Matthew's Story
With over 130 international caps to his name, Matthew Swann made his second Olympic appearance for the men’s hockey team at Rio, after claiming a bronze medal at the London Games.
The Aussie Olympic campaign kicked off with a 2-1 win over trans-Tasman rivals New Zealand but despite starting strong, the side then suffered back-to-back 1-0 losses to Spain and Belgium. Determined to claim their third straight Olympic medal, the Aussies then secured a 2-1 win over Great Britain and a 9-0 victory over Brazil, setting themselves up for a quarter-final clash against the number 2 ranked side, the Netherlands. The Aussies quickly saw their hopes of a gold medal fade as the Dutch secured a 4-0 win, knocking the favourites out of the Olympic competition.
Having made his debut in late 2009, Swann won three of the four major tournaments in world hockey in less than 12 months as a part of the gold medal winning teams at the 2010 World Cup, Champions Trophy and Commonwealth Games.
The Mackay-born country boy became one of the most capped players of the year in 2011, playing 25 games for his nation including another Champions Trophy victory for Australia. His skill on the field saw him win the award for the World's Best Young Player as well as being named to the World All Star Team.
Swann proved he was a key member of the Australian defence in 2012 as he lined up in the green and gold in the international series against China and Japan and helped Australia claim the silver medal at the Olympic Test event in London. The Queenslander was one of youngest members at London where the side took home their second consecutive Olympic bronze medal.
In 2015, Swann was picked up by Dabang Mumbai in the Coal Hockey India League auction, after finishing his contract with the Mumbai Magicians. Bouncing back into action after missing out on his 2015 Hockey India League campaign due to a stress fracture in his left calf, Swann was named Danbang’s 2016 captain. Off the pitch, Swann is currently studying his degree in commerce, a field he'd like to pursue after a successful career in hockey.
