South West veterans Aran Zalewski and Jake Harvie named in Kookaburras squad as Olympic Games campaign nears

A pair of Kookaburras stalwarts from the South West have been named in the squad for the upcoming FIH Pro League games in India as the team’s preparations for the Olympic Games come to a head. Margaret River midfielder Aran Zalewski and Dardanup defender Jake Harvie are both part of the 24-man outfit for fixtures against Spain, the Netherlands, India and Ireland, which will be played in Bhubaneswar and Rourkela from February 11 to February 25. Zalewski, 32, is one of the Kookaburras’ most experienced players, having represented the national team on 243 occasions, while Harvie has been capped 120 times since debuting as a 19-year-old in 2017. Zalewski and Harvie are three and two-time Commonwealth Games gold medal winners respectively, but the Kookaburras have not won Olympic gold since 2004 and will look to avenge their heartbreaking Tokyo gold medal match loss to Belgium in Paris. The Kookaburras’ first assignment comes in the form of Spain on Sunday, with all Kookaburras and Hockeyroos matches streaming live and free on 7plus.