Burras pipped in Sultan of Johor Cup Final
Published Mon 06 Nov 2023
Despite narrowly missing out on lifting the Sultan of Johor Cup trophy, the Burras have proven they are a force to be reckoned with leading up to next month’s FIH Junior Men’s World Cup.
Australia’s Under 21 men’s hockey team came agonisingly close to winning the 2023 Sultan of Johor Cup, reaching the Final only to lose the decider in a shootout for the second year running.
After going down to India 5-4 in a shootout last year, this time it was Germany who broke Burras hearts as the Europeans prevailed 3-1 in the shootout after the Final finished scoreless at full time.
This year’s edition of the Sultan of Johor Cup, which is the only FIH sanctioned annual Under-21 men’s tournament, saw eight teams participating instead of six, the nations split into two pools of four.
The Burras went through the pool stage undefeated with wins against Great Britain and South Africa either side of an enthralling 2-2 draw with Germany.
Finishing top of their pool, the Burras faced Pakistan in the semi finals, where two world class tomahawk goals from Cooper Burns and Brodee Foster secured a tense 2-1 win.
This meant another clash with Germany in the Final. In a fierce, intense encounter neither side could break the deadlock during the 60 minutes, sending the match to be decided by a shootout.
Unfortunately, it was not to be for Jay Stacy’s team as Germany won the shootout 3-1 to claim the title.
Victorian Cooper Burns finished joint second on the goal scorer charts with four to his name, while Western Australia’s Brodee Foster finished the tournament with three goals.
“This tournament was great preparation and we took a lot of learnings from it that will only benefit us heading into the Junior World Cup,” said Burras captain and Kookaburra Craig Marais.
“The Final was a pretty cool match to be a part of. It was a disappointing way to finish after the boys put in such a great shift and had a really good tournament, but this experience will hold us in good stead for what is to come.”
The Burras’ performances signals an exciting and promising future for the Kookaburras and Australian men’s hockey. However, of most immediate focus is the upcoming FIH Junior Women’s World Cup starting in Kuala Lumpur on 5 December.
The Burras’ 18-player team team for the Junior World Cup is set to be announced on Friday.
2023 Sultan of Johor Cup
Johor Bahru, Malaysia
27 October - 4 November
Burras Results
Friday 27 October
Australia 3-0 Great Britain
Watch the replay
Monday 30 October
Australia 2-2 Germany
Watch the replay
Tuesday 31 October
South Africa 0-4 Australia
Watch the replay
Friday 3 November
Australia 2-1 Pakistan
Watch the replay
Saturday 4 November
Germany 0-0 (3-1) Australia
Watch the replay
