NORTHS hockey player Matthew Dawson has sealed back-to-back Commonwealth Games gold as Hunter athletes finished the Birmingham campaign with four medals.
Dawson was part of another Kookaburras masterclass, defeating India 7-0 with a dominant display in Monday night's final (AEST) to maintain the team's perfect record at the event.
Australia have won all seven titles at the tournament since the sport was introduced in 1998 with defender Dawson, 28, playing the most recent two (2018, 2022).
The men's decider, one of the last medals awarded in the English midlands, capped off a strong Commonwealth Games for the local contingent.
Maitland swimmer Abbey Harkin reached four individual finals, Merewether wheelchair athlete Christie Dawes twice produced top-five finishes, Raymond Terrace lawn bowler Natasha van Eldik played the quarters of the women's triples but was unable to defend her twin titles and Merewether runner Rose Davies made the start line for the women's 5000m having only recently come out of COVID isolation.
The Kookaburras were simply a class above opponents India.
It was essentially one-way traffic from start to finish and Australia's five-goal blitz in the first half blew the game apart.
Dawson, also an Olympic silver medallist from Tokyo last year, added another prize to his personal tally.
And although there was limited work for him to do at the back, an outstretched Dawson made a desperate tackle in the centre of the circle midway through the third quarter to help keep a clean sheet.
"The Kookaburras have created a bit of a dynasty at the Commonwealth Games so to go on and continue that tradition with a new group, new players ... it's amazing and I'm really proud of the whole team and the whole unit," co-captain Aran Zalewski said.
"It's a great group and we love spending time together. There's good harmony and we all want to challenge each other.
"We pride ourselves on performing well here."
