But to Gerringong's Grace Stewart, a key member of the Hockeyroos team at the Olympic Games, that's not the case.

"The feeling around the group for that fortnight in Tokyo was so special and all the players really want to recapture that going into next season - it brought everyone a lot of enjoyment and pride to pull on the green and gold," Stewart said.

"With the squad being so young, most of the group will be together for the next three years and build on the foundations from Tokyo, as we work towards Paris in 2024 - it's a very exciting time for our group."

Read more: Corona Open Mexico assault ends in round of 32 for Wright brothers

During the early stages of the Games, Stewart's side created history by becoming the first-ever Hockeyroos team to win all five of their pool matches at an Olympics.

"Leading into the Games, it was hard to get a gauge on how well we were actually travelling, as we'd only played New Zealand over the past 18 months," the Kiama High School alumna, who was rested in the team's final group match against Argentina due to a tight hamstring, said.

"But we hit the ground running in the pool matches and were playing some really strong hockey and recording wins, which gave us all the belief we could have gone all the way.

"The belief and confidence within the group during those group matches is something I haven't experienced in the Australian set-up for some time.

"That's probably why it was so hard to come to terms with the defeat against India."

That loss to India, who ended up in fourth, Stewart admits was one of the toughest of her international career.

"Despite going a goal down, there was definitely still a belief among the group on the back of how well we'd played in the five previous matches," she said.

"We created plenty of chances, hit the post on numerous occasions and had numerous short corners that we just didn't convert - the ball just didn't want to go in.

"Upon reflecting on the game now, as the time ticked down, you could see it gradually slipping through our hands and got a sense of it's happening again, which was heartbreaking."

Following the shattering defeat and free-slowing tears in the field, the Hockeyroos returned to the deafening quiet change rooms.

"There was an extremely long silence in the rooms after, as we were all coming to terms with what had just happened, while also waiting for everyone to make their way back in," the 91-game Hockyeroos veteran said.

"The silence was finally broken by Katrina [Powell], who empathised how proud she was of us as a coach, as we'd achieved something no other Hockeyroos team had done before in the group games.

"She then emphasised how bright our future looked and that this adversity would make us stronger long-term."

Read more: Half a chance: Clune eager to make most of his time in seven jersey

Although some have drawn similarities to the Hockeyroos' exits at Rio and Tokyo, Stewart was quick to squash that train of thought.

"This experience feels so different to Rio," the 24-year-old said.

"In Rio, we weren't playing exciting hockey and weren't clicking as a group, whereas in Tokyo, we were playing so well and it almost felt this was our chance to achieve something special.

"For it to be taken away so quickly, makes it a lot more devastating and harder to deal with than Rio."

Much has been said about how different the experience of the Games was in 2020 because of COVID-19, but Stewart admits she thoroughly enjoyed it for what it was.

"The whole two weeks was amazing, I almost preferred my time in Tokyo but the Australia Olympic Committee went over and beyond to make our environment as good as possible - we probably had the best set-up out of any of the countries there," she said.

"Obviously winning makes it more enjoyable too, with the vibe around the Australian camp being incredible and something very special to be a part of.

"In saying that, the first time we walked onto the training field and all the empty seats hit you, was quite deflating, as we all acknowledged how amazing it would have been to have our friends and family there, which would have added an extra dimension to it.

"But once the games started, I barely noticed the stands and was squarely focused on the game.

"At the end of the day, with everything going on in the world, I'm super grateful the Games were able to go ahead at all."

Read more: Group Seven's participation numbers continue to soar despite COVID-19

Since leaving the Japanese capital on August 3, Stewart and the majority of her teammates have been in two weeks quarantine in Perth.

They have just ticked over the halfway mark, in which Stewart has been killing time by walking, running and skipping in her room, as there is no balcony, as well as doing some banded exercises.

She has also had plenty of time to reflect individually and with coach Powell on her second Games appearance.

"Overall, I was happy with my performances in Tokyo, where I was able to string together some of the top international games of my career," she said.

"Although I didn't have quite the impact I would have liked in the quarter-final, which is hard to live with, I'm trying to focus on the positives - which is was Katrina wants me to do.

"We had a one-on-one chat on Wednesday and discussed the areas she was happy with me in and what areas we are going to tweak once we're out of lockdown."

Once the squad are released, they will enjoy some time away from the sport before ramping up for a massive 2022 campaign, which includes a World Cup and Commonwealth Games.

"Our schedule is a little up in the air at the moment as we are meant to have Hockey One at the end of the year but it keeps being pushed back because of all the lockdowns happening around the country," she said.

"That will impact when we return to training as a group, ahead of the 2022 national squad being named in December.

Read more: McCarron's Shoalhaven out to prove they're a cut above Greater Illawarra rivals

"That will be when we start really ramping up for one of the biggest seasons I've had as a Hockeyroo, with those two major tournaments back-to-back in Europe."

These will give Stewart and her squad a chance to "make amends" for Tokyo.

"There are teams, such as the Netherlands, that we didn't get to play in Tokyo and would have loved the chance to match-up with them," said.

"Although the dust is still settling on Tokyo, we're all really excited to get out there and show exactly what we're made of."

We depend on subscription revenue to support our journalism. If you are able, please subscribe here. If you are already a subscriber, thank you for your support.