Thomas Craig

Biography

Tom Craig found his passion for field hockey after initially being immersed in the fast-paced world of ice hockey while living in Canada with his family. Upon returning to Australia, he joined the Ryde-Hunters Hill Hockey Club, where he quickly adapted his ice rink skills to the field and progressed rapidly in the sport. Tom clinched a spot on the U21 Australian team and won gold at the 2013 Australian Youth Olympics.

In 2014, Tom earned his first call-up to the national team, the Kookaburras, in a four-test series in Perth. He made an immediate impact by scoring the sole Australian goal in the fourth game, solidifying his place on the team. Although he missed the Rio 2016 selection, he bounced back by securing gold at the 2018 Gold Coast Commonwealth Games and the Champions Trophy in The Netherlands.

Tom's impressive performance continued into 2018, where he scored a hat-trick in the bronze-medal match against England at the World Cup in India. His success carried over into 2019 with victories in the FIH Pro League and the inaugural Hockey One competition with NSW Pride.

At the Tokyo 2020 Olympics, Tom played a crucial role in helping the Kookaburras remain undefeated in the group stage. The team advanced to the final but narrowly missed out on gold, earning a silver medal against Belgium. Tom continued to make his mark by scoring four goals at the 2023 Hockey World Cup in India and helping Australia qualify for Paris 2024 at the Oceania Cup.

Tom also hosts a podcast called The Help Side, where he engages with leading figures in world hockey. Despite his Australian allegiance, Tom has a soft spot for New Zealand, given his Kiwi heritage and admiration for former All Blacks captain Richie McCaw.