Mel Jones among winners of 2024 Victorian Sport Awards

The Victorian Sport Awards (VSAs) have been announced - honouring the Victorian sport and active recreation industry for achievements made during the 2024 calendar year. The most prestigious honour - the Outstanding Contribution to Victorian Sport - was awarded to Mel Jones OAM.

Presented by the Victorian Government and Vicsport on 14th 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.

Mel Jones secured the Outstanding Contribution to Victorian Sport Award - a lifetime achievement award presented to an individual in recognition of outstanding achievement in, or contribution to, sport in Victoria.

A pioneer on and off the cricket field who has challenged stereotypes and broken down barriers for women in a traditionally male-dominated sport, Jones 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.

Jones 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, Jones 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.

Jones 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.