Australia men's national field hockey team

Australia
Nickname(s)The Kookaburras
AssociationHockey Australia
ConfederationOHF (Oceania)
Head CoachMark Hager
Assistant coach(es)Anthony Potter
ManagerMelissa Grey
CaptainAran Zalewski
Most capsEdward Ockenden (451)
Top scorerJamie Dwyer (244)
Home
Away
FIH ranking
Current 5 1 (18 June 2025)[1]
Highest1 (2005, 2010–2011, 2014 – January 2017, December 2017 – July 2018, June 2019 – January 2020)
Lowest6 (2023, August 2024)
First international
New Zealand  5–4  
(Palmerston North, New Zealand; 27 September 1922)[2]
Biggest win
  36–0  Samoa
(Stratford, New Zealand; 24 October 2015)
Biggest defeat
  1–12  India
(Melbourne, Australia; 17 August 1935)
Olympic Games
Appearances17 (first in 1956)
Best result1st (2004)
World Cup
Appearances14 (first in 1971)
Best result1st (1986, 2010, 2014)
Oceania Cup
Appearances12 (first in 1999)
Best result 1st (1999, 2001, 2003, 2005, 2007, 2009, 2011, 2013, 2015, 2017, 2019, 2023)
Medal record
Event 1st 2nd 3rd
Olympic Games 1 4 5
World Cup 3 2 5
Oceania Cup 12 0 0
Champions Trophy 15 10 5
Commonwealth Games 7 0 0
Hockey World League 2 0 0
Pro League 2 1 0
Total 42 17 15
Olympic Games
2004 Athens Team
1968 Mexico City Team
1976 Montreal Team
1992 Barcelona Team
2020 Tokyo Team
1964 Tokyo Team
1996 Atlanta Team
2000 Sydney Team
2008 Beijing Team
2012 London Team
World Cup
1986 London
2010 New Delhi
2014 The Hague
2002 Kuala Lumpur
2006 Mönchengladbach
1978 Buenos Aires
1982 Bombay
1990 Lahore
1994 Sydney
2018 Bhubaneswar
Oceania Cup
1999 Brisbane
2001 Melbourne
2003 Christchurch–Wellington
2005 Suva
2007 Buderim
2009 Invercargill
2011 Hobart
2013 Stratford
2015 Stratford
2017 Sydney
2019 Rockhampton
2023 Whangarei
Champions Trophy
1983 Karachi
1984 Karachi
1985 Perth
1989 Berlin
1990 Melbourne
1993 Kuala Lumpur
1999 Brisbane
2005 Chennai
2008 Rotterdam
2009 Melbourne
2010 Mönchengladbach
2011 Auckland
2012 Melbourne
2016 London
2018 Breda
1978 Lahore
1981 Karachi
1982 Amstelveen
1986 Lahore
1992 Karachi
1995 Berlin
1997 Adelaide
2001 Rotterdam
2003 Amstelveen
2007 Kuala Lumpur
1980 Karachi
1987 Amstelveen
1988 Lahore
1998 Lahore
2014 Bhubaneswar
Commonwealth Games
1998 Kuala Lumpur Team
2002 Manchester Team
2006 Melbourne Team
2010 New Delhi Team
2014 Glasgow Team
2018 Gold Coast Team
2022 Birmingham Team
Hockey World League
2014–15 Raipur Team
2016–17 Bhubaneswar Team

The Australia men's national field hockey team (nicknamed the Kookaburras) is one of the nation's most successful top-level sporting teams. They are the only Australian team in any sport to receive medals at six straight Summer Olympic Games (1992–2012). The Kookaburras placed in the top four in every Olympics between 1980 and 2012 winning gold in 2004; in 2016, the Kookaburras placed sixth.[3] They won the Hockey World Cup in 1986, 2010 and 2014. They won the Hockey Champions Trophy 15 times, the most by any team. They also won the Pro League and World League twice each.

