Kookaburras defender Matt Dawson has introduced his retirement from worldwide hockey 4 months after deciding to avoid wasting his hockey profession to compete at his third Olympic Video games.
Within the ultimate 12 months of his mammoth 10-year profession, Matt celebrated 200 worldwide caps for Australia on the Perth Worldwide Pageant of Hockey amongst his closest family and friends, two months later he helped the Kookaburras to the FIH Professional League 2023/24 title earlier than being chosen for his third Olympic Video games.
A devastating coaching harm wasn’t going to finish his pursuit for greatness with the Kookaburras in Paris, as Matt opted to amputate the highest part of his ring finger every week earlier than he flew out with the crew.
“2024 has actually been a particular 12 months in my profession,” Matt displays.
“With the ability to overcome a little bit little bit of adversity proper earlier than the Olympic Video games to get there and carry out is one thing I’ll all the time look again on… it’s most likely on par with overcoming my eye harm earlier than the World Cup and Commonwealth Video games in 2018.
“It’s been a giant 12 months, and it might have been good to complete with a euphoric end, however I realised I’d be chasing that endlessly. I’m very a lot at peace with the choice to retire, the place I’m at and what I’ve achieved in my hockey profession.”
Since his debut towards India in 2014, Matt amassed two Commonwealth Video games gold medals, two FIH Professional League titles and an Olympic silver medal.
“There have been so many highlights over the previous 10 years that saved me coming again to the game,” he mentioned.
“The best way we dealt with 2020, 2021 and the challenges with COVID earlier than the Tokyo Olympics stands out. We hunkered down in our personal world right here in Australia. In fact, we simply fell brief on the Video games within the ultimate, however I’d nonetheless say the silver medal has been the head second in my profession.”
In 2023, Matt grew to become a dad to his son Darcy and the highs and lows of taking part in worldwide sport gained a brand new perspective.
“Coming residence from video games or coaching to him, who doesn’t have any thought on the planet what’s happening however he’s simply glad to see dad once more, is a sense that I’ll by no means get sick of. It’s clearly unhappy to remove worldwide hockey however I’ve had a really lucky profession, and I’m very fortunate and grateful to have been a part of such a prestigious group and to have been capable of play for the Kookaburras for thus lengthy.
“Now it’s time to maneuver on with my life and provides again to the individuals who have supported me by way of the highs and lows and who’ve given me a lot.”
