Winners announced for 2024 Victorian Sport Awards
Published Wed 04 Jun 2025
Winners have been announced for the Victorian Sport Awards (VSAs), honouring the Victorian sport and active recreation industry for achievements made during the 2024 calendar year.
Presented by the State Government of Victoria and Vicsport on Wednesday 14 May 2025 in the Members Dining Room at the Melbourne Cricket Ground, 18 awards were presented that span individual and team athletes, coaches, officials, volunteers, administrators, media personnel and the initiatives that promoted participation.
Following nominations from State Sporting Associations as well as teammates, club members, friends, family and the general public, an esteemed panel of 45 highly qualified Victorian sports people were charged with selecting both the finalists and winners.
Find details on the award winners here and below.
The most prestigious honour bestowed on the night, the Outstanding Contribution to Victorian Sport Award is a lifetime achievement award and presented to an individual in recognition of outstanding achievement in, or contribution to, sport in Victoria. This year’s recipient was Mel Jones OAM.
A pioneer on and off the cricket field who has challenged stereotypes and broken down barriers for women in a traditionally male-dominated sport, Mel represented Australia from 1997-2005 and won two Ashes campaigns as well as two ODI World Cups in 1997 and 2005 to bookend her career.
Mel began a commentary career in 2000, going on to become one of the first female commentators for the Indian Premier League, the first female lead for the Big Bash League, and has been a regular with Fox Sports Cricket over the Australian summer and Sky Sports over the England summer.
Since retirement, Mel has focused on supporting, developing and expanding career opportunities for women in sport, through cricket as well as the broader sporting industry. One of her greatest achievements was assisting in the evacuation of the Afghanistan national women’s cricket team during the overthrow of the Afghanistan government by the Taliban. With a coterie of trusted, reliable and proactive women, they secured 135 Humanitarian Visas for the players and their families, acting in the face of terrifying deadlines and threats.
Mel also sits on the MCC World Cricket Connects Advisory Panel and is an ambassador for Victoria University and for Red Dust.
Winners in the 19 total categories of the 2024 Victorian Sport Awards are as follows:
Leasexpress Coach of the Year
- Jimmy Soufis – Futsal
Gallagher Community Coach of the Year
- Madelaine Breakspear – Football
Sports Accounting Australia Official of the Year
- Cynthia Tam – Badminton
etrainu Community Official of the Year
- Peter Boulter – Cricket
AFL SportsReady Young Team of the Year
- Joshua Garner and Jack Benyan – Sailing
AED Authority Team of the Year
- Victorian ISSF State Team – Target Pistol Shooting
My Sport Live Community Sporting Event of the Year
- Statewide Senior Football & Netball Carnival – VACSAL
Love the Game Community Sporting Club of the Year
- Sorrento Cricket Club – Cricket
revolutioniseSPORT Victorian Sports Administrator of the Year - Eunice Gill Award
- Meaghan Densley – Sailing
Bunnings Trade Local Government Initiative of the Year
- Water Safety with Derrimut Weelam Gathering Place – City of Kingston
Vicsport Volunteer of the Year
- David Kearsley – Little Athletics
VIcHealth Sport and Active Recreation Initiative of the Year
- CaliStars – Calisthenics Victoria
Involve Masters Athlete of the Year
- Nadene Gole – Golf
rebel Young Athlete of the Year
- Joshua Jolly –BMX
Victoria's Container Deposit Scheme Outstanding Media Coverage of Sport Award
- Ocean Racing Club of Victoria – Sailing
Polytan Peter Norman Inclusion Award
- Pride Hub – Proud 2 Play
Frank Wilkes Award
- Kelland O'Brien – Cycling
Kitty McEwan Award
- Grace Brown – Cycling
Victorian State Government Outstanding Contribution to Victorian Sport Award
- Mel Jones OAM
More details on the winners can be found here.