Who’s Who in 2022, Sport: Liam de Young

Liam de Young, one of Australia’s most enduring and successful hockey stars, retired from playing this year with his career having gone full circle.

De Young, who grew up in Bray Park and went to Pine Rivers State High School, started and finished with Pine Rivers St Andrews.

In between the midfielder, who was six when he first picked up a hockey stick, won every major honour in his chosen sport!

It began with Saints juniors, rising through the ranks of Queensland Under 18, Under 21 and Opens, to become the first player from the Pine Rivers club to reach Australia’s national senior team.

From those local beginnings he went on to win 312 caps for Australia between 2001 and 2014 – and was vice-captain from 2009-2014.

De Young, now 40, was only the fourth player to reach 300 appearances in the green and gold and his final tally of 312 was fifth highest in the history of Australian men’s hockey.

Few can match his medal haul in that time - Olympic gold (Athens 2004) and two bronze (Beijing 2008, London 2012), one World Cup gold (2014), three Champions Trophy golds (2005, 2010, 2011), and three Commonwealth Games golds (Manchester 2002, Melbourne 2006, New Delhi 2010).

De Young said the Olympic and World Cup gold medals were the highlights of his career.

The Olympic gold was also the first ever won by an Australian men’s hockey team. To recognise this de Young and his team-mates received the Medal of the Order of Australia (OAM) in 2005.

In total he played eight Champions Trophy tournaments, six Oceania Cups, four World Cups, three Olympic games and three Commonwealth Games.

He also played for Queensland Blades in the Australian Hockey League from 2000-2014 and

was named in two Queensland Teams of the Decade – 1996-2005 and 2006-2015.

De Young was named Hockey Queensland Rookie of the Year in 2000 and 20 years later was inducted into the Hockey Queensland Hall of Fame.

De Young hung up his boots having played 154 Division One games for Pine Rivers St Andrews in the Brisbane Hockey League.

His final match was the 2021 Brisbane Hockey League grand final, which Saints lost to Easts.

However, De Young has been made a Life Member of Pine Rivers St Andrews Hockey Club.