Ky Willott

Kookaburras young gun Ky Willott hails from one of Australia’s finest hockey families – his grandfather, father and brothers have all played the game at the elite level.

Consequently, there was never much doubt he would take up the sport as a youngster growing up in Lake Macquarie, NSW.

“I was always at the hockey fields,” Ky said reflecting on his childhood.

After a successful junior career, Ky was awarded the Basil Sellers Scholarship at the 2019 Hockey NSW awards night.

The attacking midfielder, who plays his domestic hockey for NSW Pride in the Hockey One league, was called into the Kookaburras in 2022, scoring his first international goal in his debut Test against Malaysia in Perth.

In 2023, he scored four goals in FIH Pro League matches, before heading to Whangārei, New Zealand, where Australia had to win the three-match series to qualify for the Paris Olympics.

Australia and New Zealand shared the honours in the first two games and in the deciding clash Ky scored the opening goal for Australia before they went on to clinch the match and a Games spot with a 3-1 win.

At the Paris 2024 Olympics Aran and the Kookaburras defeated Argentina (1-0), Ireland (2-1) and New Zealand (5-0) in the group stage, which included losses to India (3-2) and Belgium (6-2). Ky scored his first Olympic goal against New Zealand.

Through to the quarter-finals, that's where their campaign would end with a 2-0 loss to the eventual Olympic gold medallists, the Netherlands.