The Kookaburras' inability to win an Olympic gold medal despite their perennial competitiveness, led many in the Australian hockey community to speak of a "curse" afflicting the team,[4] finally broken in 2004 with the win in Athens. However, they failed to win Gold after that after losses in subsequent Olympics including a loss to Belgium in the Gold Medal Match of 2020 Tokyo Olympics - the Kookaburras instead won the silver medal.[5]

History

Australia's first men's team competed in an international match in 1922.[6]

The first major competition won by the national team was the 1983 World Championships held in Karachi.[7]

Participations

Australia's first men's team competed at the Olympics in field hockey at the 1956 Summer Olympics.[7]

Australia did not medal at the 1984 Summer Olympics[8] or the 1988 Summer Olympics.[9] At the 1992 Summer Olympics, Australia earned a silver medal, losing gold to Germany.[10] At the 1996 Summer Olympics, Australia finished third, earning a bronze medal.[11]

The team won their first Olympic gold medal at the 2004 Summer Olympics. Barry Dancer coached the side.[12]

Should Australia win the gold medal at the 2012 London Olympics they will become the first national team in field hockey history to hold all four international titles available to them simultaneously. They would hold titles in the 2012 Olympics, 2010 World Cup, 2011 Champions Trophy and their continental championship (2011 Oceania Cup) at the same time. Along with those four titles Australia also holds the Commonwealth Games title from the 2010 championships.

