Subway Socceroo Tim Cahill is one of seven new inductees announced today for the nation’s most prestigious sporting organisation, the Sport Australia Hall of Fame (SAHOF).
The 2023 inductees include Olympic gold medallists, one of the country’s greatest footballers, a Paralympic powerhouse, a rugby league superstar, and a coaching visionary. Their outstanding accomplishments have left an indelible mark on the world of sports in Australia and beyond.
The new inductees are Kim Brennan AM, a rowing icon with Olympic gold and multiple medals; Tim Cahill AO, the only Socceroo to play at four FIFA World Cups; Kurt Fearnley AO, a three-time Paralympic gold medallist and two-time Commonwealth Games medallist; aerial skiing Olympic champion Lydia Lassila OAM; Dally M winner and former North Queensland Cowboys captain Johnathan Thurston AM; Nova Peris OAM, the first Indigenous Australian to win an Olympic gold medal as a Hockeyroo and the only person to make back-to-back Summer Olympic Games finals in two different sports; and Tim McLaren OAM, one of the most renowned rowing coaches in the world, who has successfully coached crews at every Olympic Games since 1992.
The inductees will be honoured at a Sport Australia Hall of Fame event to be held at the Museum of Contemporary Art in Sydney on October 16.
The honour roll of induction into the Sport Australia Hall of Fame features the nation’s biggest sporting names and champions, including Sir Donald Bradman AC, Dawn Fraser AC MBE, Cathy Freeman OAM, Ian Thorpe AM, E.J. “Ted” Whitten OAM, Raelene Boyle AM MBE, Wally Lewis AM, Shane Gould OAM MBE, Sir Jack Brabham AO OBE, Greg Norman AO, Lauren Jackson AO, John Eales AM, Susie O’Neill AM, Rod Laver AC MBE, Bart Cummings AM, Louise Sauvage OAM and Layne Beachley AO, among other luminaries.
Those who are inducted into this elite group are our nation’s leading champions. They have not only excelled in their chosen field, but have done so with dignity, integrity, courage, modesty, pride and ambition.
Membership as an Athlete Member of the Sport Australia Hall of Fame is limited exclusively to the top echelon of Australian athletes who have all achieved the highest honours at the peak level of competition. General Members are recognised for their outstanding achievements in roles that support sports participants.
In 2023, six former sporting greats are being inducted as Athlete Members of SAHOF and one is being inducted as a General Member. Athletes must be retired from their sport for a period of four years before being eligible for consideration to be inducted into the Sport Australia Hall of Fame.
Two existing members will also be elevated to Legend of Australian Sport status at the Sport Australia Hall of Fame Award luncheon on October 16. Sport Australia Hall of Fame Members must be 15 years retired before being considered for elevation to Legend of Australian Sport.
Timothy Cahill AO – Football, NSW
Athlete Member
Tim Cahill AO is an illustrious former Socceroo who represented the nation at a remarkable four FIFA World Cup finals during an international career spanning 15 years. Cahill is the all-time leading goal-scorer for Australia, with 50 in 108 games between 2004 and 2018. He was the first Australian to score at a FIFA World Cup. Cahill scored in three World Cups (2006, 2010, 2014), making him the top Australian goal-scorer at the World Cup with a total of five. Since retiring from football, Cahill’s charitable endeavours include serving as an ambassador for UNICEF and an ambassador for Heartbeat of Football, an Australian organisation that promotes heart health through football.
Quote: “I was extremely honoured and excited when I received the call from John. To be joining such an incredible group of athletes from across the history of Australian sport makes me feel both proud and grateful to all those who helped me in my career, especially my family.”