Former Clairvaux MacKillop College student (Class of 2008), Jacob Whetton, will embark on what may be his final Olympics appearance in Paris this week.
Bringing home Silver in Tokyo 2021 but losing the final to Belgium in a shootout, the 33 year old forward will be part of a Kookaburras team with a genuine chance of going one better in Paris.
The bookies have Belgium as very slight favourites to repeat their Tokyo Gold medal over Australia and the Netherlands with Germany the best of the rest.
Whetton quipped that he was introduced to the sport of Hockey because his mum and dad both played and so it was easier bringing him and his sister to games than getting a babysitter.
He currently plays for Brisbane Blaze in the Hockey One League after a three-year stint in the Indian Hockey League with the Punjab Warriors. Though in 2020, he signed a contract to play for Oranje-Rood in the Dutch Hockey League but Covid caused that deal to collapse.
The 2024 Olympics Tournament will be played at the Yves-du-Manoir Stadium. The Kookaburras opening match against Argentina will be at 9:15 p.m. Brisbane time on Saturday night, 27 July.
Their next match will be against Ireland at 6:00 p.m. Brisbane time on Monday, 29 July followed by a rematch of the Tokyo final when they take on Belgium at 3:45 a.m. Brisbane time on Wednesday 31 July. They then take on New Zealand at 6:30 p.m. Brisbane time on Thursday 1 August, with the final pool match against India at 9:15 p.m. on Friday 2 August.
The Top 4 from Pool and Pool B will then embark on the Quarter finals from Sunday 4 August.
Should the Kookaburras repeat their Tokyo 2021 achievement of making the final, it will be played at 3:00 a.m. Brisbane time on Friday 9 August.
Stan Sports will have a dedicated Hockey Channel showing the games live as part of their Olympics coverage.
