Cameron Smith
The 42-year-old played 433 games for Melbourne Storm over 19 seasons and took to the field in no fewer than a further 102 representative games on top of that, including 42 for Queensland and 56 for Australia.
He was a State of Origin Player of the Series on four separate occasions, a two-time Dally M Medal winner, five time Captain of the Year and nine-time NRL Hooker of the Year and won the Melbourne Storm best and fairest on a club record nine occasions.
Smith played in six NRL Grand Finals and came out on top in three of them, whilst winning 11 State of Origin series with Queensland as well as the 2013 and 2017 World Cups with Australia.
Australian Rugby League Commission (ARLC) Chairman Peter V’landys paid tribute to Smith's induction on Thursday morning.
"I congratulate Cameron for this remarkable and well-deserved achievement,” Mr V’landys said.
“Cameron joins other Sport Australia Hall of Fame inductees from Rugby League including Clive Churchill AO, Andrew Johns, Wally Lewis AM, Dally Messenger, Graeme Langlands, Norm Provan, Reg Gasnier AM, Ron Coote AM, Arthur Beetson OAM, Bob Fulton AM, Mal Meninga AM, Brad Fittler and Johnathan Thurston – genuine superstars of our game.
“Cameron is renowned as one of the game’s great leaders, both on and off the field.
“It’s pleasing that Cameron has been recognised for his services to sport in Australia more broadly. His role in the growth of Rugby League in Victoria is arguably unmatched, while his contribution to sport in Australia is immense.”
Jason Dunstall
Dunstall was inducted into the AFL Hall of Fame 23 years ago and elevated to 'Legend' status just last year after staying in the sport with a media career that has now spanned more than three decades beginning with his work on Channel Nine's The Footy Show from 1994 onwards.
His involvement in professional AFL now spans more than 40 years and it is for this lengthy service that Dunstall has been inducted into the SAHOF in addition to his football accolades.
Dunstall is the league's third-most prolific goalscorer of all-time, booting 1254 goals over a 14-season career that also saw him win four Premierships, five night Premierships, three Coleman Medals and two All-Australian team selections.
Unsurprisingly, he was also part of Hawthorn's Team of the Century alongside Peter Hudson and John Platten in the forward line.
AFL CEO Andrew Dillon had this to say on Thursday in regards to Dunstall's induction:
“Jason is one of the greatest footballers our game was privileged to see, as the spearhead of a Hawthorn side that dominated the late 1980s and early 1990s.
"As one of just six men to have kicked more than 1000 goals in VFL/AFL history, as well as a four-time premiership player, he stands apart as a Legend of our game.”
Lleyton Hewitt
Hewitt becomes the 25th tennis player to enter the Sports Australia Hall of Fame and has been an existing member of both the Australian and international tennis Halls of Fame.
He shot up to number one in the ATP world rankings at just age 20 during a period in which he won both the US Open (2001) and Wimbledon (2002) Championships, though he was unable to lift a grand slam trophy on home soil following his run to the 2005 Australian Open final.
Hewitt played in a record 20 consecutive Australian Opens and continued his involvement in the sport at an elite level by taking on the captaincy for the Australian Davis Cup team, staying close to a tournament that means so much to him as a patriotic Australian.
“It’s pretty surreal to be honest," said Hewitt of his induction this week.
"When you’re playing your professional career it’s not something you think about at all or focus on, but over the years growing up in Australia we’ve had such a rich history, not only in our sport of tennis, but also in so many other great sports as well, that I’ve had so many great role models and idols that I’ve looked up to, all there in the Sport Australia Hall of Fame.
"So for me now to be inducted is an incredible honour."
Mark Schwarzer
Perhaps best known for his penalty shootout saves that helped Australia to their first FIFA World Cup appearance in 32 years, extinguishing decades of heartbreak, Schwarzer became Australia's most capped international footballer and one of its most decorated at all levels of the sport.
Schwarzer's 109 games for Australia included 44 clean sheets and three separate World Cup appearances (2006, 2010, 2014), but it was arguably at club level where he achieved even more than that.
Following lengthy stints at Middlesbrough and Fulham, winning the 2003/04 League Cup with the former, he became the first non-British player in history to play 500 English Premier League games, representing five different clubs and winning back-to-back Premier League titles as a backup keeper with Chelsea (2014/15) and Leicester City (2015/16).
