Olympic legacy in its biggest type underpins the newest 9 hockey royalty inducted into Hockey Australia’s Corridor of Fame.
Casey Sablowski (nee Eastham), Madonna Blyth, Julie Richardson, Bevan George, Mark Knowles, Liam de Younger and Matthew Wells have all been inducted for his or her unbelievable careers representing Australian hockey on the highest stage.
Mixed, the 2024 athlete inductees have all represented Australia on the Olympics 19 occasions, together with a quadruple Olympian and 4 triple-Olympians in a line-up that represents one of many Hockeyroos and Kookaburras most embellished eras.
4 Kookaburras teammates, George, Knowles, de Younger and Wells have been named alongside one another 20 years on from their history-making gold medal efficiency on the Athens Olympics in 2004.
Honoured within the Basic Class, three-time Olympic Kookaburras and Hockeyroos Coach, Frank Murray and four-time Olympic worldwide Umpire, Murray Grime have been recognised for his or her appreciable contribution to the sport on the high stage.
Legendary standing has been bestowed upon certainly one of our nice Hockeyroos captains Dianne Gorman. Dianne was inducted into the Corridor of Fame in 2008 and has reached the standing in recognition of her inspiring and motivating work on and off the sector since her debut as a 20-year-old in 1973.
“It’s becoming in an Olympic 12 months to acknowledge and replicate on among the biggest Olympians who’ve left a exceptional legacy in our sport. I wish to congratulate every of those world-class heroes on their honour,” stated Hockey Australia President Ross Sudano.
“I might additionally prefer to acknowledge Dianne Gorman who was recognised as a Legend of our sport. Legendary standing recognises character, fame and sportsmanship and as certainly one of our nice Hockeyroos captains, Di epitomises these values tremendously.”
Three-time Olympic medallist Mark Knowles stated he mirrored on his profession and felt a second of pleasure when he acquired the decision and discovered of his honour from the Director of the Board.
“For me, this one’s proper up there. In a sport that I like, a sport that my household loves and performs and one I’m nonetheless so passionately concerned in. It places me in a bunch of very, very wonderful individuals. It’s such a particular half in my journey, both as individuals I regarded as much as or as individuals who I performed with or watched in order that they’re fairly superior.
“You don’t win any Man of the Matches or Participant of the Tournaments or something like that while you’re retired, so that is pretty much as good because it will get!”
Telling his children was a spotlight, as he concedes they might lastly perceive what Dad achieved as an athlete taking part in for Australia.
“They have been loopy as a result of it’s my first time being inducted right into a Corridor of Fame… Their reflection of the Corridor of Fame is American sports activities and different individuals they see on YouTube relatively than hockey gamers in Australia,” he laughed.
“They placed on the Corridor of Fame tune which should be an excellent fascinating younger children tune. They danced round they usually have been fairly stoked in order that was very nice.”
The newest addition of inductees takes the overall quantity within the Hockey Australia Corridor of Fame to 107 since its inception in 2008.
The Corridor of Fame sits among the many stock of Hockey Australia Awards that features Legends, Life Members, Award of Benefit and Award of Distinction.
Hockey Australia Corridor of Fame – 2024 Inductees
2024 Legend
Dianne Gorman (nee Dowd) (NSW)
Dianne is named one of many nice gamers and leaders of the ladies’s sport. Making her debut as a 20-year-old in August 1973 towards England in London. Di had impressed selectors after an unbelievable run that noticed her make each NSW state group for 9 years between 1972 and 1981.
On the pitch, Di was a superb attacking centre halfback and a frontrunner each on and off the sector. Appointed captain in 1979, she led the group till 1981 together with being named captain of the inaugural Olympics in 1980 when ladies’s hockey was on debut. Sadly, Di might by no means see out the Olympic honour after Australia boycotted the Moscow Video games. Nevertheless, one of many biggest honours got here in 1979 when she captained the Worldwide Federations of Girls’s Hockey Affiliation group in Scotland, celebrating 100 years of hockey in Nice Britain.
Di retired after captaining the Australian group on the World Cup in Argentina in 1981 having performed 47 worldwide matches, which was a powerful feat given how few worldwide matches ladies performed on the time. Following her nice profession, Di was awarded an Order of Australia medal in 1986 for Providers to Hockey earlier than being inducted into the Hockey NSW Corridor of Champions in 2007, the Sport Australia Corridor of Fame in 1986 and the Hockey Australia Corridor of Fame in 2008. Her legacy lives on on the sports activities oval in Shellharbour, which is fondly named the Dianne Gorman Oval.