  • Australia at the 2008 Olympics
  • Australia at the 2012 Olympics

Tournament records

Olympic Games[13]
Year Host city Position
1908 London, United Kingdom –
1920 Antwerp, Belgium –
1928 Amsterdam, Netherlands –
1932 Los Angeles, United States –
1936 Berlin, Germany –
1948 London, United Kingdom –
1952 Helsinki, Finland –
1956 Melbourne, Australia 5th
1960 Rome, Italy 6th
1964 Tokyo, Japan 3rd
1968 Mexico City, Mexico 2nd
1972 Munich, Germany 5th
1976 Montreal, Canada 2nd
1980 Moscow, Soviet Union Boycott
1984 Los Angeles, United States 4th
1988 Seoul, South Korea 4th
1992 Barcelona, Spain 2nd
1996 Atlanta, United States 3rd
2000 Sydney, Australia 3rd
2004 Athens, Greece 1st
2008 Beijing, China 3rd
2012 London, United Kingdom 3rd
2016 Rio de Janeiro, Brazil 6th
2020 Tokyo, Japan 2nd
2024 Paris, France 6th
FIH World Cup[14]
Year Host city Position
1971 Barcelona, Spain 8th
1973 Amsterdam, Netherlands Withdrew
1975 Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia 5th
1978 Buenos Aires, Argentina 3rd
1982 Bombay, India 3rd
1986 London, England 1st
1990 Lahore, Pakistan 3rd
1994 Sydney, Australia 3rd
1998 Utrecht, Netherlands 4th
2002 Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia 2nd
2006 Mönchengladbach, Germany 2nd
2010 New Delhi, India 1st
2014 The Hague, Netherlands 1st
2018 Bhubaneswar, India 3rd
2023 Bhubaneswar and Rourkela, India 4th
2026 Wavre, Belgium
Amsterdam, Netherlands 		Q
FIH Champions Trophy[15]
Year Host city Position
1978 Lahore, Pakistan 2nd
1980 Karachi, Pakistan 3rd
1981 2nd
1982 Amstelveen, Netherlands 2nd
1983 Karachi, Pakistan 1st
1984 1st
1985 Perth, Australia 1st
1986 Lahore, Pakistan 2nd
1987 Amstelveen, Netherlands 3rd
1988 Lahore, Pakistan 3rd
1989 Berlin, West Germany 1st
1990 Melbourne, Australia 1st
1991 Berlin, Germany 4th
1992 Karachi, Pakistan 2nd
1993 Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia 1st
1994 Lahore, Pakistan 4th
1995 Berlin, Germany 2nd
1996 Madras, India 6th
1997 Adelaide, Australia 2nd
1998 Lahore, Pakistan 3rd
1999 Brisbane, Australia 1st
2000 Amstelveen, Netherlands 5th
2001 Rotterdam, Netherlands 2nd
2002 Cologne, Germany 5th
2003 Amstelveen, Netherlands 2nd
2004 Lahore, Pakistan Withdrew[16]
2005 Chennai, India 1st
2006 Terrassa, Spain 4th
2007 Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia 2nd
2008 Rotterdam, Netherlands 1st
2009 Melbourne, Australia 1st
2010 Mönchengladbach, Germany 1st
2011 Auckland, New Zealand 1st
2012 Melbourne, Australia 1st
2014 Bhubaneswar, India 3rd
2016 London, United Kingdom 1st
2018 Breda, Netherlands 1st
FIH World League[13]
Year Round Host city Position
2012–13 Semifinal Rotterdam, Netherlands 2nd
Final New Delhi, India 4th
2014–15 Semifinal Antwerp, Belgium 1st
Final Raipur, India 1st
2016–17 Semifinal Johannesburg, South Africa 3rd
Final Bhubaneswar, India 1st
FIH Pro League[17]
Year Season Position
2019 Season One 1st
2020–21 Season Two 2nd
2021–22 Season Three Withdrew
2022–23 Season Four 7th
2023–24 Season Five 1st
2024–25 Season Six 5th
Commonwealth Games[13]
Year Host city Position
1998 Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia 1st
2002 Manchester, England 1st
2006 Melbourne, Australia 1st
2010 New Delhi, India 1st
2014 Glasgow, Scotland 1st
2018 Gold Coast, Australia 1st
2022 Birmingham, England 1st
Oceania Cup[18]
Year Host city Position
1999 Brisbane, Australia 1st
2001 Melbourne, Australia 1st
2003 Christchurch and Wellington, New Zealand 1st
2005 Suva, Fiji 1st
2007 Buderim, Australia 1st
2009 Invercargill, New Zealand 1st
2011 Hobart, Australia 1st
2013 Stratford, New Zealand 1st
2015 1st
2017 Sydney, Australia 1st
2019 Rockhampton, Australia 1st
2023 Whangārei, New Zealand 1st
Sultan Azlan Shah Cup[19]
Year Host city Position
1983 Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia 1st
1985–1991 Did Not Compete
1994 Penang, Malaysia 3rd
1995 Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia –
1996 Ipoh, Malaysia 2nd
1998 1st
1999 Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia –
2000 –
2001 3rd
2003 –
2004 1st
2005 1st
2006 2nd
2007 Ipoh, Malaysia 1st
2008 –
2009 –
2010 3rd
2011 1st
2012 –
2013 1st
2014 1st
2015 2nd
2016 1st
2017 2nd
2018 1st
2019–Present Did Not Compete

Team

Current squad

The following 22 players were named in the Kookaburras squad for the Europe Leg of the 2024–25 FIH Pro League.[20]

All caps and goals current as of 18 June 2025, following the match against Ireland.

