SSportswatchportswatch Summer 2011 Legends light up 2011 Sport Awards/Hall of Fame Presentation Over 850 people at the 2011 Queensland Sport Awards Presentation on 21 November in Brisbane witnessed what feedback suggests is one of the most memorable of the Incorporating the installation of the 17 annual Queensland sport “nights of the year” held 1st X1 Legends in the since the Awards’ inception back in 1995. Not since the 1999 Awards Presentation when tennis legend Rod Laver toplined nearly 50 of Queensland’s 100 Sporting Heroes of the 20th Century has the response to Inside the annual Awards been as great, according to QSport CEO Peter Cummiskey, producer of Queensland sport’s From the QSport Offi ce Page 3 annual “big night out”. Minister approves fi nal round Page 6 Laver again was on hand at this year’s function in the Great of jobs plan Hall of the Brisbane Convention and Exhibition Centre, home of the Awards since their inception. 1st XI Legends Page 7 He, along with fellow tennis great Roy Emerson and world Queensland Sport Awards Page 8 golfi ng legend Greg Norman, came from the USA for their installation with the late George Moore and more modern Cyber Bullying Page 15 era champions in Allan Border, Mick Doohan, John Eales, QSport Board meets Rod Laver Page 16 Catherine Freeman, Susie O’Neill, Kieren Perkins and The Courier-Mail promotion’s Top Queensland Sporting Legend 2018 Commonwealth Games Page 17 in “The King” Wally Lewis. Rugby World Cup Page 20 The nine Legends on hand fi tted perfectly with today’s sporting stars in tennis’ The Courier-Mail Channel 7 Legendary “Artie” Page 21 Queensland Sport Star of the Year and Coca-Cola Channel 7 Queensland Junior Sport Star of the Year respectively in Hall of Fame Inductees Page 22 Samantha Stosur and Ashleigh Barty and winners from the likes of the Brisbane Roar and Queensland Reds and many other Queensland sporting achievers of 2011. For further details, go to Pages 8-13, 16 and 21. Sportswatch is a quarterly publication of QSport which is an independent collective of State sporting organisations established to enhance the development of sport in Queensland. Sportswatch aims to inform readers and views expressed in Sportswatch are not necessarily those of QSport. No responsibility is accepted by QSport for consequences emanating from actions or failures to act on material within this publication. For contributions, advertisements and enquiries, contact the QSport Offi ce at Sports House, Cnr Castlemaine and Caxton Streets MILTON Q 4064 Telephone 07 3369 8955 Facsimile 07 3369 8977 Email [email protected] From the OOffiffi ccee The end of a year with a difference beckons as The indirect stuff was provided by the likes of the QSport Offi ce, with a very successful Sport sporting fl agships like the Brisbane Roar and its Awards / Hall of Fame Presentation behind us, A-League Grand Final effort, the Queensland heads towards Xmas and a short Festive Season Reds and their Super Rugby Final win and the break before “running out again for Queensland Queensland Firebirds’ Trans Tasman Championship, sport” in 2012. not forgetting others who achieved the ultimate success led, of course, by the Queensland State of What a year it has been, what with natural Origin team. disasters, followed by fi ghtbacks and then sporting success the like of which Queensland hasn’t seen The teams gave us all a chance to “bounce back” from the sobering, serious side of things associated for some years, topped off by the awarding of the with local disaster relief, disasters elsewhere 2018 Commonwealth Games to the Gold Coast. around the Pacifi c Rim and as the year unfolded, So, as some sports like footy codes prepare for the economic mess that is the eurozone and its 2012 and others like cricket approach the half effects on us down here below the Equator. way mark of current seasons, it’s time to refl ect The teams, though, gave us people like Ange on what’s passed and preview a bit about what’s Postecoglou and Ewen McKenzie, Rosalee Jencke ahead. and Mal Meninga who steered their groups of talented individuals calmly and effectively towards For QSport, the job of assisting member sporting ultimate achievements, much as our civic leaders bodies enhance their development has gone on did during the earlier natural disasters. during 2011 with one or two innovations that are likely to be repeated in 2012. In the end and with no disrespect to or diminution of the signifi cant impacts on disaster affected Despite some disruption to planned activities early individuals, it ended up being “great to be in the year due to the impact of mainly fl oods a Queenslander”, particularly if you were at in South East Queensland, the QSport Offi ce November’s Awards / Hall of Fame Presentation to righted itself quickly enough and then