He still remains the oldest player to represent both clubs in a competitive match at 41 and 43 years old respectively.
"I thank my parents for their support in the early stages of my career as a young kid who loved football," Schwarzer said.
"My Dad’s love of football was infectious.
"Then throughout my professional career my wife Paloma, without her I wouldn’t have had the success that I had. She has been constant and unwavering in her support of me and my career, from those moments of extreme doubt in my ability to succeed to being my biggest off-pitch problem solver and cheerleader.
"She has also almost single-handedly brought up two wonderful children of whom we are both very proud. I owe her so much."
Torah Bright
Torah Bright retired from professional snowboarding in 2020 at age 33 but still stands as Australia's most decorated Winter Olympian, winning a gold medal in 2010 and silver medal in 2014 for the half-pipe events.
There have been only 12 individual medallists for Australia across all Winter Olympics (excluding the bronze medal for the 5,000m speed skating relay team at Lillehammer 1994), illustrating what an exclusive club the New South Welshman is a part of.
2014 was perhaps her most remarkable Games as the first female athlete to compete in three different snowboarding events, taking part in the slopestyle and snowboard-cross as well as her pet event the half-pipe.
On top of that, Bright is just five Aussies to win individual medals at multiple Winter Games, the most recent of which was fellow half-pipe snowboarder Scotty James in 2018 and 2022.
"I hope my legacy shows that no dream is too big," Bright commented on her induction.
"I want the next generation of snowboarders and athletes in general to truly believe in themselves. Belief, real, unwavering belief in yourself, your vision and what’s possible, isn’t something you’re just born with. It’s a skill. Like a muscle it has to be built, stretched and strengthened every day. It’s the silent force that carries you through every challenge.
"Sport gave me confidence in who I am beyond results. It taught me discipline, self-awareness, and the importance of creating an environment that supports who you truly are. It taught me to believe in myself and in what’s possible.
"It's a mindset I carry into every area of my life now."
Laura Geitz
Geitz played 169 games with the Queensland Firebirds and captained them to three separate titles (2011, 2015, 2016) on her way to becoming one of Australia's greatest netballers.
She had no shortage of international honours, winning the Netball World Cup with Australia in 2011 before captaining the Diamonds to retaining their crown on home soil in 2015.
That was in addition to gold medal glory at the Glasgow Commonwealth Games of 2014, either side of silver medal heartbreak in 2010 and 2018.
“For me, the key moments that defined my career weren’t necessarily the wins but the challenges along the way," Geitz said in reflection.
"Losing back-to-back grand finals with the Firebirds in 2013 and 2014 was incredibly tough, but I believe that without those two losses we wouldn’t have gone on to win the premierships in 2015 and 2016. Those experiences taught me so much about resilience, about myself as an athlete, and about the value of perseverance.
"Another pivotal moment was my first game as captain of Australia, where I was actually benched. I think I was the first Australian captain to experience that, and it brought on a wave of self-doubt. But looking back now, that moment shaped me profoundly.
"It taught me that the hard moments, while uncomfortable, are where the most growth happens, and they give you a much deeper appreciation for the successes when they do come. Those challenges made the wins even more meaningful.”
Dr Peter Harcourt
Harcourt was inducted into the Basketball Australia Hall of Fame in July and has most recently been involved in the NBL as a key member of the South East Melbourne Phoenix's medical team, but his contribution to sports medicine has been enormous.
The 75-year-old was also the Chief Medical Officer for Basketball Australia as well as a team doctor for both the men's (Boomers) and women's (Opals) national teams.
In the AFL space, Harcourt worked for the Hawthorn Football Club for 15 years, the AFL academy for ten, whilst also serving as the AFL's medical commissioner to oversee programs designed to improve the physical health of players from the grassroots up.
Harcourt has also worked extensively with the Australian Commonwealth Games federation including as chief medical advisor to the 2006 and 2018 Games in Australia and Australian team medical director for the 2010 Games in Delhi.
"Dr Peter Harcourt has equally made an incredible contribution across more than 30 years, as a medical commissioner for our game, as well as his lead work for cricket and basketball and across other sports at Commonwealth and Olympic level," AFL CEO Andrew Dillon said on Thursday afternoon.
"Our game owes him an enormous debt and we look forward to both of them being celebrated this year at the Sport Australia Hall of Fame induction ceremony."