The Under 21 Australian Hockey Championships are the annual national under-21 field hockey championships conducted by Hockey Australia. Separate men's and women's tournaments are contested each year, bringing together the leading emerging players from Australia's eight state and territory member associations.
The men's championship was first contested in 1946, while the women's championship commenced in 1984. The championships represent Australia's premier domestic under-21 competition and form the final stage of Hockey Australia's national player pathway before international junior representation. Many players who compete at the championships progress to represent Australia in the Burras and Jillaroos, before advancing to the Kookaburras and Hockeyroos.
The most recent championships were held in Canberra, Australian Capital Territory, in 2026. Western Australia won a record fifth consecutive men's title after defeating Tasmania in a penalty shoot-out following a 4–4 draw, while Queensland defeated Victoria 2–1 to claim the women's championship.
Competition format
The tournament is divided into two pools of four teams, with each team playing the other three teams in its pool once during the preliminary stage.
Following the pool stage, all eight teams progress to the quarter-finals. The quarter-finals are played as crossover matches between the two pools, with teams matched according to their pool finishing positions.
The quarter-final winners advance to the semi-finals, while the losing teams move into the fifth-to-eighth-place classification matches. The semi-final winners contest the gold medal match, while the losing semi-finalists play in the bronze medal match.
The remaining classification matches determine the final placings from fifth to eighth.
Competition rules Since the 2015 edition of the tournament, games are played under FIH rules, having four 15-minute quarters.
Points system Result Points Win 3 Draw 1 Loss 0
Finals matches During finals if games end in a tie, no overtime will be played and the match will go straight to a penalty shoot-out.
Men's Championship
Results Note: The following summaries comprise results from 2011 onwards, while the tournament was founded earlier. Year Host Final Third place match Champions Score Runners-up Third place Score Fourth place2011Perth, WAWestern Australia2–1(a.e.t.)New South WalesQueensland4–3South Australia2012Hobart, TASQueensland3–0Western AustraliaNew South Wales5–5Tasmania2013Brisbane, QLDQueensland3–2New South WalesVictoria3–1South Australia2014Sydney, NSWNew South Wales7–2VictoriaWestern Australia3–0Queensland2015Canberra, ACTVictoria2–1Western AustraliaNew South Wales6–3Queensland2016Sydney, NSWVictoria2–0New South WalesQueensland4–3Western Australia2017Wollongong, NSWNew South Wales4–3QueenslandWestern Australia1–1(3–1)(pen.)Victoria2018Sydney, NSWTasmania1–1(3–2)(pen.)VictoriaWestern Australia3–1Australian Capital Territory2019Lismore, NSWNew South Wales2–1VictoriaWestern Australia4–0South Australia2020—Cancelled due to the COVID-19 pandemic.2021—Cancelled due to the COVID-19 pandemic.2022Perth, WAWestern Australia2–1VictoriaNew South Wales State6–1Australian Capital Territory2023Sydney, NSWWestern Australia1–0New South WalesQueensland2–2(3–2)(pen.)Victoria2024Newcastle, NSWWestern Australia4–0VictoriaQueensland2–1Tasmania2025Bendigo, VICWestern Australia1–0New South WalesTasmania3–1South Australia2026Canberra, ACTWestern Australia4–4(3–1)(pen.)TasmaniaNew South Wales1–0Queensland
Team performances
Team 2011 2012 2013 2014 2015 2016 2017 2018 2019 2022 2023 2024 2025 2026 Australian Capital Territory 6th 7th 8th 6th 7th 5th 5th 4th 8th 4th 6th 6th 7th 6th New South WalesNew South Wales State 2nd 3rd 2nd 1st 3rd 2nd 1st 6th 1st 3rd 2nd 5th 2nd 3rd New South Wales Blues — — — — — — — 7th 6th 7th — — — — Northern TerritoryTerritory Stingers 5th 6th 5th 7th 8th 8th 7th — — 8th 8th 7th 8th 8th Queensland 3rd 1st 1st 4th 4th 3rd 2nd 5th 5th 5th 3rd 3rd 5th 4th South Australia 4th 7th 4th 8th 6th 7th 8th 8th 4th 9th 5th 8th 4th 7th Tasmania 8th 3rd 7th 5th 5th 6th 6th 1st 7th 6th 7th 4th 3rd 2nd Victoria 7th 5th 3rd 2nd 1st 1st 4th 2nd 2nd 2nd 4th 2nd 6th 5th Western Australia 1st 2nd 6th 3rd 2nd 4th 3rd 3rd 3rd 1st 1st 1st 1st 1st Total 8 8 8 8 8 8 8 8 8 9 8 8 8 8
Championships by State or Territory
The men's championship was first contested in 1946. The totals below include all championships won since the competition's inception.
