Australia's hockey men have suffered a double setback on the final day of the World Cup in India, losing their bronze medal match 3-1 to the Netherlands before surrendering their world No.1 ranking to the newly-crowned champions Germany.

The Kookaburras, finding it hard to lift themselves after the dreadful blow of losing their semi-final to Germany with just six seconds left, were well beaten after taking an early lead in their third-place clash with the Dutch in the Indian city of Bhubaneswar.

They then had the double frustration of watching their last-four conquerors going on to win an amazing final 5-4 in a penalty shoot-out against holders Belgium after the two teams had been locked at 3-3 at full-time.

Extraordinarily, the never-say-die Germans won their third world title after coming from two goals behind for a third straight match after similar fightbacks in the quarters against England and then the Kookaburras' semi.

It meant Germany, winners in 2002 and 2006, will now take over as the world's No.1 ranked men's side from the Kookaburras, who were left with just one consolation on a miserable day.

Because it proved a landmark match for Jeremy Hayward, whose superb 12th minute drag flick from a penalty corner was his 100th goal for Australia on his 200th appearance.

But the Kookaburras' day was to get considerably worse when, protecting a 1-0 halftime lead, the Dutch emerged after the break to blitz them with three third-quarter goals, including a five-minute double from their captain Thierry Brinkman.