Pat Magann didn’t think it could get much better after donning the Australian uniform and singing the national anthem.
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Then he went on to win a gold medal.
The Ashtonfield 17-year-old has returned from a European tour with the Australian Schoolboys hockey team after standing on top of an international dais.
“It was a pretty surreal moment,” Magann said.
“It’s something I had dreamed of but never thought I would actually be able to collect.”
The year 11 student at Maitland Grossmann High School helped the boys in green and gold to claim the Four Nations tournament in Germany with wins against The Netherlands (7-2) and the hosts (4-2) before a last-minute thriller with Belgium (4-3).
Magann admitted to a few nerves in his first game wearing green and gold, but after a few rough touches he settled into the groove.
“My first four or five touches were useless, but I eventually settled down,” he said.
“It was a pretty proud moment being in national colours and hearing the national anthem.”
Magann will continue playing with the Maitland Rams in the Hunter Coast Premier Hockey League season as well as pushing for a spot in next year’s NSW under-18 squad.
Also a talented cricketer, an all-rounder with Eastern Suburbs, Magann will keep up his commitments with the under-19 NSW Country-ACT squad ahead of nationals this summer.
But the teenager has pulled back from the Under-19 NSW Academy squad because of a crowded schedule, which will include HSC studies at the end of the year.