Rank State or territory Championships 1 Western Australia 21 2 Queensland 18 3 Victoria 17 4 New South Wales 15 5 South Australia 7 6 Tasmania 1 7= Australian Capital Territory 0 7= Northern Territory 0
Awards
The following awards are presented annually during the Australian Under 21 Hockey Championships:
Player of the Tournament – awarded to the outstanding player in the men's competition. Leading Goalscorer – awarded to the player scoring the most goals in the competition. Play the Whistle Award – presented to the team that best demonstrates respect for officials and the spirit of fair play throughout the tournament.
Year Player of the Tournament Leading goalscorer Goals Play the Whistle Award 2011 Matthew Willis ( New South Wales) Jacob Webber ( Queensland) 13— 2012 Aran Zalewski ( Western Australia) Blake Govers ( New South Wales) 12— 2013 Kane Posselt ( Queensland) Blake Govers ( New South Wales) 17— 2014— Blake Govers ( New South Wales) 20— 2015 Frazer Gerrard ( Western Australia) Jack Elliott ( New South Wales) 10 Western Australia 2016 Tim Howard ( Queensland) Andrew Scanlon ( Victoria) 6 Tasmania 2017— Liam Flynn ( Western Australia) 11— 2018 Jack Welch ( Tasmania) Niranjan Gupte ( Australian Capital Territory)Ehren Hazell ( New South Wales) 7 Australian Capital Territory 2019 Brayden King ( Western Australia) Patrick Coates ( Victoria) 11— 2022 Brodee Foster ( Western Australia) Brodee Foster ( Western Australia) 15 Australian Capital Territory 2023 Liam Henderson ( Victoria) Aiden Dooley ( Australian Capital Territory) 9 Queensland 2024 Liam Henderson ( Victoria) Max Johnstone ( Tasmania) 8 Northern Territory 2025 Dylan Downey ( New South Wales) Matthew Hawthorne ( Queensland) 14 Victoria 2026 Duncan Jackson ( Victoria) Duncan Jackson ( Victoria) 11 South Australia
Women's Championship
Results Note: The following summaries comprise results from 2011 onwards, while the tournament was founded earlier.
