Louise Dobson OAM

Sports Hall of Fame Inductee

As a young girl growing up in Shepparton, Louise Dobson was expected to become a hockey player. She joined her Mother Margo and her sisters Christine and Pauline at the Windangs Hockey Club in the Shepparton Hockey Association. Her older sister Christine had become a champion player at national level and had given Louise a wonderful opportunity to see what was required to exceed in the sport.

Louise soon lived up to and her promise as a Shepparton hockey player, it wasn’t long before she was selected to represent the Association at junior level and was selected in the Junior State Hockey teams in Under 18’s and Under 21s She then moved moved into senior ranks as a star of the future.

After representing the Shepparton Hockey Association at state level, Louise was selected in the Victorian Hockey squad to play in the Australian Championships.

The National selectors were delighted with her performances and elevated her into the Australian squad.

That was the start of a wonderful international hockey career for Louise, who became the best performed player from the Shepparton Hockey Association.

She played in the top competitions in the world and in total played 230 international games for Australia.

The highlight of her career was being in the Australian team which won the Hockey Gold Medal at the 1996 Atlanta Olympic Games. Shepparton had an Olympic Gold Medal to boast about.

She also had success at Commonwealth Games level and was a Gold Medallist at the 1998 Commonwealth Games in Kuala Lumpur and a Bronze Medallist at the 2002 Manchester Commonwealth Games.

Louise was also a member of the Australian team at the 2004 Athens Olympic Games. However she unfortunately suffered an injury and was not available to play in the 2000 Sydney Olympics. She did act as an Olympic ambassador during those games.

Louise also represented Australia at the 2004 Hockey World Cup.

During her International career she scored a total of 58 goals for Australia.

Her sporting record was officially recognised by the Australian Government when she was presented with an Order of Australia Medal in 1996.

Louise Dobson was a wonderful representative of the City in which she grew up. Shepparton was so proud of a girl that became a true champion, reached the highest level of her sport and was internationally recognised as one of the best hockey players this country had produced.