Tom David has been named in this year’s NSW Pride Squad alongside some of the country’s best players. Photo: Supplied.
An Illawarra hockey goalkeeper is gearing up alongside Australia’s best men’s keeper, as he joins some of our region’s other top athletes in the elite NSW Pride squad set to compete against the country’s best in the Hockey One league.
The position is the last line of defence and often held by only one player on a team, so excelling as a hockey goalkeeper is no easy feat.
When Tom David tried the role as part of a regular rotation during his first season of hockey at 10 years of age, something about it stuck.
“They just had a sharing role of goalkeeper in under 11s and eventually I got my turn,” Tom said.
“I enjoyed it and no-one else wanted it, so I spent a bit of time there and thought ‘I’m actually alright at this’.
“The next year they said they were going to share it again and I asked if I could just do it instead.”
He committed to the position year after year and hasn’t looked back, climbing to the top grades in Illawarra and Sydney competitions where he plays for University of Wollongong and Moorebank Liverpool District hockey clubs.
He’s also racked up a resume representing the region, despite the challenge of chasing a single position on a team.
“It can then be hard because if there’s someone better in front of you, it can be hard to get game time,” Tom said.
“They can’t just give you a few minutes of game time to get your feet.
“But once you get game time it’s hard to lose it – once you’re on, you’re on – even if it’s just for a quarter, there’s no subbing off halfway, you’re in the mix of it.
“So you have to learn quickly on the job.”
While keeping goals out may seem like the name of the game, a significant part of the position is supporting teammates to stop shots being made.
“It’s often one where the more you can communicate and the clearer you can communicate to your team, the less you actually have to do,” Tom said.
Tom hopes to learn from Kookaburras goalie Ash Thomas during his time in NSW Pride. Photo: Supplied.
“I know there’s some games where I actually do very little even if it’s a good team we’ve come against because I’ve just been able to position and communicate to my team well.
“Whereas we may have played the same team again and if my communication’s not as high, all of a sudden I have to do a lot of skill based stuff because they get more through lines and get more shots on.”
Tom’s communication and skills will have to be at their best in the coming months after the 26-year-old was selected for the elite NSW Pride squad which boasts some of the country’s best players.
“It was a very exciting email to get and certainly one that I did not expect,” Tom said.
He is one of two goalkeepers in the side, the other being the Kookaburra’s Ash Thomas.
“Just being able to have a combination of talking to coaches, playing at that next level, but also to watch and learn from Ash and how he goes about it – his routines, even his communication and being able to listen to that during games will be a fantastic opportunity for me,” Tom said.
The men’s and women’s squads also include Illawarra representatives making their mark on the national stage such as the Hockeyroos’ Grace Stewart who recently returned from FIH Hockey World Cup in Belgium and the Netherlands, and Blake Govers back from the Kookaburras’ 2026 World Cup campaign.
Pride stars returning include Jack Hayes, Lucinda Preeo and Maddi Smith who have all made their mark on the teams in previous years.
With multiple training sessions each week and some players set to fly in from interstate, the Pride teams are gearing up for an exciting season, with the teams’ mix of experience and enthusiasm overflowing with potential.
“There is a lot that excites me about this group,” men’s head coach Brent Livermore said.
“Coming back into the Hockey One environment with renewed energy and a fresh perspective, I am looking forward to building the habits, game understanding, and connection we need to compete at this level.
“We know it is going to be a tough campaign, but that is what makes it exciting.
“If we commit to the process, challenge each other and take ownership of how we want to play, I am really looking forward to seeing what this group can become.”
NSW Pride will begin its 2026 campaign away against the Melbourne Cobras on Sunday 11 October, before returning to NSW for its first home match against the Brisbane Blaze at Newcastle International Hockey Centre on Friday 16 October.
Regardless of the minutes Tom spends on the pitch, he expects to see some familiar faces in the crowd throughout the season.
“A lot of my friends and family just enjoy watching high level hockey so they will hopefully get there whether I’m playing or not and be there to support the NSW Pride,” he said.
The fixture and tickets are available on the Hockey One website.