Head coach: Mark Hager

No. Pos. Player Date of birth (age) Caps GoalsClub
12 GK Jed Snowden (2001-08-15) 15 August 2001 11 0 Adelaide Fire
28 GK Ashleigh Thomas (1995-07-21) 21 July 1995 13 0 NSW Pride
6 DF Anand Gupte (1998-09-04) 4 September 1998 19 0 Canberra Chill
10 DF Joshua Beltz (1995-04-24) 24 April 1995 127 5 Tassie Tigers
16 DF Timothy Howard (Captain) (1996-06-23) 23 June 1996 147 3 Team Gonasika
17 DF Thomas Harvie (2000-02-01) 1 February 2000 11 0 Perth Thundersticks
25 DF Nathan Czinner (2002-03-19) 19 March 2002 11 0 NSW Pride
26 DF James Collins (2000-02-25) 25 February 2000 38 0 Perth Thundersticks
32 DF Jeremy Hayward (Captain) (1993-03-03) 3 March 1993 239 122 Soorma Hockey Club
56 DF Connar Otterbach (2001-08-16) 16 August 2001 7 1 HC Melbourne
2 MF Thomas Craig (1995-09-03) 3 September 1995 146 47 Hyderabad Toofans
19 MF Craig Marais (2002-05-28) 28 May 2002 29 2 HC Melbourne
20 MF Ky Willott (Captain) (2001-03-15) 15 March 2001 69 19 Delhi SG Pipers
23 MF Hayden Beltz (1997-09-08) 8 September 1997 19 0 Rarh Bengal Tigers
48 MF Davis Atkin (2001-02-17) 17 February 2001 16 2 Canberra Chill
5 FW Cooper Burns (2002-03-06) 6 March 2002 12 5 HC Melbourne
7 FW Nathan Ephraums (1999-06-09) 9 June 1999 85 37 Tamil Nadu Dragons
13 FW Blake Govers (1996-07-06) 6 July 1996 169 157 Tamil Nadu Dragons
21 FW Jack Welch (1997-10-26) 26 October 1997 49 18 Tassie Tigers
27 FW Joel Rintala (1996-07-24) 24 July 1996 7 9 Brisbane Blaze
29 FW Timothy Brand (1998-11-29) 29 November 1998 110 37 Hyderabad Toofans
61 FW Benjamin White (2000-10-02) 2 October 2000 11 2 HC Melbourne

The remainder of the 2025 national squad is as follows:[21]

No. Pos. Player Date of birth (age) Caps GoalsClub
3 DF Corey Weyer (1996-03-28) 28 March 1996 72 4 Brisbane Blaze
4 DF Jake Harvie (Captain) (1998-03-05) 5 March 1998 149 6 Perth Thundersticks
1 MF Lachlan Sharp (1997-07-02) 2 July 1997 107 21 Rarh Bengal Tigers
9 MF Liam Henderson (2003-08-28) 28 August 2003 8 0 HC Melbourne
24 MF Cambell Geddes (2002-06-18) 18 June 2002 4 1 Perth Thundersticks

Recent call-ups

The following players have received call-ups to the national team in the last twelve months.

Pos. Player Date of birth (age) Caps Goals Club Latest call-up
GK Andrew Charter (1987-03-30) 30 March 1987 251 0 Canberra Chill v.  Netherlands; 4 August 2024 RETIRED
GK Johan Durst (1991-03-18) 18 March 1991 38 0 HC Melbourne 2024 Summer Olympics RESERVE
GK Mitchell Nicholson (1997-12-18) 18 December 1997 4 0 Brisbane Blaze v.  Netherlands; 9 February 2025
DF Matthew Dawson (1994-04-27) 27 April 1994 215 13 Amsterdam v.  Netherlands; 4 August 2024 RETIRED
MF Jayden Atkinson (2001-07-09) 9 July 2001 25 0 Brisbane Blaze v.  Belgium; 24 February 2025
MF Daniel Beale (1993-02-12) 12 February 1993 241 34 Brisbane Blaze v.  Germany; 11 June 2024 RETIRED
MF Eddie Ockenden (1987-04-03) 3 April 1987 451 73 Tassie Tigers v.  Netherlands; 4 August 2024 RETIRED
MF Flynn Ogilvie (1993-09-17) 17 September 1993 175 29 NSW Pride v.  Netherlands; 4 August 2024
MF Jacob Whetton (1991-06-15) 15 June 1991 279 80 Brisbane Blaze v.  Netherlands; 4 August 2024 RETIRED
MF Aran Zalewski (1991-03-21) 21 March 1991 267 35 Perth Thundersticks v.  Netherlands; 4 August 2024 RETIRED
FW Jacob Anderson (1997-03-22) 22 March 1997 69 23 Brisbane Blaze v.  India; 13 April 2024
FW Thomas Wickham (1990-05-26) 26 May 1990 114 50 Perth Thundersticks v.  Netherlands; 4 August 2024

Notable players

Results and fixtures

The following is a list of match results in the last 12 months, as well as any future matches that have been scheduled.