Athlete Class
Casey Sablowski (nee Eastham) (NSW)
Casey had an excellent profession with the Hockeyroos, taking part in a powerful 258 worldwide matches over a profession that spanned 11 years. Making her debut towards Argentina in Maryland, USA in August 2006, the three-time Olympian excelled as a superb midfielder and made her Olympic debut simply two years later in 2008. Following the Beijing Olympics, Casey was named FIH Rising Star in 2009 for one of the best younger participant on the earth.
Promoted to vice-captain for the following two Olympics in 2012 and 2016, Casey additionally led the group by means of two World Cups in 2010 and 2014 as vice-captain and was chosen for 2 Commonwealth Video games groups throughout her tenure. Casey represented the Hockeyroos with distinction all through her lengthy taking part in profession.
Madonna Blyth (QLD)
Madonna was a world-class midfielder with the Hockeyroos and her tireless work set a excessive customary throughout her historical past making 342 worldwide matches for Australia, wherein she scored 69 objectives. Madonna set the file for probably the most worldwide caps taking part in for the Hockeyroos and that file nonetheless stands at this time.
Madonna grew to become a triple Olympian in her 13-year profession, representing Australia on the 2008, 2012 and 2016 Olympic Video games. She captained the Hockeyroos for a number of years, together with on the London Olympics in 2012 and the Rio Video games in 2016. She was chosen in three World Cup groups, two as captain, and went on to win a silver medal in Madrid in 2006. In the identical 12 months, Madonna was chosen for her first Commonwealth Video games group in Melbourne in 2006 earlier than happening to win gold in each Commonwealth Video games she attended (2006, 2010 & 2014).
Julie Richardson (NSW)
A superb striker and constant objective scorer, Julie accelerated onto the world stage inside a 12 months of constructing her debut and made the all-conquering Hockeyroos group for the World Cup in 1998 with solely 18 internationals beneath her belt. The Hockeyroos continued their dominance, profitable the gold medal in Holland. Simply two years later, Julie broke right into a star-studded Hockeyroos ahead line to make her Olympic debut in Sydney, the place she would go on to say a historic gold medal in entrance of her house crowd in New South Wales.
Julie went on to play 183 internationals and rating 64 objectives in a profession that additionally featured a World Cup in Perth and the Commonwealth Video games in Manchester in 2002.
Bevan George (WA)
Bevan completed up an excellent profession for the Kookaburras as a double Olympian, Olympic gold medallist and double Commonwealth Video games gold medallist, having received gold on the Athens Olympics in 2004. Bevan went on to captain the Kookaburras on the Beijing Olympics in 2008, capping an illustrious profession that spanned 208 internationals for Australia.
After making his worldwide debut towards Germany in Darwin in 1999, Bevan in a short time established himself as an excellent fullback with immense energy. He additionally performed in two World Cup groups, profitable silver at each occasions in Kuala Lumpur in 2002 and Monchengladbach, Germany in 2006, the place he was the co-captain with Jamie Dwyer.
Bevan was inducted into the WA Sport of Champions in 2018 and into the Hockey WA Corridor of Champions in 2022.
Mark Knowles (QLD)
Mark Knowles is a well known nice of the Recreation, having notched a powerful 324 internationals earlier than asserting his retirement from the Kookaburras after an excellent 15-year profession. His presence on and off the sector was a standout proper from the second he debuted in January 2004 towards Korea in Kuala Lumpur. A lot so, after having performed solely 31 internationals for Australia, Mark was chosen for his Olympic debut in Athens in 2004. He went on to realize greatness with the Kookaburras, profitable their solely Olympic gold medal.
It didn’t finish there. Mark went on to change into a four-time Olympian, profitable bronze at each the 2008 and 2012 Olympics, earlier than taking part in at his final Video games in 2016. As co-captain on the London Olympics in 2012, Mark celebrated his two hundredth look in inexperienced and gold, earlier than happening to captain the aspect to a gold medal on the World Cup in 2014. He additionally claimed World Cup silver in 2006 and gold in 2010.
A gradual determine within the Kookaburras’ golden run of success, Mark additionally grew to become a four-time Commonwealth Video games gold medallist in 2006, 2010, 2014 and 2018, with certainly one of his profession highlights carrying the Australian flag as flagbearer on the Opening Ceremony on the Commonwealth Video games in his house state on the Gold Coast.
Off the pitch, Mark went from Queensland hockey Rookie of the 12 months in 2002 to Participant of the 12 months in 2007, 2011, 2013, 2014 and 2017. Most not too long ago, Mark prolonged his Olympic legacy as Deputy Chef de Mission on the Paris Olympic Video games.
