Australia’s Matthew Dawson thought his Games were over after a freak accident but a bold decision ensured he will still be part of a team chasing a medal

It has been 20 years since the Kookaburras, the Australian men’s hockey team, have won an Olympic gold medal. But so badly do the current cohort want to improve on their agonising silver medal in Tokyo, downed by Belgium in an extraordinary, protracted shoot-out, that some squad members have taken to drastic measures. Like cutting off a finger.

Two weeks ago, Kookaburras defender Matthew Dawson was participating in a warm-up match in Perth when another player’s stick collided with his hand, leaving a finger bloodied and partly detached. Dawson was devastated; he immediately thought his third Olympic campaign was over before it had begun.