'2024 has been a special year' - Matt Dawson calls time on storied 10-year career

Kookaburras defender Matt Dawson has announced his retirement from international hockey four months after deciding to save his hockey career to compete at his third Olympic Games.

In the final year of his mammoth 10-year career, Matt celebrated 200 international caps for Australia at the Perth International Festival of Hockey amongst his closest friends and family, two months later he helped the Kookaburras to the FIH Pro League 2023/24 title before being selected for his third Olympic Games.

A devastating training injury wasn't going to end his pursuit for greatness with the Kookaburras in Paris, as Matt opted to amputate the top section of his ring finger a week before he flew out with the team.

"2024 has certainly been a special year in my career," Matt reflects.

"Being able to overcome a little bit of adversity right before the Olympic Games to get there and perform is something I'll always look back on... it's probably on par with overcoming my eye injury before the World Cup and Commonwealth Games in 2018.

"It's been a big year, and it would have been nice to finish with a euphoric finish, but I realised I would be chasing that forever. I'm very much at peace with the decision to retire, where I am at and what I've achieved in my hockey career."

Since his debut against India in 2014, Matt amassed two Commonwealth Games gold medals, two FIH Pro League titles and an Olympic silver medal.

"There have been so many highlights over the past 10 years that kept me coming back to the sport," he said.

"The way we handled 2020, 2021 and the challenges with COVID before the Tokyo Olympics stands out. We hunkered down in our own world here in Australia. Of course, we just fell short at the Games in the final, but I would still say the silver medal has been the pinnacle moment in my career."

In 2023, Matt became a dad to his son Darcy and the highs and lows of playing international sport gained a new perspective. 

"Coming home from games or training to him, who doesn't have any idea in the world what's going on but he's just happy to see dad again, is a feeling that I'll never get sick of. It's obviously sad to take away international hockey but I've had a very fortunate career, and I'm very lucky and grateful to have been part of such a prestigious group and to have been able to play for the Kookaburras for so long. 

"Now it's time to move on with my life and give back to the people who have supported me through the highs and lows and who have given me so much."