  Win   Draw   Loss   Fixture

2025

5 February 2025 Australia Leg   1–2  Spain Sydney, Australia
17:30 Willott  58' Report Petchamé  27'
Álvarez  50'		 Stadium: Sydney Olympic Park Hockey Centre
6 February 2025 Australia Leg   4–2  Netherlands Sydney, Australia
17:30 J. Harvie  27'
Atkin  34'
Burns  43'
Willott  48'		 Report Bijen  44'
Hoedemakers  46'		 Stadium: Sydney Olympic Park Hockey Centre
8 February 2025 Australia Leg   1–1
(0–3 p)		  Spain Sydney, Australia
17:30 Willott  24' Report Pa. Cunill  17' Stadium: Sydney Olympic Park Hockey Centre
Penalties
Burns
Marais
Otterbach 		Gispert
Pe. Cunill
Reyné
9 February 2025 Australia Leg   4–4
(1–3 p)		  Netherlands Sydney, Australia
17:30 Hayward  27', 34'
White  28', 36'		 Report De Vilder  7'
Van der Heijden  47', 57'
Bukkens  50'		 Stadium: Sydney Olympic Park Hockey Centre
Penalties
Ephraums
Harvie
Willott
Henderson 		Croon
Bijen
De Mol
20 February 2025 Argentina Leg Argentina  0–2   Santiago del Estero, Argentina
19:00 Report Brand  12'
Burns  26'		 Stadium: Polideportivo Provincial
21 February 2025 Argentina Leg   2–2
(3–4 p)		  Belgium Santiago del Estero, Argentina
19:00 Geddes  15'
Welch  53'		 Report Boon  36', 51' Stadium: Polideportivo Provincial
Penalties
Brand
Ephraums
Willott
Marais
Welch
Brand 		Boccard
De Sloover
Van Dessel
Kina
Boon
Kina
23 February 2025 Argentina Leg Argentina  1–0   Santiago del Estero, Argentina
19:00 Capurro  32' Report Stadium: Polideportivo Provincial
24 February 2025 Argentina Leg Belgium  1–3   Santiago del Estero, Argentina
19:00 De Kerpel  48' Report Welch  14'
Ephraums  23'
Burns  44'		 Stadium: Polideportivo Provincial
14 June 2025 Europe Leg   3–2  India Antwerp, Belgium
10:30 Report Stadium: Wilrijkse Plein Antwerp
15 June 2025 Europe Leg India  2–3   Antwerp, Belgium
10:30 Report Stadium: Wilrijkse Plein Antwerp
17 June 2025 Europe Leg   6–1  Ireland Antwerp, Belgium
15:30 Report Stadium: Wilrijkse Plein Antwerp
18 June 2025 Europe Leg Ireland  1–6   Antwerp, Belgium
15:30 Report Stadium: Wilrijkse Plein Antwerp
21 June 2025 Europe Leg England  3–4   London, England
15:30 Report Stadium: Lee Valley Hockey and Tennis Centre
22 June 2025 Europe Leg England  2–1   London, England
14:30 Report Stadium: Lee Valley Hockey and Tennis Centre
24 June 2025 Europe Leg Germany  3–2   Berlin, Germany
19:30 Report Stadium: Ernst Reuter Sportfeld
25 June 2025 Europe Leg Germany  5–0   Berlin, Germany
19:30 Report Stadium: Ernst Reuter Sportfeld
4 September 2025 Match 1   v  New Zealand Darwin, Australia
Stadium: Marrara Hockey Centre
6 September 2025 Match 2   v  New Zealand Darwin, Australia
Stadium: Marrara Hockey Centre
7 September 2025 Match 3   v  New Zealand Darwin, Australia
Stadium: Marrara Hockey Centre