pushed see it all so appropriately recalled at sport’s “night on with involvement in observing the impacts on of the year”. member bodies and their constituents and doing what it could via meetings and discussions with That night gave us new sporting heroes in tennis’ State and local government representatives about US Open winner Samantha Stosur and Wimbledon restoration of facilities and activities. Junior champion Ashleigh Barty, not forgetting other fi nalists for the top individual athlete awards, The result now is that the great majority, thanks with World Female Athlete of the Year in Sally largely to governments, are back on their feet Pearson deserving special mention. and those that aren’t are still “on the radars” of QSport did a few other “good things” in 2011, reconstruction efforts. including hold its inaugural Members Networking As QSport patron Premier Anna Bligh said at the Luncheon in May (who said there’s no such thing time, Queenslanders are a resilient lot but there’s as a free lunch?) and take its annual Ministerial no doubt that sport played a pivotal role in helping Luncheon out of Brisbane for the fi rst time ever to the Gold Coast in a show of support for our biggest restore some normality to those affected by the regional city’s bid for the 2018 Commonwealth various natural disasters of early 2012, both Games (who says we don’t deliver the goods?). directly and indirectly. Sportswatch - Summer 2011/12 3 All in all, combined with other more standard Notwithstanding debates about resourcing etc, annual events like information sessions, there are reasonable grounds for optimism and workshops, meetings and one on one advice to even enhancement of public sector support for our members, it was a solid performance by the sport in this State over the 2012-2015 period. industry collective for sport. Time will tell but as a famous political identity once And so to 2012 we turn, a year that will be said about a two horse race, “put your money on dominated early by the triennial political Grand self-interest, you know it’s going fl at out” – or Final in a State election for the premiership of words to the effect. Queensland and after that, the ramifi cations of the result. With that, it’s time to put the cue in the rack for a week or two and spend some time with family QSport will fi nalise its 2012 State Election Sport and friends, remembering that when it’s all boiled Policy Platform on 14 December and convey same down, they are the ones that in sporting circles, to the current Government and Opposition parties we often spend less time with than we should. before Xmas. Thanks to all who have assisted the QSport staff It will then pursue those parties for responses to in their endeavours in 2011. Have a safe and the various tenets of the platform sooner rather enjoyable Festive Season break and we’ll see you than later and in turn, pass same to member again in 2012. bodies for their information and transmission to their constituents, the 6,000 plus community based clubs that do deliver, largely via volunteers, organised physical activity and social inclusion for an estimated one million plus Queenslanders per PETER CUMMISKEY annum. Chief Executive Offi cer 4 Sportswatch - Summer 2011/12 Minister approves fi nal round of Jobs Plan positions / reports on “Ahead of the Game” Minister for Sport Phil Reeves has announced Minister Reeves is expected to provide feedback approval of the fi nal round of funding for Jobs to QSport in coming weeks on feedback arising Plan Coordinators to work with mainly clusters of from recent consultations across the State on his sporting clubs across the State. “Ahead of the Game” discussion paper. The Minister’s recent approval brings the total The consultation paper has provided sport sector number of funded positions up to 178 with participants at various levels and locations across funding totalling $27.7 million to cover three years the State with the opportunity to express views on of employment for coordinators. issues and priorities for sport. Under the Sport & Recreation Jobs Plan program, QSport member State sporting organisations (SSO) funding of up to $52,000 p.a. is provided for attended a specifi c session for SSO’s and other positions approved. State level recreation bodies on 10 November in Brisbane. 6 Sportswatch - Summer 2011/12 Queensland sport coordinated by supported by 1st X1 Legends The 1st XI Legends were installed in the Queensland Sport Hall of Fame on 21 November. Nine of the eleven “Legends” attended the presentation in person. From left to right: Roy Emerson (Tennis); Rod Laver (Tennis); John Eales (Rugby Union); Susan O’Neill (Swimming); Kieren Perkins (Swimming); Catherine Freeman (Athletics); Greg Norman (Golf); Michael Doohan (Motorcycling); Wally Lewis (Rugby League).