Australia’s nice wall of defence, Andrew Constitution has known as time on his worldwide hockey profession simply seven months after he made historical past by turning into Australia’s most-capped goalkeeper ever.
Enduring a 13-year profession on the highest degree, the Canberra-raised keeper accelerated to turn into the Kookaburras’ most constant goalkeeper, occupying a sole place on the pitch, as his reliability on the most high-pressure moments in massive matches noticed him turn into a triple Olympian on the 2024 Paris Olympic Video games.
In what would turn into his closing outing for Australia, Andrew achieved the best milestone a goalkeeper has achieved in Australia. His 250th look for his nation landed on the largest stage and at one of the crucial essential occasions in his staff’s careers, the Olympic quarter-final in opposition to the Netherlands.
“I abruptly realised that I don’t suppose I might be capable to maintain myself to the identical normal over the following yr or two that I might count on the younger keepers I might be coaching with to carry themselves to,” He mentioned.
“I knew I couldn’t commit to a different 4 years and to the elite grind however I do know that I’m strolling away pleased with my profession.
“As a Kookaburra we all the time discuss leaving the shirt in a greater place and whereas I believe I’ve held on to my shirt for lengthy sufficient, I positively really feel like I’ve finished my bit to proceed to develop the model and Kookaburra as an entity.”
In turning into the twelfth most-capped Kookaburra ever, Andrew amassed an Olympic silver medal, a World Cup title, three Commonwealth Video games gold medals, two Champions Trophies and two FIH Professional League titles with the facet.
It’s an unimaginable feat for a goalkeeper who at one stage didn’t suppose he would be capable to debut for his nation.
“The beginning of my profession was a problem,” he concedes. “I used to be about two weeks away from quitting hockey altogether once I acquired the decision up from the Kookaburras’ head coach on the time, Ric Charlesworth, proper at a stage once I was about to surrender my dream and enter the Defence Power.”
His debut in opposition to Malaysia on Could 6 2011 stays one of many proudest moments of his profession.
He admits after one of many hardest years of his life, that five-minute name from a legend of the sport validated his whole perception in his journey and the assist from his household and Hockey ACT, however that resilience set him up for a storied profession to recollect.
“Goalkeeping takes plenty of persistence and psychological grit. Lacking out on the London Olympics in 2012 was powerful and that stage I had graduated with a College diploma and it may have been simple to step away then and chase the cash in offshore oil and fuel engineering however I knew I wished to be a part of one thing larger.
“Persisting led to the 2014 World Cup. It’s all the time come right down to eager to proceed to be a part of one thing actually distinctive and I wished to chase that eternally, for so long as I may.”
“The highs are the largest highs on this planet, like profitable the shootout in opposition to Holland to win the World Cup in 2014. However then the lows are backbreaking and it makes you query why we do that. Such because the gold medal match on the Tokyo Olympics and the quarter-final in Paris this yr.”
“It’s a journey of the largest highs and lows, however that’s why we adore it and why we get hooked on it.”
