for as long as I can." Kookaburras coach Mark Hager made four changes to the side that went down to England on Sunday night, including the return of prolific striker Blake Govers. Within three minutes, Govers rocketed home the opener off his right foot, his 161st international goal and his seventh in four games of the European tour. Drag-flick specialist Joel Rintala then scored with a thunderous strike to double Australia's lead midway through the first quarter. Germany responded in the second quarter, striking back through Gonzalo Peillat. Australia's Ash Thomas was suddenly the busier of the two keepers, while Howard marked his milestone with a crucial tackle on the halftime buzzer to preserve the Kookaburras' 2-1 lead. However, the third quarter belonged to Germany. They levelled early with a well-worked field goal, then struck again moments later off a penalty corner to take the lead for the first time. Both sides fought hard in the fourth quarter as Australia pushed desperately for an equaliser. Despite a late surge and mounting pressure, the Kookaburras couldn't find a way to send the match to a shootout. The Netherlands lead the standings on 35 points, with the Kookaburras second on 27 points, with Belgium third and Germany fourth. The Kookaburras are ruing missed opportunities after Germany stormed back from two goals down to claim a 3-2 win in Berlin. It was the home nation's first FIH Pro League meeting of the European campaign. The match on Tuesday (Wednesday AEST) fell on a special occasion for Queensland defender Tim Howard, who made his 150th international appearance in green and gold, as the Kookaburras sought to atone for their 1-2 loss to England. Australia came out with the intensity that had seen them win five from six matches on their European tour. But a second-half resurgence from Germany flipped the script, with the hosts delivering a blistering third quarter to snatch the lead and hold on in the final minutes. "It was a tough game out there today,'' Howard said after the match. "I've played with and against a lot of the guys over here in Germany in their domestic competition and they're a really tough team. "They made the most of their opportunities and they really pushed after what was probably a poor start.'' Despite the loss, Howard said his milestone reflected how much he loved the sport and the team. "The past 150 games have been amazing,'' he said. "I'm loving it a lot, I'm loving it more than I probably ever have, and I'm very grateful to still be playing. "I love this team, I love playing international hockey, so I'll try and do it for as long as I can." Kookaburras coach Mark Hager made four changes to the side that went down to England on Sunday night, including the return of prolific striker Blake Govers. Within three minutes, Govers rocketed home the opener off his right foot, his 161st international goal and his seventh in four games of the European tour. Drag-flick specialist Joel Rintala then scored with a thunderous strike to double Australia's lead midway through the first quarter. Germany responded in the second quarter, striking back through Gonzalo Peillat. Australia's Ash Thomas was suddenly the busier of the two keepers, while Howard marked his milestone with a crucial tackle on the halftime buzzer to preserve the Kookaburras' 2-1 lead. However, the third quarter belonged to Germany. They levelled early with a well-worked field goal, then struck again moments later off a penalty corner to take the lead for the first time. Both sides fought hard in the fourth quarter as Australia pushed desperately for an equaliser. Despite a late surge and mounting pressure, the Kookaburras couldn't find a way to send the match to a shootout. The Netherlands lead the standings on 35 points, with the Kookaburras second on 27 points, with Belgium third and Germany fourth.
Yahoo
4 days ago
- Sport
- Yahoo
Germans claw their way back to thwart Kookaburras
The Kookaburras are ruing missed opportunities after Germany stormed back from two goals down to claim a 3-2 win in Berlin. It was the home nation's first FIH Pro League meeting of the European campaign. The match on Tuesday (Wednesday AEST) fell on a special occasion for Queensland defender Tim Howard, who made his 150th international appearance in green and gold, as the Kookaburras sought to atone for their 1-2 loss to England. Australia came out with the intensity that had seen them win five from six matches on their European tour. But a second-half resurgence from Germany flipped the script, with the hosts delivering a blistering third quarter to snatch the lead and hold on in the final minutes. "It was a tough game out there today,'' Howard said after the match. "I've played with and against a lot of the guys over here in Germany in their domestic competition and they're a really tough team. "They made the most of their opportunities and they really pushed after what was probably a poor start.'' Despite the loss, Howard said his milestone reflected how much he loved the sport and the team. A massive congratulations to Tim Howard who is set to reach 150 matches for the Kookaburras today against Germany! 🇦🇺👏A rock in defence and a true leader on and off the pitch - congrats on 150 Timo! — Kookaburras (@Kookaburras) June 24, 2025 "The past 150 games have been amazing,'' he said. "I'm loving it a lot, I'm loving it more than I probably ever have, and I'm very grateful to still be playing. "I love this team, I love playing international hockey, so I'll try and do it for as long as I can." Kookaburras coach Mark Hager made four changes to the side that went down to England on Sunday night, including the return of prolific striker Blake Govers. Within three minutes, Govers rocketed home the opener off his right foot, his 161st international goal and his seventh in four games of the European tour. Drag-flick specialist Joel Rintala then scored with a thunderous strike to double Australia's lead midway through the first quarter. Germany responded in the second quarter, striking back through Gonzalo Peillat. Australia's Ash Thomas was suddenly the busier of the two keepers, while Howard marked his milestone with a crucial tackle on the halftime buzzer to preserve the Kookaburras' 2-1 lead. However, the third quarter belonged to Germany. They levelled early with a well-worked field goal, then struck again moments later off a penalty corner to take the lead for the first time. Both sides fought hard in the fourth quarter as Australia pushed desperately for an equaliser. Despite a late surge and mounting pressure, the Kookaburras couldn't find a way to send the match to a shootout. The Netherlands lead the standings on 35 points, with the Kookaburras second on 27 points, with Belgium third and Germany fourth.
