Olympians fitting farewell

Charlie Payne | 23rd November 2009

OLYMPIAN Steven Lambert has bowed out of hockey with the state’s highest awards, content in the knowledge that Mackay players are continuing his tradition of competing against the world’s best.

Goalkeeper Lambert, who represented Queensland since 1998 and has a stack of medals from the Olympics, Commonwealth Games, World Cup and Champions Trophy, on Saturday night was honoured with Queensland Hockey’s player of the year and people’s choice awards.

“It’s nice to be recognised at the end of my career,” he said yesterday.

Lambert said he decided in June this year to retire officially from national and state competition to concentrate on his electrical business in Brisbane, as well as his wife Angie and new baby Lucia, three months.

Angie, a regular with the Hockeyroos, has also retired from the sport.

While Lambert has retired, a former Mackay player and team-mate of his from the Queensland Blades, defender Matt Swann, is just starting his international career.

Swann, 20, has been chosen for the Kookaburras to play in this week’s Champions Trophy in Melbourne, and played for Australia on the weekend in a tournament lead-up against Spain in Perth.

“I wish him all the best, it’s nice to know a Mackay player is in the national side,” Lambert said.

“He’s worked hard and been rewarded for that.”
While the London Olympics in 2012 is more than two years ago, Lambert said Swann had a very good chance of emulating him and representing Australia at the highest level.

“A lot will happen in that time, but he’s a very good chance of developing and getting himself into a good position for selection.”
Lambert said he was more than satisfied with what he had achieved in his career, which started when he first played hockey at Moranbah in 1988 with his cousin Michael Hurley.

He moved to Mackay and started playing hockey with Norths in 1993, winning a premiership in 1996, before being talent identified for the QAS in Brisbane by coach Greg Browning, who with Barry Dancer have been major influences on his career.

“I have been fortunate in my career to have two coaches who are so knowledgeable in the game and have been able to point me in the right direction.”

Lambert won a bronze medal at the Beijing Olympics, along with two gold medals each from the Commonwealth Games and Champions Trophy, and World Cup silver.

“I’ve achieved what I wanted and more.”