Walker urges team-mates to send a warning shot

RACHEL WALKER insists Team GB need to treat their fifth-place play-off with Australia like an Olympic final in order to lay down a marker for next year's Champions Trophy.

_{GIMME SOME STICK: GB'S Rachel Walker wants a big performance against old rivals Australia}

The Olton and West Warwickshire midfielder is still recovering from the disappointing goalless draw with the USA in the final pool game, which ruled Team GB out of a semi-final berth and a shot at a first Olympic medal since Barcelona 1992.

But it's not all doom and gloom for the British girls with their display in the Far East enough to qualify for next summer's Champions Trophy in Australia - the first time GB's women have reached the showpiece event since 2003.

And Walker is adamant victory over the Hockeyroos on Friday will show the rest of the world that GB are on the up and will be a force to be reckoned with come July 2009.

"It is important we go on and win our final game now," she said.  "To finish in the top six is a big achievement and fifth will be even better.

"We had a chance of getting into the semis so we are desperately disappointed we really wanted it.  But we have to pull together as we have a big game to come and can go out on a massive high. 

"For us the incentive for the match is to win - we have qualified for the Champions Trophy which is a big tournament every year so we have to prove we deserve it.

"We have showed a lot of resilience in Beijing we have scored in the last 20 seconds and as a team we have shown some real character.

"So we can hold our heads held high in the way we have performed as a team and our individual performances - but it is not over just yet."

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GB arrived in the Far East ranked ninth in the world, but belied that position to draw with second seeds Argentina and beat Japan and New Zealand  - who are both above GB in the world rankings.

And ahead of GB's clash with the three-time Olympic gold medallists from Down Under, head coach Danny Kerry admitted he couldn't have asked for more from Walker and co. in the Chinese capital.

He said: "As a whole, we climbed the world rankings and beat some good teams. You have to look at the bigger picture. It was not good against the USA, but overall (in the tournament) it was pretty good."

DAVID JORDAN