Year Host Gold medal match Bronze medal match Champions Score Runners-up Third place Score Fourth place 2011 Canberra, ACT Western Australia 1–0(a.e.t.) New South Wales Queensland 1–0 Victoria 2012 Adelaide, SA New South Wales 3–1 South Australia Queensland 3–1 Australian Capital Territory 2013 Darwin, NT Queensland 1–1(2–1)(pen.) New South Wales South Australia 1–0 Australian Capital Territory 2014 Perth, WA New South Wales 3–1 Queensland Australian Capital Territory 1–0 South Australia 2015 Hobart, TAS Victoria 3–2 New South Wales Queensland 4–1 Western Australia 2016 Sydney, NSW Queensland 2–1 Western Australia New South Wales 3–3(4–3)(pen.) Victoria 2017 Wollongong, NSW New South Wales 2–1 Western Australia Queensland 3–0 South Australia 2018 Sydney, NSW New South Wales 2–1 Queensland Victoria 4–2 South Australia 2019 Lismore, NSW Queensland 2–1 Victoria Western Australia 1–0 South Australia 2020 — Cancelled due to the COVID-19 pandemic. 2021 — Cancelled due to the COVID-19 pandemic. 2022 Perth, WA Victoria 2–2(3–1)(pen.) Western Australia Queensland 2–2(3–2)(pen.) New South Wales 2023 Sydney, NSW New South Wales 4–3 Queensland Western Australia 8–0 Tasmania 2024 Newcastle, NSW Queensland 2–1 Victoria New South Wales 6–2 Northern Territory 2025 Bendigo, VIC Australian Capital Territory 2–1 Queensland Victoria 6–0 Tasmania 2026 Canberra, ACT Queensland 2–1 New South Wales Victoria 5–2 Western Australia
Team performances Team 2011 2012 2013 2014 2015 2016 2017 2018 201920222023202420252026 Australian Capital Territory5th4th4th3rd7th8th6th6th8th8th8th5th1st5th East Coast Venom—————7th———————— New South Wales Blues————6th——5th7th7th7th——— New South Wales StateNew South Wales2nd1st2nd1st2nd3rd1st1st5th4th1st3rd5th2nd Northern TerritoryTerritory Stingers8th7th6th———7th————4th7th6th Queensland3rd3rd1st2nd3rd1st3rd2nd1st3rd2nd1st2nd1st South Australia7th2nd3rd4th5th5th4th4th4th6th6th8th8th7th Tasmania6th8th8th7th8th6th8th8th6th5th4th7th4th8th Victoria4th6th7th5th1st4th5th3rd2nd1st5th2nd3rd3rd Western Australia1st5th5th6th4th2nd2nd7th3rd2nd3rd6th6th4th Total 8 8 8 7 8 8 8 8 8 8 8 8 8 8
Championships by State or Territory
The women's championship was first contested in 1984. The totals below include all championships won since the competition's inception.
Rank State or territory Championships 1 Queensland 16 2 New South Wales 9 3 Victoria 8 4 Western Australia 4 5 Australian Capital Territory 2 6= South Australia 1 6= Tasmania 1 8 Northern Territory 0
Awards
The following awards are presented annually during the Australian Under 21 Hockey Championships:
Player of the Tournament – awarded to the outstanding player in the women's competition. Leading Goalscorer – awarded to the player scoring the most goals in the competition. Play the Whistle Award – presented to the team that best demonstrates respect for officials and the spirit of fair play throughout the tournament.
Year Player of the Tournament Leading goalscorer Goals Play the Whistle Award 2011 Alyssa Kerr ( Queensland) Kathryn Slattery ( Western Australia) 9 New South Wales 2012 Tegan Purse ( Victoria) Tegan Purse ( Victoria) 8— 2013 Jacqui Day ( Queensland) Kathryn Slattery ( Western Australia) 9 Tasmania 2014 Murphy Allendorf ( Queensland) Murphy Allendorf ( Queensland) 7 New South Wales 2015— Amber Mutch ( South Australia) 7 Victoria 2016 Renee Taylor ( Queensland) Aisling Utri ( Victoria) 7 East Coast Venom 2017— Grace Stewart ( New South Wales) 7— 2018 Morgan Mathison ( Queensland) Rebecca Greiner Queensland 7 Queensland 2019 Amy Lawton ( Victoria) Abigail Wilson ( New South Wales) 6— 2022 Grace Young ( New South Wales State) Tatum Stewart ( Queensland) 7 Australian Capital Territory 2023 Alana Kavanagh ( New South Wales State) Lily Neilson ( New South Wales State)Zara Geddis ( Victoria) 9 Queensland 2024 Karissa van der Wath ( Queensland) Makayla Jones ( New South Wales) 8 Northern Territory 2025 Georgina West ( Australian Capital Territory) Evie Stansby ( Victoria) 6 Australian Capital Territory 2026 Karissa van der Wath ( Queensland) Zara Geddis ( Victoria)Montana Carr ( Queensland) 6 Territory Stingers References