SportWest Awards acknowledge outstanding achievements by all in Western Australia sports

Celebrating the outstanding achievements of Western Australia’s dedicated sportspeople, administrators and volunteers, the 2022 SportWest Awards have been presented, with 2022 Giro d’Italia winner, Jai Hindley, claiming his second WA Sport Star crown.

Presented last Thursday at a gala event at Perth’s Optus Stadium, the SportWest Awards brought the state’s sporting community comes together over 150 nominees and 40 finalists.

Hindley’s second WA Sports Star win was based on the 26-year-old becoming, in May last year, the first Australian to win the Giro d’Italia, creating a landmark moment in Australian sporting history.

In doing so, Hindley joined Cadel Evans in the exclusive pantheon of Australians who have won one of cycling’s three-week-long Grand Tours.

Riding for professional team Bora-Hansgrohe, in September he placed 10th overall at the Vuelta a España, another of cycling’s Grand Tours. He also secured a top-five finish at Tirreno-Adriatico and seventh overall at the Vuelta a Burgos, before closing out his remarkable year at the UCI Road World Championships in Wollongong, where he helped Australian teammate Michael Matthews win the bronze medal.

To cap of a stellar year, Hindley won the Sir Hubert Opperman Trophy for the Australian Cyclist of the Year.

Unable to be at the SportWest Awards in person, Hindley did pass on a message that stated “it’s a massive honour for me to take the WA Sport Star Award for a second time, its super nice to get the recognition from SportWest.

“I would like to thank my family and friends, and the Midland Cycling Club, all the people that have backed me right from the beginning back in WA, the support is incredible.”

The winners of the other seven categories at the 2022 SportWest Awards were:

Team of the Year
West Coast Fever - netball  

Sport4 Coach of the Year
Adam Voges - cricket 

ActiveXchange Official of the Year
Michelle McMurdo - gymnastics 

DLGSC Sports Administrator of the Year
Brett Patten - tennis 

Service to Sport - May Campbell Medal
Sandra O’Keefe - calisthenics; Derek Gatley - dancesport and Ian Toy - lacrosse

RevolutioniseSPORT Community Club of the Year - John Gilmour Medal
Mount Helena Junior Football Club - Australian rules football 

Healthway Healthy Club Award
Ports Football Club - Australian rules football and Mirrabooka Squash Club - squash

Winner Biographies
WA Sport Star - Jai Hindley 
2022 saw Jai Hindley skyrocket on the International Cycling Stage. The 26-year-old Bora-Hansgrohe climber rode his name into Australian cycling history in Verona to close out Stage 21 of the 2022 Giro d’italia, becoming the first Australian to win Italy’s prestigious three-week race, just the second Australian to ever win a Grand Tour. To cap of a stella year, Hindley won the Sir Hubert Opperman Trophy for the Santini AusCycling Cyclist of the Year. 

rebel Junior Sports Star
Teague Wyllie has been dubbed one of the most promising junior cricketers in Western Australia, Becoming the youngest cricketer to hit a Sheffield Shield century since Ricky Ponting achieved the feat in January 1993. He was also the youngest Shield centurion in WA Cricket history. Wyllie was part of the WA team that won its first Sheffield Shield title since 1998-99, lifting the coveted piece of silverware after his second Shield match. 

Team of the Year
West Coast Fever claimed the club’s maiden National League Premiership with a spectacular win in front of a record crowd at RAC Arena in the 2022 Suncorp Super Netball Grand Final in July 2021, defeating Melbourne Vixens 70 to 59. Following the Grand Final win, West Coast Fever were awarded a special shield by the City of Perth and shared the Herb Elliott Medal for WA’s most influential sporting moment. 