Family

Barry Dancer/Brent Dancer and Ric Charlesworth/Jonathan Charlesworth are two pairs of father as coach and son as player while both were affiliated with the national team in those positions.[12][22]

Recognition

References

General sources

  1. ^ "FIH Outdoor World Hockey Rankings". FIH. 18 June 2025. Retrieved 18 June 2025.
  2. ^ "History of Hockey in Australia". Retrieved 22 February 2022.
  3. ^ ABC (15 August 2016). "Rio 2016: Australia's Kookaburras and Sharks knocked out of men's hockey and water polo". Australian Broadcasting Corporation. Retrieved 26 December 2017.
  4. ^ "Kookaburras ready to toss the monkey". The Sydney Morning Herald. 26 August 2004. Archived from the original on 27 July 2009. Retrieved 14 June 2012.
  5. ^ "Wagga Wagga's Olympic debutant Dylan Martin helps Kookaburras win hockey silver medal - ABC News". Australian Broadcasting Corporation. 5 August 2021.
  6. ^ Epstein, Jackie (21 October 2009). "Dwyer breaks free of Holland binds – Australia always comes first". Herald Sun. Melbourne, Australia. p. 76. Retrieved 15 March 2012.
  7. ^ a b Department of Sport, Recreation and Tourism; Australian Sport Commission (1985). Australian Sport, a profile. Canberra, Australia: Australian Government Publish Service. pp. 177–178. ISBN 0644036672.
  8. ^ Dorling Kindersley Limited. (1999). The Olympic Games. St. Leonards, N.S.W.: Dorling Kindersley. p. 320. ISBN 1864660635. OCLC 57337092.
  9. ^ Dorling Kindersley Limited. (1999). The Olympic Games. St. Leonards, N.S.W.: Dorling Kindersley. p. 327. ISBN 1864660635. OCLC 57337092.
  10. ^ Dorling Kindersley Limited. (1999). The Olympic Games. St. Leonards, N.S.W.: Dorling Kindersley. p. 335. ISBN 1864660635. OCLC 57337092.
  11. ^ Dorling Kindersley Limited. (1999). The Olympic Games. St. Leonards, N.S.W.: Dorling Kindersley. p. 343. ISBN 1864660635. OCLC 57337092.
  12. ^ a b Petrie, Andrea (18 October 2009). "Sons a chip off the old stick – HOCKEY". The Sunday Age. Melbourne, Australia. p. 19. Retrieved 14 March 2012.
  13. ^ a b c "Fédération Internationale de Hockey | Official Website". International Hockey Federation.
  14. ^ "World Cup – FIH". International Hockey Federation.
  15. ^ "Champions Trophy". FIH.
  16. ^ "Australia pull out of Champions Trophy". 12 October 2004.
  17. ^ "FIH confirms Spain men and Belgium women join Hockey Pro League". FIH.
  18. ^ "Oceania Cup". Hockey Australia. Archived from the original on 11 January 2017. Retrieved 1 June 2018.
  19. ^ "Other". FIH.
  20. ^ "Squad Announcement! Experience bolsters Kooka's title defence pursuit". hockey.org.au. Hockey Australia. 8 May 2025. Retrieved 8 May 2025.
  21. ^ "Full Squad Announcement: Goal-scoring prowess and versatility make up Hager's final seven". hockey.org.au. Hockey Australia. 11 March 2025. Retrieved 16 March 2025.
  22. ^ Department of Sport, Recreation and Tourism; Australian Sport Commission (1985). Australian Sport, a profile. Canberra, Australia: Australian Government Publish Service. p. 116. ISBN 0644036672.
  23. ^ a b c "Australian Sports Awards". Confederation of Australian Sport. Archived from the original on 8 February 2015. Retrieved 8 February 2015.
  24. ^ "Rabbitohs, Fearnley, Fox win top ASPAS". Australian Sports Commission News, 11 February 2015. Archived from the original on 11 February 2015. Retrieved 11 February 2015.

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