Liam De Younger (QLD)
In a prolonged profession spanning 312 worldwide matches, Liam’s referred to as the final word group participant who fulfilled many roles over his illustrious profession. Highlighted by Olympic gold in Athens in 2004, Liam is a three-time Olympic medallist, having received bronze on the 2008 and 2012 Olympics and perfecting his Olympic file with a medal each Video games.
Liam’s profession began towards Belgium in 2001 and his spectacular first six worldwide matches noticed him chosen for the 2002 World Cup group the place they went on to win silver. He went on to play at 4 World Cups, once more profitable a medal at each event with silver in 2006 and double gold in 2010 and 2014.
His profitable run at main occasions continued by means of the Commonwealth Video games, the place he received gold in any respect 4 Commonwealth Video games throughout his profession in 2002, 2006, 2010 and 2014. It’s a medal file unrivalled by many athletes in Australian sport, a merely excellent feat.
Liam received the Hec Cormie Bursary in 2000 and was chosen within the Queensland group of the last decade twice (1996 – 2005 & 2006 – 2015). His friends additionally voted him into the Queensland 100-year group from 1921 – 2021. In 2020 he was inducted into the Queensland Corridor of Fame.
Matthew Wells (TAS)
A triple-Olympian, Matthew Wells was additionally a part of the historic gold medal-winning Kookaburras aspect which broke the golden Olympic hoodoo. Throughout his 11-year profession, Matthew starred as a high-quality athletic fullback, taking part in 242 internationals for Australia in the course of the Kookaburras unstoppable reign.
Three years after making his debut towards the Netherlands in Perth in 1998, Matt grew to become the primary Tasmanian to captain an Australian hockey group in 2001 and 2003 and through that point, he was named 2002 Australian Hockey Participant of the 12 months. After profitable Bronze on the Sydney Olympics in 2000, Matt went on to vice-captain the aspect to that memorable gold medal in Athens, earlier than profitable bronze as a key chief in 2008.
Matthew received silver on the World Cup in Kuala Lumpur in 2002 earlier than damage robbed him of additional World Cup success. He additionally received double gold on the Commonwealth Video games in 2002 and 2006. In a profession that may solely be described as extremely profitable, Matthew retired from worldwide hockey following the Beijing Olympics in 2008 as one of many only a few Kookaburras to have received an Olympic medal at each Olympics he competed at.
In 2005, Matthew was awarded the Medal of The Order of Australia for companies to sport. In 2012, Matthew was inducted into the Tasmanian Sporting Corridor of Fame.
Basic Class
Frank Murray (WA) – Teaching
Frank was an immense teaching affect for each the Kookaburras and the Hockeyroos. His time on the high of Australian hockey teaching began in 1988 when he succeeded Richard Aggiss as Kookaburras coach following the Seoul Olympics. He left his profitable tenure with the College Hockey Membership in Perth, and his spectacular file as coach of the WA State group, the place he received 5 out of six Nationwide Championships between 1981 and 1986, to tackle the highest job.
Frank coached the Kookaburras for 214 worldwide matches between 1989 and 1996, together with two Olympic Video games, the place they received silver in Barcelona in 1992 and bronze in Atlanta in 1996. The Kookaburras beneath his reign additionally received two World Cup bronze in 1990 and 1994 earlier than he retired from the position in 1996 after the Olympic Video games.
His teaching file for Australia doesn’t finish there. Frank returned in 2005 when he was appointed head coach of the Hockeyroos. He went on to teach an extra 192 internationals with the ladies’s aspect, together with his third Olympic Video games as coach in 2008 in Beijing and two World Cups, with probably the most profitable coming in Madrid once they received silver. His spectacular teaching run completed in 2010 after the World Cup in Chile.
Murray Grime (WA) – Umpiring
Murray completed his profession because the highest-capped worldwide umpire for Australia in 2018, having officiated 215 worldwide matches since his debut in Malaysia in 1993. Throughout his profession, Murray umpired at 4 Olympic Video games in 2000, 2004, 2008 & 2016, and two World Cups in 2002 and 2006.
Murray was awarded the Golden Whistle after his one hundredth worldwide and in October 2016, Murray joined the elite group of simply 5 worldwide umpires who had umpired 200 worldwide matches. He joined Alain Renaud, Santo Deo, John Wright and Marelizr de Klerk, who’re all well-respected and famend umpires. Following his achievement Murray acquired a particular award from FIH in appreciation.
In addition to his spectacular worldwide umpiring file, Murray additionally contributed enormously to the sport in WA. He umpired many A-grade hockey matches in Perth, in addition to Nationwide Championships and Nationwide League matches throughout Australia and he toured with the AIS group. His unbelievable file speaks for itself.