Sport4 Coach of the Year
Adam Voges became just the second coach to win Marsh Sheffield Shield, Marsh One-Day Cup and KFC Big Bash League titles in the same season, completing the trifecta despite the extreme challenges posed by COVID-19.Voges guided the WA Men’s team to their first Shield title since 1998-99. WA finished on top of the ladder after seven regular season games, before hosting the final at the WACA Ground against Victoria. Although the match was drawn, WA earned more first innings points to lift the trophy aloft. As Head Coach, Voges was instrumental in helping Perth Scorchers claim their fourth BBL title. Perth won their first six games, finished atop the ladder with 11 wins from 14 games, and toppled Sydney Sixers twice in Finals to secure their standing as the most successful team in BBL history. 

ActiveXchange Official of the Year
Michelle McMurdo was recently honoured with the prestigious opportunity to serve as a judge at the FIG Gymnastics World Championships held in Liverpool, UK in November 2022. McMurdo was tasked with evaluating the execution on both Beam and Vault during three different rounds of competition, including the Team final and individual apparatus final. As a FIG Category 1 judge, the highest possible rank for gymnastics judges globally, Michelle’s selection for this event was a significant accomplishment, as the World Championships represented the pinnacle of Women’s Artistic Gymnastics in 2022. 

DLGSC Sports Administrator of the Year
Brett Patten, Chief Executive of Tennis West, is a well-respected voice within Australian Tennis and West Australian sporting community. Brett’s contribution to tennis speaks for itself with what he has helped achieve for tennis in 2022. Patten was acknowledged for helping to grow the game by increasing partnership and sponsorship funding, creating a live platform for State League competitions, helping deliver sporting school programs and upskilling 110 coaches. 

Service to Sport - May Campbell Medal
Sandra O’Keefe has been a stalwart of Calisthenics in WA and has more than 60 years’ experience as a participant and administrator at both the local and state level. Her passion for the sport is evident, and she is highly respected and loved within the calisthenics community both in Western Australia and at the national level. 

Derek Gatley has had a connection to DanceSport since he started as a participant and competitor in the 1950s. During this time Gatley has served the National and State bodies of DanceSport as Chair of the Rules Commission, Chair of the Selection Committee, Chief Executive Officer, and Chief Financial Officer 

Ian Toy is a champion for Lacrosse, not only in Western Australia but across the country. He has shown a commitment to lacrosse as both a player and administrator. Toy established the Wanneroo Joondalup Lacrosse Club and was a driving force behind the establishment of the Subiaco Lacrosse Club and continues his service with roles at Lacrosse WA. 

RevolutioniseSPORT Community Club of the Year - John Gilmour Medal
The Mount Helena Junior Football Club, has gone above and beyond in supporting the local community, ensuring children of all abilities had an equal opportunity to play sport. The change in the clubs’ fortunes came about by recognising a gap in programs available to minority groups and individuals. The club actively engaged in a Club Mentorship Program with Inclusion Solutions to learn and better understand how they could build and bring their vision of providing a more welcoming and overall inclusive club environment for everyone. The committee sought to create a club where children were able to participate in programs regardless of their ability, experience, financial or living situation. 

Healthway Healthy Club Award
Ports Football Club has led an extensive range of mental health awareness and promotional activities throughout the 2022 season. Through engagement in these activities, Ports Football club have also formed positive relationships with organisations such as Regional Men’s Health Initiative, Healthway, their local Suicide Prevention Coordinator, Esperance Police, Esperance Lifespan, Escare, Centrecare and Hope Community Services. Ports Football Club hosted several promotional rounds this season, including Belt Up, 'Talk to a Mate' and Think Mental Health Rounds. 

Mirrabooka Squash Club worked with Healthway to improve their events menu, bringing most menu items into the green or orange categories by making small changes to ingredients used. The Club runs a junior program during school term every Thursday afternoon from 4pm to 6pm for children aged 8+, as well as a unique 4 - 7 year old program. Coaches talk about healthy food and drink options for the kids to play at their very best, with a special focus on the importance of hydration.

Lower image: Jani Hindley, credit: Shutterstock.