South West hockey guns Aran Zalewski and Jake Harvie on the hunt for another Commonwealth Games gold

South West hockey guns Aran Zalewski and Jake Harvie’s preparation for another Commonwealth Games gold medal is on track after the Kookaburras completed a 4-0 series sweep over New Zealand. The Kookaburras smashed their trans-Tasman rivals in the four games 8-1, 4-0, 4-1 and 3-1, continuing their domination. They have not lost to the Black Sticks since 2016. Margaret River product Zalewski was once again a key player and captained the Kookaburras in three of the four games, while Dardanup’s Harvie played in the first three games of the series. Harvie was part of the side which won gold at the 2018 Commonwealth Games on the Gold Coast and is hoping to repeat the feat at the 2022 Birmingham Games. The 24-year-old missed out on selection for the 2022 Tokyo Olympic Games, having not missed a competition in the 4½ years leading up to the Games. “It was obviously a very challenging experience not to be selected for the Tokyo Olympics, however, I am hopeful of future opportunities to represent Australia,” he said. Zalewski won gold at the 2014 Commonwealth Games in Glasgow and at the 2018 Games and was co-captain of the Kookaburras side which claimed a silver medal at the Tokyo Olympics — losing 3-2 to Belgium in a shootout. The Birmingham 2022 Commonwealth Games are from July 28 to August 8, when the Kookaburras will look to claim a remarkable seventh-straight gold medal.