Following a record number of nominations from the Victorian sporting community, finalists have been announced for the 2022 Victorian Sport Awards (VSAs), an event that recognises and celebrates the achievements of our home-grown sporting heroes at both a grassroots and high-performance level.
Presented by the State Government of Victoria and Vicsport, the VSAs will be held on Wednesday 7 June, 2023, in the Victory Room at Marvel Stadium.
Across 19 categories, over 215 nominations were received which honour those who have made an exceptional contribution to sport and recreation in Victoria during the previous calendar year.
Individual and team athletes, coaches, officials, volunteers, administrators, media personnel and the initiatives that promoted participation from both metropolitan and regional areas were acknowledged as well as the elite sportspeople who shone at national and international tournaments including the Commonwealth Games, Winter Olympics and Winter Paralympics.
The quality and breadth of the nominations received makes selecting the finalists a difficult endeavour. To this end, 37 highly qualified Victorian sports people were invited to constitute the judging panels charged with selecting the finalists, and eventual winners, across the 19 categories.
Judges included four-time Olympic marathoner Steve Moneghetti AM OLY, Head of Female Cricket at Cricket Victoria Sharelle McMahon as well as CEOs from the Victorian Institute of Sport (Anne Marie Harrison), Netball Victoria (Andrea Pearman), Bowls Victoria (Tony Sherwill) and Disability Sport & Recreation Victoria (Liz Tesone).
In addition to the 19 awards nominated by the Victorian sporting community, the most prestigious award of the night, the State Government Outstanding Contribution to Victorian Sport Award, will be bestowed to an individual for their lifelong commitment to sport in Victoria.
Previous recipient of the award include Peggy O’Neal AO, Malcolm Speed AO, Cadel Evans AM and Nicole Livingstone OAM.
Vicsport Chair Ritchie Hinton says:
“Vicsport is delighted to recognise and celebrate the wonderful achievements of the sport and recreation community in Victoria during 2022.
“We received a record amount of nominations this year and that, combined with the calibre of nominations, is a fantastic showcase of the successes throughout our industry. My thanks to the esteemed panel of judges who have the challenging but rewarding task of deciding finalists and winners and I look forward to honouring those recipients at the 2022 Victorian Sport Awards in June.”
The Hon. Ros Spence, Minister for Community Sport says:
“It’s fantastic to see this latest group of outstanding Victorians nominated by their communities for going above and beyond at all levels of sport. Congratulations to all the finalists.”
Finalists in the 19 nominated categories of the 2022 VSAs are:
Southern Cross Trophies Coach of the Year
Angela McMillan – Aerobic Gymnastics
Jack Lewis – Sailing
Mary Hanna – Dressage
Will Enzinger – Eventing
Gallagher Community Coach of the Year
Christine Cardwell – Life Saving
Presley Naea – Rugby Union
Ricky Baldwin – Basketball
Vicky Lee – Tennis
Sports Accounting Australia Official of the Year
Clare Taylor – Short Track Speed Skating
John Roberts – Lawn Bowls
Kevin Taranto – Equestrian
Kirrily Guinan – Triathlon
etrainu Community Official of the Year
Anna Devonish – Athletics
Christine Christie – Athletics
David Hendy – Cycling
Kylie Clark – Life Saving
AFL SportsReady Young Team of the Year
Saalim Naser and Riley Dumsday – Tennis
St. Catherine’s School – 1st Eight – Rowing
Under-18 Women’s Team – Lacrosse
Victorian Women’s Under-21 Team – Hockey
AED Authority Team of the Year
Anglesea SLSC – Life Saving
Melbourne Boomers – Basketball (WNBL Champions)
Melbourne Football Club – Australian Rules (AFLW Premiers)
Special Olympics Team Victoria – various
My Sport Live Community Sporting Event of the Year
Australian Netball Championships – A Positive Start – Netball Victoria
GO Soccer Mums Cup Day – Football Victoria
Junior Victorian Championships – Gymnastics Victoria
West Gippsland Female Football Festival – Gippsport
Love the Game Community Sporting Club of the Year
Barwon Valley Golf Club – Golf
Coburg Tennis Club – Tennis
Melbourne University Women’s Football Club – Australian Rules Football
Officer City Soccer Club – Football
GameDay Sports Administrator of the Year – Eunice Gill Award
Danielle Lowerson – Tennis Victoria
Megan Carr – Golf Australia
Petrina Astbury – Motorsport
Stephanie Miller – Calisthenics Victoria
Leasexpress Sport Initiative of the Year
Community sport flood recovery – Regional Sport Victoria
Injury surveillance project – Yarra Junior Football League
Reflecting their community – Red Cliffs Golf Club
Women Leaders in Tennis – Tennis Victoria
Bunnings Trade Local Government Initiative of the Year
Creating LGBTIQ+ connection and inclusion through sport and active recreation – Cardinia Shire Council
Disc Golf Activations – City of Kingston
Nillumbik Women in Sport Breakfast – Nillumbik Shire Council
Promoting healthy and active living: Innovation in engaging CALD communities – Maribyrnong City Council
VALO Volunteer of the Year
Harry Saltis – Taekwondo
Mark Goldspink – Netball
Meagan Keating – Basketball
Sandra Klippel – Swimming
VicHealth Active Recreation Initiative of the Year
Lacrosse Together – Lacrosse Victoria
Regional Youth Communities Connection through Softball – Softball Victoria
Victorian Blind Tennis Program – Blind Sports & Recreation Victoria
Women’s Only Slide Night – WaterMarc Banyule
Involve Masters Athlete of the Year
Jarrod Broadbent – Tennis
Jordan Morgan – BMX
Samantha Barrow – Life Saving
Tanja Nishibata – Rowing
rebel Young Athlete of the Year
Alexandra Kiroi-Bogatyreva – Rhythmic Gymnastics
Amy Lawton – Hockey
Dyson Daniels – Basketball
Willis Droomer – Surfing
View Melbourne Outstanding Media Coverage of Sport Award
2022 Australian Open – Golf Australia
Chris Tetaz – Victorian Institute of Sport
Girls on the Grid Podcast – Priya Richards & Tenayah McLeod
National Premier League Coverage – Radio 3ZZZ
Polytan Peter Norman Inclusion Award
Christine Granger – Proud 2 Play
Culture on Court – Tennis Victoria with Anglicare Victoria’s Buldah Yioohgen
Indigenous Surfing Program – Surfing Victoria
Southern Lights – Ice Hockey
Frank Wilkes Award
Jesse Coulson – Life Saving
Scotty James – Snowboarding
Tony D’Alberto – Motorsport
Tyson Bull – Artistic Gymnastics
Kitty McEwan Award
Aoife Coughlan – Judo
Elizabeth Watson – Netball
Jakara Anthony – Mogul Skiing
Jessica Gallagher – Rowing/Track Cycling
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