Stephen Mowlam OAM, Lachlan Dreher, Rachel Dwyer (nee Imison) OAM, George Bazeley, Rachael Lynch OAM, Ashlee Wells and Johan Durst are just a few of the notable athletes to represent state and country.
Mowlam won Olympic gold with the Australian men's hockey team, the Kookaburras, in 2004, Dreher represented Australia at three Olympics, winning a medal each time, while the two Rach’s – Dwyer and Lynch stand as towering figures in Australia’s goalkeeping history, their names forever etched among Hockeyroos’ greats.
The rich history is on track to continue in the form of newly capped Kookaburra, Jed Snowden.
Following an overhaul of the national squad after the 2024 Paris Olympics, Snowden was named in the Kookaburras 24-strong squad for the first time and recently made his senior international debut during season six of the FIH Pro League on home soil in Sydney.
“It was a great feeling of satisfaction knowing that the sacrifices along the way have been worth it, but also a lot of excitement knowing that there is so much more hard work left to do,” Snowden said following his debut.
“I am very honoured to become a part of such a prestigious team with a rich history.”
“I couldn’t be happier with how I played but also to be able to do it all in Australia, I feel very lucky to be able to have family and friends come to support me,” added Snowden.
Snowden defending the goal with Kookaburra teammates on his debut at the FIH Pro League in Sydney (photo credit: Andrew Wiseman).
Snowden first started playing hockey with his brother when he was 7 years old.
“The Snowden family has been a part of Essendon hockey club for 3 generations now, so it’s always been a big part of our lives.”
“I always thought wearing all the goalkeeping gear looked like a lot of fun, so I gave it a go at junior training and never looked back,” said Snowden.
During his development years, Snowden was a member of the Australian Youth Squad at the 2018 Summer Youth Olympics in Buenos Aires and made his junior international debut as a member of the silver medal winning Australian U21 side, the Burras, at the 2022 Sultan of Johor Cup.
In 2024, the retirement of long-term Kookaburras’ custodian Andrew Charter and a ‘sabbatical’ for Durst opened the opportunity for Snowden to step up, after two standout seasons playing for the Adelaide Fire in the Hockey One League.
He was thrilled to debut for the Kookaburras alongside four of his Victorian teammates, and friends.
“I’ve played with these boys since I was 12 and watching each other grow as players and as people has been unreal,” said Snowden.
“Standing side by side with them on and off the field almost doesn’t feel real yet.” he added.
Snowden blocking a goal against the Netherlands at the FIH Pro League in Sydney (photo credit: Andrew Wiseman).
Goalkeepers are often referred to as a “different breed”.
From solitary moments in training to mental resilience under pressure, the position requires mental toughness and a mindset to accept responsibility for both successes and failures - they stand as the final barrier to the opposition, something that Snowden enjoys most.
“The feeling of being the last line of defence, having the ability to impact the outcome of a game with a single save, and the satisfaction that comes from making a crucial save to secure a win for your team.”
“Everyone on the field has a role they need to execute so I just try to do mine to the best of my ability and hopefully keep everyone happy,” Snowden added.
Goalkeepers face different physical demands to field players – they need to move with lightning speed, covering wide angles in a fraction of a second. Their bodies must be robust enough to absorb the impact of diving and jumping, yet flexible enough to react instantly in high-pressure situations.
According to his VIS Physical Preparation coach, Ben King, Snowden is a “physical beast”.
“He’s a huge, powerful man with lots of muscle and very explosive. Things that take other athletes’ years to get a sniff at, he does in just a few sessions, sometimes by accident.”
King’s philosophy around Snowden’s programming has always been – ‘he needs to be the strongest, most powerful and most flexible athlete in the gym”.
“Getting into stretch positions and doing it super-fast requires excellent flexibility in his hips and lower back and for such a tall man it can be a challenge, but Jed has been really diligent and consistent in the gym, often getting there early to put in extra work,” said King.
Training at such high intensities comes with a high risk of injury – something Snowden has unfortunately experienced on more than one occasion.
“Unfortunately, injuries are a part of sport but how we recover and return better and stronger is so important,” said Snowden.
“I’ve had to deal with a few hamstring injuries over the years, without the support of VIS physiotherapists and our strength and our conditioning coach Ben I wouldn’t have been able to return as quickly or as strong as I did,” Snowden added.
Snowden and teammate Mitchell Nicholson with national goalkeeper coach, David Staniforth, after their jersey presentation (photo credit: Hockey Australia).
Jed is now the second Snowden to guard the goal for Australia, following in the footsteps of his uncle Neil Snowden who played for the Kookaburras in the eighties.
A proud Victorian, he was goalkeeper for Australia at the 1984 Olympics in Los Angeles and the 1988 Olympics in Seoul. Both times they were favourites to win gold but finished fourth.
“It seems like he has endless stories from his time playing for Australia, he always has plenty of knowledge to share and I can never say no to hearing about a very successful era of Australian hockey,” said Jed.
“Hockey has changed a lot since then, but I think the mentality behind goalkeeping will always remain,” he added.
So, what’s the secret formula to Victoria’s unprecedented goalkeeping lineage?
Hockeyroos’ royalty, Lynch, attributes the success to coaching excellence and positive mentors.
As a young goalkeeper, Lynch was taught the importance of basics and spent many hours working with renowned goalkeeping coach, the late Michelle Flouch.
“The training and drills we did were never particularly creative. It was all about basics - kicking, leg saves, split saves, sliding, diving, glove saves and penalty corners. I learnt to fall in love with the simple things, the details,” said Lynch.
“I had a very special relationship with Flouchy and can attribute my success to the many hours across many years she spent teaching me the craft of goalkeeping - she was one of the most influential people in shaping the way I play and the person that I am.”
Flouch positively impacted several other amazing goalkeepers in Victoria, including Dwyer and Wells, proving coaches can have a profound influence on an athlete’s development both on and off the field.
Former Kookaburra and current Burras and VIS Men’s Head Coach Jay Stacy, agrees.
“In Victoria we have always valued and understood the importance of world class goalkeepers, the most important position on the pitch.”
“Jed is technically very good and has spent many hours refining his basics with ball machine training, video analysis and constantly reviewing his technique. We provide comprehensive goalkeeper training and coaching with Mili Arrotea, current Men’s VIS Goalkeeper Coach.”
“Being a specific position, most of these athletes have gone onto coach or mentor in some capacity which adds to the legacy of Victorian goalkeepers representing the Kookaburras,” Stacy added.
What’s ahead for Jed?
Snowden was immense for the Kookaburras in the first stage of the 2025 FIH Pro League, producing performances beyond his years against the world’s best players – including reigning Olympic champions The Netherlands.
He remained in Sydney for a training camp before flying to Santiago del Estero for the next stage of the FIH Pro League against Argentina and Belgium from 21 - 25 February.
“I don’t think I would’ve had the opportunities I’ve had without the support from the VIS,” said Snowden.
“Being able to train every day in an extremely high-quality environment with professional coaches has put me in a position to succeed. VIS has provided me with so many resources to meet every need,” he added.
One unique advantage for a goalkeeper is the ability to enjoy long careers.
As they age, their ability to read the game and anticipate danger becomes their greatest strength, allowing them to perform at a high level even when their physicality may decline.
So, at just 23 years old, Snowden has a long career ahead and is eyeing the Los Angeles 2028 and Brisbane 2032 Olympic Games and possibly beyond, thus continuing Victoria’s rich goalkeeping heritage.
Neil Snowden, presenting Jed Snowden with his Kookaburras pin, post debut with the National Senior Team.
