Desmond Spackman took up field hockey as a schoolboy and drew attention for his prowess in the sport at a young age. The pinnacle of his lengthy domestic senior field hockey career came in 1957, when he helped the New South Wales team take the Australian national title. This victory came in the middle of his two Olympic appearances, in 1956 and 1960, where Australia placed fifth and sixth respectively. During his career, he was considered one of Australia’s best defenders, and in 2008 he was made a member of the Hockey New South Wales Hall of Fame.