By Chloe Saltau, Ben Glover and Ian Fuge
As International Women’s Day approaches, Australia’s female athletes and teams are front and centre in the national sporting conversation. Our women’s cricket team has just won an astonishing 13th world title, and the Matildas are about to host the FIFA Women’s World Cup, which promises to be the biggest event on Australian soil since the Sydney Olympics.
But who is the most influential woman in Australian sport? Not the greatest or the most successful, but the most influential.
The Sydney Morning Herald, The Age, and Wide World of Sports have teamed up to choose the top 50 most influential women in Australian sport. To make this list, it wasn’t enough to be a champion sportswoman, although many are. From athletes to administrators, journalists to sports agents and sponsors, these women have made a difference. Some have taken a stand on issues that transcend sport, some made the decisions that determine where the money goes or what sports we see on TV, and others worked in the background to keep the major codes rolling along.
Our judges: Brooke Boney (Today entertainment presenter), Melissa Coulter Ryan (Sunday Age sports editor), Billie Eder (SMH sports reporter), Roz Kelly (WWOS sports presenter), Emily Patterson (wwos.com.au reporter), Georgina Robinson (SMH chief rugby reporter), Chloe Saltau (The Age sports editor), Zoe Samios (SMH/Age media reporter), Claire Siracusa (The Age sports producer), Kathryn Wicks (SMH managing editor).
How the judging worked: Each judge picked their own top 20, with votes apportioned in reverse order. So, No.20 was given one vote and No.19 two votes, and so on. From there, we compiled the top 50 based on total votes. Where two people finished with the same number of votes, they appear on our list in alphabetical order. Today, we unveil numbers 41 to 50, and we will publish 10 names per day culminating with the top 10 on Wednesday, International Women’s Day.
Our list will doubtless provoke debate, but we hope it also recognises the importance of women to sport in this country, and encourages sporting bodies and businesses to keeping pushing for equality.
Kelli Underwood.Credit:ABC
50. Kelli Underwood (12 votes)
Commentator and presenter
Underwood has blazed a trail for women in sports media. Since making history as the first female to commentate an AFL match in 2009, she has become a leading authority on not just footy … but all the big issues in the world of sport. The Fox Sports and ABC commentator has the thickest skin in the business – dealing with more unwarranted abuse than any of her male colleagues … yet remains unapologetically true to herself and her craft. Underwood is responsible for inspiring a generation of female sports journalists and commentators. Roz Kelly
Poppy Starr Olsen.Credit:AP
49. Poppy Starr Olsen (12)
Skateboarder
A world skateboarding champion in the over-14 division in 2014, Olsen made her Olympic debut in Tokyo 2020, the same year as the sport made its first appearance at the Games. She is also the star of Tall Poppy, a documentary filmed over 10 years that showcases the highs and lows of becoming an Olympic athlete. In a sport that has been heavily dominated by men for decades, Olsen is a breath of fresh air. Billie Eder
Neroli Meadows.Credit:Luis Ascui
48. Neroli Meadows (12)
Journalist and presenter
Neroli Meadows has been at the top of sports media for many years. Meadows’ freelance work in the NFL, at the T20 World Cup and the Indian Premier League, has seen her bring global events to Australian audiences. Adding to her list of award-winning projects, Meadows became the first woman to host a Test match on Australian television in 2018. During her career, Meadows has shown that if you fall, you can get up and stand twice as tall. Her podcast, Ordineroli Speaking, has been instrumental in promoting vulnerability and resilience in sport. Emily Patterson
Dawn Fraser.Credit:Getty Images
47. Dawn Fraser (12)
Olympic great
Most famous for winning the women’s 100m freestyle at three consecutive Olympics as well as a fourth gold in the 4x100m freestyle relay, Fraser was 1964 Australian of the Year. Among the 23 world records she broke was the 100m freestyle record at the 1956 Melbourne Olympics. Her career wasn’t without controversy: in Tokyo in 1964 she was accused of stealing an Olympic flag and subsequently banned from the sport. Significantly, Fraser has mentored countless athletes in the intervening years, from Sydney Olympic 1500m champion Grant Hackett to lawn bowler Ellen Ryan. She served as the independent member for Balmain for one term of the state government. Kathryn Wicks
Ariarne Titmus.Credit:Getty Images
46. Ariarne Titmus (13)
Swimmer
One of the world’s superstar middle-distance swimmers, Titmus has overtaken US superstar Katie Ledecky as the most lethal middle-distance swimmer. Winning her first Olympic gold in the 400m freestyle at the Tokyo Olympics, Titmus backed that up with a win in the 200m freestyle. The 22-year-old put herself on the map when she beat Ledecky at the 2019 world titles. Billie Eder
Meg Lanning.Credit:Getty Images
45. Meg Lanning (13)
Cricketer
Lanning is a genuine cricket great, as a batter and captain, but she makes the list not just for her own excellence. She embodies one of Australia’s most successful sporting teams – let’s call them the ‘Megastars’ – and spearheaded perhaps the most significant moment for women’s sport this century when 86,174 people packed the MCG to watch her side beat India in the Women’s T20 World Cup final three years ago. She embraced the ambitious public push for a world record crowd. Lanning has led the game’s transformation from part-time to professional, and recently returned from a mental health break to chase a third consecutive world T20 crown in South Africa. Chloe Saltau
Laura Kane.Credit:Russell Bennett
44. Laura Kane (13)
Administrator
Kane left a legal career to work in a series of football operations roles at North Melbourne and, having gained a reputation as one of the most capable people in the game, is now the AFL’s general manager – competition management. As a senior member of the “footy ops” team, she is critical to keeping the AFL and AFLW competitions rolling. At North, Kane set up the AFLW program, having been a coach with Melbourne University, before heading up football operations on the men’s side and steering the club through the logistical challenges of COVID. Chloe Saltau
Liz Ellis.
43. Liz Ellis (13)
Netball great, commentator and administrator
The former Diamonds skipper has been a leader on and off the court for decades in Australian sport. Since retiring from a record-breaking netball career, Ellis has held multiple board positions and brought Aussies many of the biggest moments in sport. Whether calling a netball match or commenting on big issues, she’s never afraid to call out the BS if she sees it. The Hall of Famer feels like the moral compass of Australian sport. If Ellis has something to say … we listen. Roz Kelly
Jesinta Franklin.Credit:Studio La Tessa
42. Jesinta Franklin (14)
Model and AFL player agent
The woman behind the man who is arguably the greatest AFL player of his generation, the former Miss Universe Australia had the attention of some of the sport’s biggest powerbrokers in 2022 as she negotiated what will likely be husband Lance’s final playing contract. Jesinta Franklin last year completed the AFL Players’ Association accreditation course, enabling her to register as a player agent before the Sydney Swans forward made one of the biggest decisions of his career. Apart from pulling the strings in a big business deal, Franklin has been a strong and enthusiastic supporter of Indigenous issues even in the face of extreme pressure and criticism. Brooke Boney
Sam Mostyn.Credit:Alex Ellinghausen
41. Sam Mostyn (15)
Administrator
The first woman AFL commissioner and former Sydney Swans board member, Mostyn wields enormous influence in Sydney sporting circles and within the AFL. Currently the president of Chief Executive Women, she is also on the board of the GO (Goodes O’Loughlin) Foundation and is co-founder of the Minerva Network, an organisation that connects top women athletes with business and corporate leaders. Georgina Robinson
Most Viewed in Sport
Source: Read Full Article
