Dardanup product Jake Harvie says Kookaburras Olympic performance “disappointing” but stoked with Games debut

Dardanup product Jake Harvie has conceded the Kookaburras’ performance at the Paris Olympics earlier this year was “disappointing” but said making his debut on sport’s biggest stage was a dream come true. The Kookaburras came into the Games looking to go one better than their silver medal finish at the 2020 Tokyo Olympics, but were short of their best in Paris, losing to Belgium and India in the group stages before exiting in the quarterfinals with a 3-0 loss to eventual gold medallists the Netherlands. But Harvie, who missed out on selection for Tokyo as part of a period spent out of the side before winning his place back for Paris, told the South Western Times he would look back on the experience with pride. “It’s been difficult to reflect on it, because as an athlete, you go there to win, you go there to perform and we didn’t do that as well as we would’ve liked,” he said. “Sometimes those things happen in sport, but it was an amazing experience . . . it was definitely a whirlwind experience and pretty surreal. “It’s something I’ve always dreamed of, becoming an Olympian. I’m very grateful for that opportunity.” The 26-year-old continued a family hockey legacy by heading to the Games, following in the footsteps of his grandfather Gordon Pearce, who was a three-time Olympian. Harvie said his most cherished moment from the Games was arriving to his room at the Olympic village and seeing his Olympic blazer. “My grandad had three of those and I always used to look at those in the spare room in his house. It was cool to finally get one of my own,’ he said. “I’m fortunate to have that history and that connection. It’s something I’m very grateful for.” Looking forward to the 2028 Games in Los Angeles, Harvie said he was “absolutely” eyeing off a second Olympic berth. “I feel like I’m still pretty young, as hockey goes. I’m looking forward to having the opportunity of being a bit more of a senior player and a leader and taking up some more responsibility,” he said. “There’s a great history in Australian hockey and hopefully we can continue to emulate that moving forward.” Harvie will not have to wait long for his next assignment on the turf, with the Perth Thundersticks’ Hockey One season starting this month. He said he was excited to take on a leadership role in a young squad. “I had time off and a holiday after Paris to decompress and a bit of a rest, but I’ve actually really enjoyed getting back to training and moving on,” Harvie said. “There’s always lessons to be learnt, that’s one of the things I really enjoy about being an athlete, you’re always trying to improve, win, lose or draw. “We’ve got good energy around the group and I’m really enjoying having fun in that environment while trying to mentor some of those really talented young kids.” The Thundersticks will get their Hockey One campaign under way on the road against the Canberra Chill on October 13.