The world No.1 Kookaburras have been rattled by the prospect of playing games in quarters in the Champions Trophy tournament.
The Australian men's hockey team have arrived at Bhubaneswar, India as the runaway favourites for the elite eight-team tournament after claiming the past five titles.
They are keen to cap yet another stellar year that has already included World Cup and Glasgow Commonwealth Games gold medal success.
Yet the Kookaburras aren't laughing ahead of the tournament which starts with their clash with England on Saturday (AEDT) due to the made-for-TV format.
Matches will be played in quarters rather than halves, making it easier to package for TV and satisfy the hordes of fans in hockey-mad India who couldn't buy a ticket for the sold out tournament.
It has thrown a spanner in the works for Australia who like to build pressure over time before putting their opponent away - a luxury they won't have in India, veteran Fergus Kavanagh says.
Perhaps to prove a point, the Kookaburras have only ever played four games in quarters - the recent 3-1 series loss to lowly world No.9 India in Perth.
"Our first reaction was that it may be quite bad for us because our fitness is a competitive advantage for us," Kavanagh told AAP.
"Being on the pitch longer we could run over teams.
"But quarters give teams more of a break - it breaks up momentum.
"It's a new challenge for us."
But an inexperienced Kookaburras squad, without captain Mark Knowles and five-time World Player of the Year James Dwyer (both foot injuries), are determined to protect their record.
"We could increase our intensity and play even harder," Kavanagh said.
"We are trialling it at the moment with tactics, how to use substitutions.
"I think it will be a work in progress over the tournament."
Apart from their sole Athens Olympic gold triumph, Australia have dominated men's hockey to ensure they have been a top four ranked side for more than 30 years.
Remarkably they are the only Australian sporting team - male or female - to win a medal at each of the past six Olympic Games.
"There's always pressure on the Kookaburras, and the public always has high expectations - it is not something new," Kavanagh said.
"And the newcomers appreciate our history."
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