The Victorian Sport Awards is the night of nights for the Victorian sporting community, recognising and celebrating the achievements of our home-grown premier athletes, grassroots heroes and those who have shown commitment and dedication to community sport in Victoria.

Presented by the State Government of Victoria and Vicsport on the evening Wednesday 26 February, 2020 at Marvel Stadium, the Victorian Sport Awards honoured individual and team athletes, coaches, administrators and volunteers from both metropolitan and regional Victoria.

Parliamentary Secretary for Sport, Danielle Green says:

“We’re seeing growing numbers of girls and boys, women and men signing up to play sport at local clubs. Home-grown heroes play a big part in inspiring that growth.”

“Congratulations to all the achievers recognised in the Victorian Sport Awards. The hard work and dedication of athletes, coaches, officials, administrators and volunteers at all levels of sport is truly outstanding.”

Vicsport Chairman Ron Gauci says:

“On another spectacular night, the Victorian Sport Awards was a wonderful celebration of the Victorian sporting community. The ability to showcase sport across all levels and see community participants share the stage with home grown sporting heroes makes for a very special occasion.

“Congratulations to all finalists and winners, notably Peter Thomson AO CBE who posthumously received the Victorian State Government Outstanding Contribution to Victorian Sport Award this year.”

Each year the Victorian Sport Awards receives hundreds of nominations from State Sporting Associations, Regional Sport Assemblies, Local Government Authorities, teammates, club members, coaches and local communities in recognition of outstanding contributions to sport and active recreation.

The quality and breadth of the nominations received makes selecting the finalists a difficult endeavour, which is why the 2019 Victorian Sport Awards invited 39 highly qualified people from the Victorian sports industry to constitute the judging panels charged with picking the finalists across the 18 categories.

The Outstanding Media Coverage of Sport Award is new in 2020. This inaugural Award recognises the coverage of elite and community sport to the wider public via various online, digital, broadcast and/or print media platforms in 2019.

Judges include people from various diverse sporting groups and roles including:

• Steve Moneghetti AM OLY, represented Australia at four Olympic Games, four Commonwealth Games and six World Championships. Winner of the 1989 and 1995 Male Athlete of the Year and 2001 Outstanding Contribution to Victorian Sport Award
• Kyle Vander Kuyp OLY, 12 times National Hurdles Champion, Olympic finalist
• Sharelle McMahon, Two-time Netball World Champion, two-time Commonwealth Games gold medalist
• Bill Mildenhall, all-time NBL referee games record holder, two-time Olympic referee

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The Victorian Sport Awards were attended by all finalists, family, friends, sporting organisations and clubs to celebrate the successes of elite and community sport in Victoria.

The Awards attracted around 500 attendees including many of Victoria’s premier athletes and grassroots heroes.

Winners in all categories of the 2019 Victorian Sport Awards are as follows:

Southern Cross Trophies Coach of the Year

• Jeff Hopkins (Football)

Gallagher Community Coach of the Year

• Hannah Every-Hall (Rowing)

Sports Accounting Australia Official of the Year

• Susan Taylor (Badminton)

Vicsport Community Official of the Year

• Sally Whitehouse (Swimming)

SportsTG Sports Administrator of the Year - Eunice Gill Award

• Grant Cosgriff (Triathlon)

Volunteer of the Year

• Athena Babo (Football)

Love the Game Community Sporting Club of the Year

• Kyvalley Tennis Club (Tennis)

Involve Creative Masters Athlete of the Year

• Mark Thompson (Swimming)

Sportslink Travel Team of the Year

• Victorian Fury (Netball)

View Melbourne Young Team of the Year

• Victorian Equestrian Interschools team (Equestrian)

Global Wellness Tracking Young Athlete of the Year

• Gabriella Peiniger (Swimming)

Governor's Award Victorian Male Athlete of the Year - Frank Wilkes Award

• Dylan Alcott (Tennis)

Governor's Award Victorian Female Athlete of the Year - Kitty McEwan Award

• Lucy Stephan (Rowing)

Bunnings Local Government Initiative of the Year

• Casey Stadium - City of Casey

VicHealth Active Recreation Initiative of the Year

• Melbourne Tennis Month - Tennis Victoria

My Sport Live Community Sporting Event of the Year

• Victorian Sikh Games - Victorian Sikh Games Organising Committee

Sport Group Peter Norman Inclusion Award

• Naomi Symington & Janet Jones (Life Saving)

Dynamix Media Outstanding Media Coverage of Sport (inaugural award)

• Lachlan Rayner (Little Athletics)

Victorian State Government Outstanding Contribution to Victorian Sport

• Peter Thomson

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