Tom Wickham knows no Kookaburra is "ever safe" as the fit-again striker returns from a nine-month lay-off in a Hockey One season that will shape selection for next year's Olympics.
The Perth talent scored five times for Australia at the Tokyo Games, including the side's lone goal in the devastating extra-time loss to Belgium in the final.
Rehabilitation from a knee arthroscopy has kept Wickham sidelined for most of this year though, leaving the 33-year-old with a point to prove ahead of the Paris showpiece next year.
"I'm excited to be back out playing ... I'd play hockey every day if I could," he said ahead of the Thundersticks' season opener against Canberra on Saturday at Perth Hockey Stadium.
"There's always a bit of pressure there in the build-up to an Olympic year.
"The chips are on the table, right? There's opportunities for those vying and those in the national team to continually perform.
"I don't think you're ever safe; it's a daily thing and these (tournaments) give a good gauge of where players are at."
Wickham debuted for Australia in 2013 but had to wait another four years to add to his two caps.
He now has 45 goals in 91 appearances, Paris shaping as Wickham's his last crack at a gold that's eluded the champion side since their maiden Olympic triumph in 2004.
Wickham's Thundersticks were beaten in the final by NSW last season, continuing the Pride's stranglehold on the fledgling tournament that was canned for two years due to COVID after a 2019 debut.
The Pride also won the women's event last year, while Brisbane Blaze were the inaugural champions.
More than 80 current or former Australian representatives are spread across the rosters of the seven franchises, while more than 20 more have represented 10 other nations.
The seven-week home and away event has been built to promote entertaining hockey, with reduced four-man benches and teams able to convert field goals and penalty strokes into two goals, if the scorer can then beat the goalkeeper in a one-on-one shootout opportunity.
Shoot-outs at fulltime will decide the winner if scores are tied.
Ratified by the International Hockey Federation, the shoot-out is only used as an extra-time mechanism at Test level but Wickham endorsed the prospect of conversions being introduced at the highest level.
