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AAP
AAP
Joanna Guelas

Kookaburras, Hockeyroos win Olympics QF rematches

The Kookaburras are celebrating a win over men's hockey world No.1 the Netherlands. (Mark Evans/AAP PHOTOS)

Australia have emerged victorious in two Olympic hockey quarter-final rematches, with the Kookaburras and Hockeyroos winning FIH Pro League clashes.

The rebuilding Kookaburras first pulled off an upset 4-2 men's hockey win over the Netherlands at Sydney Olympic Park.

The Hockeyroos then defeated China 2-2 (2-1) after Courtney Schonell made the winning penalty shot in the later match on Thursday.

The matches came five months after the Netherlands knocked the Kookaburras out of the Paris Games with a 2-0 quarter-final win, while the Hockeyroos fell 3-2 to China.

The Netherlands men went on to win gold, while China's women - led by Hockeyroos great Alyson Annan - claimed silver.

For the Kookaburras, Jake Harvie scored first on Thursday before goals from Davis Atkin, Cooper Burns and Ky Willott helped the Aussies exact some revenge on the world No.1 side.

Miles Bukkens and Tjep Hoedemakers reduced the deficit to one goal but Willott found the back of the net to kill off the visitors' second-half challenge.

Harvie
Jake Harvie bagged the opening goal from a penalty. (Mark Evans/AAP PHOTOS)

The Kookaburras' Olympics crash-out triggered a squad upheaval, with former men's captain Mark Hager replacing long-time coach Colin Batch.

Hager named only nine of the 22-man Paris squad for the Pro League stage in Sydney and called up eight debutants for their opening match against Spain.

Their win over the Dutch followed a 2-1 loss to Spain in their opener.

"To get across the line was fantastic," Paris Olympian Harvie told AAP.

"The quarter-final defeat feels like a long time ago, but I'm sure there will always be a good rivalry.

"We're still a bit of an unknown, our group - pretty exciting for a group with eight debutants in their second game to beat the Netherlands."

Katrina Powell's Hockeyroos have also undergone a rebuild after veteran trio Jane Claxton, Renee Taylor and Brooke Peris retired.

Powell called up three debutants for their Sydney matches, with Paris standouts Stephanie Kershaw and Rebecca Greineron on sabbaticals and striker Alice Arnott out injured.

"For some of the Paris athletes, and for myself, there's a little bit of emotion there," Powell told AAP.

"We wanted to do better (at the Olympics) but that's not China's fault.

"With the new group, they don't have that baggage, and neither do we want to bring it into this new group.

"They've got their own destiny to fulfill."

Schon
Courtney Schonell (l) rejoices with teammates after scoring against China. (Mark Evans/AAP PHOTOS)

The Hockeyroos copied their male counterparts by getting off to a flying start in their fixture.

Australia were awarded a penalty stroke after a corner in the dying seconds of the opening quarter and Clare Colwill cooly converted.

Schonell then found her first goal of the night thirty seconds into the second term.

Tan Jinzhuang responded for China just before half-time and found another in the final quarter to send the match into a penalty shootout.

The Hockeyroos have opened their Pro League season with two wins, also defeating Spain 4-1 in their first match in Sydney.

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