Hogan made his debut for Western Australia in 1981–82. He scored 70 in a game against Victoria and 49 against WA. He took 20 wickets at 36.75 for the summer.

Hogan had a strong 1982–83 summer. He scored 72 against NSW and took eight wickets against Qld.

At the end of the summer he was picked in Australia's one day team to play New Zealand, replacing Dennis Lillee who was made 12th man. He took 2–42 and made 4 not out. He was kept on in the squad. He was picked on a 1983 tour of Sri Lanka, one of two spinners (the other was Bruce Yardley). By the end of the summer he had taken 35 first class wickets at 26.82 – out of the spinners, only Bruce Yardley and Murray Bennett had taken more.

Sri Lanka Tour

Hogan was picked in the first ODI. He had an excellent game, scoring 27 off 25 balls, taking a catch and earning bowling figures of 3–27. Things were harder in the 2nd ODI, Hogan going for 1–62.

He took 3–37 and 3–42 in a tour game against the Sri Lankan Board President's XI. He was selected in the test, bowling in tandem with Yardley. Hogan struggled in his first innings, going for 1–51, but did superbly in the second, taking 5–66 and helping Australia win by an innings. He made 12 wickets at 16 for the tour, Australia's best performing bowler.

These efforts saw Hogan picked as the sole specialist spinner for the 1983 World Cup. He was picked over Bruce Yardley, who then retired from international cricket.

1983 World Cup

Hogan was picked to play against India – he took the place of Dennis Lillee who was made 12th man. Hogan took 2–48. He kept his place for the next game, against Zimbabwe, taking 2–33. He went to 1–31 in the loss against India and 1–60 against West Indies.

1983–84 Summer

Hogan was picked in the Australian side for the first test against the touring Pakistan side. However captain Kim Hughes decided on using an all-pace attack and Hogan was made 12th man. Australia won the game easily and kept the same twelve for the second club. Hogan took 3–91 and 1–107 in a shield game and was 12th man again as Australia used four pace bowlers.

An injury to Carl Rackemann saw Hogan selected for the 3rd test. He suffered badly at the hands of the Pakistan batsman, going for 1–107 and was dropped for the squad for the fourth and fifth test in favour of Murray Bennett and Greg Matthews.

Hogan was later dropped from the Australian one day team. However he bounced back with 5–31 against Victoria and wound up with 26 first class wickets at 33 for the summer. He took more first class wickets than any other Australian spinner.

Hogan was picked on the 1984 tour of West Indies. He and Greg Matthews would be the spinners; Murray Bennett, Peter Sleep and Bob Holland, who had also had strong domestic seasons, were overlooked. He also worked his way back into the one day team, taking 1–22 against Pakistan and 0–31 and 6 runs in a thrilling tie against the West Indies. He went for 0–39 in the last ODI final.