Larkin said a successful Olympic run for the Kookaburras or Hockeyroos usually trickles down to the grass roots with an increase in player numbers.

Wagga product Dylan Martin fell just short of gold at his debut Olympics after the Kookaburras were defeated on penalties by Belgium in Thursday night's Olympic final.

But the Kookaburras' strong run over the past fortnight, after failing to podium five years ago, is just what the sport needed.

The favourable time zone from Tokyo, which enabled viewers to watch the match in prime, was another huge shot in the arm.

"It's a very big moment for hockey," Larkin said.

"We always have a 20 per cent growth in numbers when the Hockeyroos or Kookaburras go on a run (at the Olympics), and we're hopeful that will flow onto the good things we've done already."

IN OTHER NEWS

Larkin is supremely confident there is more talent capable of wearing the green and gold waiting in the wings in Wagga.

"We've had five internationals come out of Wagga and I'm sure there's another Dylan Martin in the group of juniors we've got this year, I know guaranteed," Larkin said.

"He has been down here a few times to do some work with the juniors, and they always enjoy his company when he's here.

"I'm sure our young hockey players getting around at games on Friday will be pretty excited."

The class of 2004 remains the only Kookaburras squad to claim gold but the wealth of debutants in Tokyo, including Martin, means Australia should fancy their chances of going one better at Paris in 2024.

The team at Athens won a bronze at Sydney in 2000 before claiming hockey's ultimate prize four years later.

Martin's next goal is to make the Commonwealth Games squad to compete at Birmingham next year.

"We hadn't had a lot of international competition (in the lead-up), and Belgium has been on the European circuit," Larkin said.

Our journalists work hard to provide local, up-to-date news to the community. This is how you can continue to access our trusted content: