# Australia men's national field hockey 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. 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, 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.

## History

Australia's first men's team competed in an international match in 1922.
The first major competition won by the national team was the 1983 World Championships held in Karachi.

## Participations

Australia's first men's team competed at the Olympics in field hockey at the 1956 Summer Olympics.
Australia did not medal at the 1984 Summer Olympics or the 1988 Summer Olympics. At the 1992 Summer Olympics, Australia earned a silver medal, losing gold to Germany. At the 1996 Summer Olympics, Australia finished third, earning a bronze medal.
The team won their first Olympic gold medal at the 2004 Summer Olympics. Barry Dancer coached the side.
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 :
| 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 :
| 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 :
| 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 |
| 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 :
| Year | Round | Host city | Position |
| 2012–13 | Semifinal | Rotterdam, Netherlands | 2nd |
| 2012–13 | Final | New Delhi, India | 4th |
| 2014–15 | Semifinal | Antwerp, Belgium | 1st |
| 2014–15 | Final | Raipur, India | 1st |
| 2016–17 | Semifinal | Johannesburg, South Africa | 3rd |
| 2016–17 | Final | Bhubaneswar, India | 1st |
FIH Pro League :
| 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 | Q |
Commonwealth Games :
| 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 :
| 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 :
| 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 24 players were named in the Kookaburras final 2025 squad.
All caps and goals current as of 24 February 2025, following the match against Belgium.
Head coach: Mark Hager
| No. | Pos. | Player | Date of birth (age) | Caps | Goals | Club |
| 12 | GK | Jed Snowden | (2001-08-15) 15 August 2001 (age 23) | 8 | 0 | Adelaide Fire |
| 28 | GK | Ashleigh Thomas | (1995-07-21) 21 July 1995 (age 29) | 9 | 0 | NSW Pride |
| 3 | DF | Corey Weyer | (1996-03-28) 28 March 1996 (age 28) | 72 | 4 | Brisbane Blaze |
| 4 | DF | Jake Harvie (Captain) | (1998-03-05) 5 March 1998 (age 27) | 149 | 6 | Perth Thundersticks |
| 6 | DF | Anand Gupte (Captain) | (1998-09-04) 4 September 1998 (age 26) | 15 | 0 | Canberra Chill |
| 10 | DF | Joshua Beltz (Captain) | (1995-04-24) 24 April 1995 (age 29) | 126 | 5 | Tassie Tigers |
| 16 | DF | Timothy Howard (Captain) | (1996-06-23) 23 June 1996 (age 28) | 144 | 3 | Team Gonasika |
| 32 | DF | Jeremy Hayward | (1993-03-03) 3 March 1993 (age 32) | 235 | 120 | Soorma Hockey Club |
| 37 | DF | Thomas Harvie | (2000-02-01) 1 February 2000 (age 25) | 8 | 0 | Perth Thundersticks |
| 1 | MF | Lachlan Sharp | (1997-07-02) 2 July 1997 (age 27) | 107 | 21 | Rarh Bengal Tigers |
| 2 | MF | Thomas Craig | (1995-09-03) 3 September 1995 (age 29) | 142 | 46 | Hyderabad Toofans |
| 9 | MF | Liam Henderson | (2003-08-28) 28 August 2003 (age 21) | 8 | 0 | HC Melbourne |
| 19 | MF | Craig Marais | (2002-05-28) 28 May 2002 (age 22) | 25 | 1 | HC Melbourne |
| 20 | MF | Ky Willott | (2001-03-15) 15 March 2001 (age 24) | 65 | 18 | Delhi SG Pipers |
| 23 | MF | Hayden Beltz | (1997-09-08) 8 September 1997 (age 27) | 15 | 0 | Rarh Bengal Tigers |
| 26 | MF | James Collins | (2000-02-25) 25 February 2000 (age 25) | 34 | 0 | Perth Thundersticks |
| 51 | MF | Nathan Czinner | (2002-03-19) 19 March 2002 (age 22) | 8 | 0 | NSW Pride |
| 53 | MF | Cambell Geddes | (2002-06-18) 18 June 2002 (age 22) | 4 | 1 | Perth Thundersticks |
| 5 | FW | Cooper Burns | (2002-03-06) 6 March 2002 (age 23) | 8 | 3 | HC Melbourne |
| 7 | FW | Nathan Ephraums (Captain) | (1999-06-09) 9 June 1999 (age 25) | 81 | 34 | Tamil Nadu Dragons |
| 13 | FW | Blake Govers | (1996-07-06) 6 July 1996 (age 28) | 167 | 154 | Tamil Nadu Dragons |
| 21 | FW | Jack Welch | (1997-10-26) 26 October 1997 (age 27) | 47 | 17 | Tassie Tigers |
| 27 | FW | Joel Rintala | (1996-07-24) 24 July 1996 (age 28) | 6 | 8 | Brisbane Blaze |
| 29 | FW | Timothy Brand | (1998-11-29) 29 November 1998 (age 26) | 107 | 36 | Hyderabad Toofans |

### 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 (age 37) | 251 | 0 | Canberra Chill | v. Netherlands; 4 August 2024 $^{RETIRED}$ |
| GK | Johan Durst | (1991-03-18) 18 March 1991 (age 33) | 38 | 0 | HC Melbourne | 2024 Summer Olympics $^{RESERVE}$ |
| GK | Mitchell Nicholson | (1997-12-18) 18 December 1997 (age 27) | 4 | 0 | Brisbane Blaze | v. Netherlands; 9 February 2025 |
| DF | Matthew Dawson | (1994-04-27) 27 April 1994 (age 30) | 215 | 13 | Amsterdam | v. Netherlands; 4 August 2024 $^{RETIRED}$ |
| DF | Connar Otterbach | (2001-08-16) 16 August 2001 (age 23) | 4 | 0 | HC Melbourne | v. Netherlands; 9 February 2025 |
| MF | Davis Atkin | (2001-02-17) 17 February 2001 (age 24) | 12 | 1 | Canberra Chill | v. Netherlands; 9 February 2025 |
| MF | Jayden Atkinson | (2001-07-09) 9 July 2001 (age 23) | 25 | 0 | Brisbane Blaze | v. Belgium; 24 February 2025 |
| MF | Daniel Beale | (1993-02-12) 12 February 1993 (age 32) | 241 | 34 | Brisbane Blaze | v. Germany; 11 June 2024 $^{RETIRED}$ |
| MF | Eddie Ockenden | (1987-04-03) 3 April 1987 (age 37) | 451 | 73 | Tassie Tigers | v. Netherlands; 4 August 2024 $^{RETIRED}$ |
| MF | Flynn Ogilvie | (1993-09-17) 17 September 1993 (age 31) | 175 | 29 | NSW Pride | v. Netherlands; 4 August 2024 |
| MF | Jacob Whetton | (1991-06-15) 15 June 1991 (age 33) | 279 | 80 | Brisbane Blaze | v. Netherlands; 4 August 2024 $^{RETIRED}$ |
| MF | Aran Zalewski | (1991-03-21) 21 March 1991 (age 33) | 267 | 35 | Perth Thundersticks | v. Netherlands; 4 August 2024 $^{RETIRED}$ |
| FW | Jacob Anderson | (1997-03-22) 22 March 1997 (age 27) | 69 | 23 | Brisbane Blaze | v. India; 13 April 2024 |
| FW | Benjamin White | (2000-10-02) 2 October 2000 (age 24) | 8 | 2 | HC Melbourne | v. Belgium; 24 February 2025 |
| FW | Thomas Wickham | (1990-05-26) 26 May 1990 (age 34) | 114 | 50 | Perth Thundersticks | v. Netherlands; 4 August 2024 |

### Notable players

* Ric Charlesworth
* Jamie Dwyer

## 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
## 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.

## Recognition

* 1981: Australian Sport Awards Team of the Year
* 1987: Australian Sport Awards Team of the Year
* 2004: Australian Sport Awards International Team of the Year
* 2014: AIS Sport Performance Awards Team of the Year.