The Lions’ 2003 team, who claimed an historic third successive AFL Premiership, was selected for the Team Sport Australia Award.
Former Lions Senior Coach, Leigh Matthews, collected the award on the behalf of the team that became only the fifth team in AFL / VFL history to be recognised in this exclusive group.
The 22 players who helped achieve this remarkable feat lined up as follows:
B: Chris Johnson (2) Mal Michael (15) Darryl White (33)
HB: Luke Power (6) Justin Leppitsch (23) Nigel Lappin (44)
C: Jason Akermanis (12) Michael Voss (3) Martin Pike (13)
HF: Ashley McGrath (9) Jonathan Brown (16) Robert Copeland (30)
F: Craig McRae (4) Alastair Lynch (11) Daniel Bradshaw (36)
Foll: Clark Keating (27) Simon Black (20) Shaun Hart (32)
Int: Jamie Charman (19) Blake Caracella (1) Marcus Ashcroft (10) Richard Hadley (14)
Coach: Leigh Matthews
The Team Sport Australia Award was introduced by SAHOF in 2002 to recognise the skills and commitment of sportsmen and women who have so often and so successfully taken Australia to the top of the international and national ladder through their availability to deliver winning team results. The award has also previously recognised some of the greatest teams in Australian Football including:
• 1929 Collingwood Football Team
• 1956 Melbourne Football Team
• 1989 Hawthorn Football Team
• 2000 Essendon Football Team
The Lions were this year joined by fellow inductees, the Women’s 4 x 100M Medley Relay Swimming Team, for their Gold medal performance at the 2004 Beijing Olympic Games.
Other teams already inducted into the Sport Australia Hall of Fame include:
AFL - 1929 Collingwood Football Club Premiership team
AFL - 1956 Melbourne Football Club Premiership team
AFL - 1989 Hawthorn Football Club Premiership team
AFL - 2000 Essendon Football Club Premiership team
Athletics - 1956 Women's 4x100m Relay Team from the Melbourne Olympic Games
Basketball - 2006 Australian Womens Basketball team (Opals) from the World Basketball Championships
Cricket - 1868 Australia's First Cricket Team to Tour England
Cricket - 1948 ‘The Invincibles’ Ashes Tour
Cricket - 2007 Australian Cricket Team from The Ashes & World Cup
Cycling - 1952 Mens Olympic 2000m 1952 Tandem (Mockridge & Cox) from the Helsinki Olympic Games
Cycling - 1984 Men's 4000m Team Pursuit from the Los Angeles Olympic Games
Cycling - 1956 Mens Olympic 2000m Tandem from the Melbourne Olympic Games
Equestrian - 1960 Australian Equestrian Team from the Rome Olympic Games
Equestrian - 1996 Australian Equestrian Team from the Atlanta Olympic Games
Equestrian - 1992 Australian Equestrian Team from the Barcelona Olympic Games
Golf - 1960 Peter Thomson & Kel Nagle in the Canada Cup
Hockey - 2000 Women's Hockey Team (Hockeyroos) from the Sydney Olympic Games
Hockey - 1988 Women's Hockey Team (Hockeyroos) from the Seoul Olympic Games
Hockey - 1996 Women's Hockey Team (Hockeyroos) from the Atlanta Olympic Games
Hockey - 2004 Mens Hockey Team (Kookaburras) from the Athens Olympic Games
Netball - 1963 Australian Netball Team from its First World Tournament in England
Rowing - 1992 Oarsome Foursome from the Barcelona Olympic Games
Rowing - 2003/2004 Men's Coxless Pair from the World Championships/Athens Olympics
Rugby League - 1963 Kangaroos Test Tour Team
Rugby League - 1986 Kangaroos Test Tour Team
Rugby League - 1966 St George Rugby League Team
Rugby League - 1982 Kangaroos Test Tour Team
Rugby Union - 1984 Wallabies Tour to UK
Rugby Union - 1908 Wallabies British Tour
Rugby Union - 1991 Wallabies from the World Cup
Rugby Union - 1999 Wallabies from the World Cup
Sailing - 1983 Australia II Crew, winners of the Americas Cup
Skiing - 2002/2003 Australian Aerial Skiing Team (Flying Kangaroos) from the FIS World Cup
Soccer - 2006 Socceroos from the FIFA World Cup
Soccer - 1974 Socceroos from the FIFA World Cup
Speed Skating - 1994 Mens 5000m Short Track Relay from the Lillehammer Winter Olympic Games
Squash - 1998 Australian Womens Squash Team from the World Squash Championships
Swimming - 2000 Men's 4x100m Freestyle from the Sydney Olympic Games
Swimming - 1956 Women's 4x100m Freestyle Relay Swimming from the Melbourne Olympic Games
Swimming - 1956 Men's 4x200m Freestyle Relay Team from the Melbourne Olympic Games
Swimming - 1912 Men's 4 x 200m Freestyle Relay Team from the Stockholm Olympic Games
Swimming - 2000 Men's 4x200m Freestyle Relay from the Sydney Olympic Games
Swimming - 2004 Womens 4 x 100 Medley Relay from the Athens Olympic Games
Swimming - 1980 Men's 4 x 100 Medley Relay Team from the Olympic Games
Tennis - 1973 Davis Cup Team
Tennis - 1939 Davis Cup Team
Tennis - 1953 Davis Cup Team
Tennis - 1950 Davis Cup Team
Waterpolo - 2000 Women's Waterpolo Team from the Sydney Olympic Games
