The 2006 Commonwealth Games, officially the XVIII Commonwealth Games and commonly known as Melbourne 2006, was an international multi-sport event for members of the Commonwealth held in Melbourne, Australia between 15 and 26 March 2006. It was the fourth time Australia had hosted the Commonwealth Games. It was also the largest sporting event to be staged in Melbourne, eclipsing the 1956 Summer Olympics in terms of the number of teams competing, athletes competing, and events being held.
Australia at the 2006 Commonwealth Games was represented by Australian Commonwealth Games Association the (ACGA), and abbreviated AUS. Athletes from Australia were given automatic qualification in all sports due to the host status.
The Australia men's national field hockey team is one of the nation's most successful top-level sporting teams. They are the only Australian team in any sport to receive medals at six straight Summer Olympic Games (1992–2012). The Kookaburras placed in the top four in every Olympics between 1980 and 2012; in 2016, the Kookaburras placed sixth. They also won the Hockey World Cup in 1986, 2010 and 2014.
Marsha Cox (née Marescia; born 13 January 1983 in Durban, KwaZulu-Natal) is a field hockey player from South Africa, who was a member of the national squad that finished 9th at the 2004 Summer Olympics in Athens. The midfielder comes from Durban, and is nicknamed Nator. She plays for the provincial team Southern Gauteng.
Michael McCann OAM is a field hockey striker from Sydney, Australia, who won the gold medal with the Australia national field hockey team at the 2004 Summer Olympics in Athens. He was included in the national squad for the Sultan Azlan Shah Cup in 2001 after an impressive national league season netted him the top goal scorer's award.
Travis Neil Brooks OAM is a field hockey forward from Australia, who won the gold medal with the Men's National Team at the 2004 Summer Olympics in Athens. He made his international debut in Canberra, on 15 February 2003, during the second Test of the series against the Netherlands, and played a starring role in The Kookaburras Sultan Azlan Shah Cup win in January 2004 with two goals in the final. Brooks played in the Australian team at the 2008 Beijing Olympics, winning a bronze medal.
Grant Schubert (OAM) is a field hockey striker from Australia, who won the gold medal with the Men's National Team at the 2004 Summer Olympics in Athens. He was named World Hockey Young Player of the Year by the International Hockey Federation (FIH) in December 2003.
Matthew Wells OAM is a field hockey defender from Australia, who was a member of the team that won the gold medal at the 2004 Summer Olympics in Athens by beating title holders The Netherlands in the final. Four years earlier, when Sydney hosted the Summer Games, he finished in third spot with The Kookaburras, as the Men's National Team is called. He had to miss the 2006 Men's Hockey World Cup due to injury.
Damon Joseph Kelly is an Australian weightlifter who competed at the 2008 Olympic Games finishing ninth. Damon recorded lifts of 165 kg in the Snatch and 221 kg in the Clean and Jerk with a total of 386 kg. He was the biggest member of the Australian Olympic Team and was Australia's only male weightlifter at the Games, having secured the sole position with a personal best lift on his final attempt at the Olympic Nomination Trials.
Christopher Ciriello is an Australian field hockey player. He plays for the Victorian Vikings in the Australian Hockey League. He made his senior national team début in January 2008. He earned a gold medal at the 2010 Men's Hockey Champions Trophy and at the 2010 and 2014 Commonwealth Games, as well as a bronze medal at the 2012 Summer Olympics.
Kiel Brown is an Australian field hockey player. He earned a bronze medal at the 2008 Summer Olympics and a gold medal at the 2011 Men's Hockey Champions Trophy.
Liam de Young is an Australian field hockey player. He played club hockey for St Andrew's. He is a member of Australia men's national field hockey team, winning a gold medal with the team at the 2002 Commonwealth Games, a gold medal at the 2004 Summer Olympics, a bronze medal at the 2008 Summer Olympics and another bronze medal at the 2012 Summer Olympics.
Fergus Kavanagh is an Australian field hockey player. He plays Western Australia in the Australian Hockey League. He is a member of the Australia men's national field hockey team, winning a bronze medal with the team at the 2008 Summer Olympics and 2012 Summer Olympics. He won a gold medal at the 2010 Commonwealth Games and at the 2014 Commonwealth Games.
Mark William Knowles is the Australian field hockey captain. He has played professional hockey in the Netherlands for HC Rotterdam. He plays for the Queensland Blades in the Australian Hockey League. He has been the captain of the Australia men's national field hockey team the Kookaburras since 2014. He won a gold medal at the 2004 Summer Olympics, the 2014 World Cup, the 2005 and 2012 Champions Trophy.
Emily Pia Halliday is a former Australian field hockey player.
Madonna Blyth is an Australian field hockey player who competed in the 2008, 2012 Summer Olympics and 2016 Summer Olympics. She also plays for and captains the Queensland Scorchers in the Australian Hockey League. Blyth has been the Captain of the Hockeyroos since 2009. Her debut game for Australia was in Argentina, as an 18-year-old at the 2004 Champions Trophy. She started playing hockey when she was 5, and joined the representative scene at 15, winning gold with her team at the 2001 Australian Youth Olympic Festival.
Rachael Anne Lynch is a field hockey player from Australia.
Emily Chalker is an Australian field hockey player. She has been selected to represent Australia in field hockey at the 2012, 2016 and 2020 Summer Olympics along with other competitions.
Kate Woods is a South African field hockey player.
The 2003 Women's Oceania Cup was the third edition of the women's field hockey tournament. It was held from 25 to 31 May in Melbourne, Wellington and Whangarei.
