Six new inductees for Queensland Sport Hall of Fame

Six new inductees for Queensland Sport Hall of Fame; 46 contenders from 23 sports in contention for 10 Queensland Sport Awards to be announced at Awards & Hall of Fame presentation on 25 November.

Four Olympians, a Wallaby, and a Kangaroo of yesteryear - the last of those remembered for contribution to sports journalism - are the next set of inductees for the Queensland Sport Hall of Fame announced today by QSport. 

The State's peak body for sport coordinates the Hall of Fame and the overall Queensland Sport Awards program of recognition of Queensland's top sporting achievers past and present. 

The six inductees were named by Hall of Fame Secretary Peter Cummiskey, the QSport CEO, at a QSport Sponsorts and Members Luncheon at The Gabba this afternoon at which 46 contenders for 10 Award categories were announced.

The six new Hall of Famers are:

• Madonna Blyth - Hockey
• Steve Corica - Football
• Toutai Kefu - Rugby Union
• Gail Miller - Water Polo
• Matthew Mitcham - Diving
• The late Jack Reardon - Rugby League

Madonna Blyth played 342 times for the Hockeyroos, captaining her country from 2009 and scored 70 goals in green and gold, including at three Olympic Games and the winning goal via a penalty shootout to give Australia the Commonwealth Games gold medal in Glasgow in 2014 during a career which saw her named a World All Star on three occasions, 2009 Champions Trophy Player of the Tournament and winner of 14 medals at elite level world wide including a three time gold meadallist at the Commonwealth Games. 

Innisfail's Steve Corica was the first player to represent Australia in the round ball game at all levels from Under 17s to the Socceroos, playing 47 times in the green and gold, including at two Olympic Games.

Like so many others, he travelled abroad to further his career from the National Soccer League to England to play with Leicester City and Wolverhamption, two years in Japab before returning to Australia and the new Sydney FC in 1995. He scored the only goal for the club to win the inaugural A-League and is club manager with A-League championship wins in 2019 and 2020.

Tongan born Wallaby Toutai Kefu did it all for his adopted country and is a gift for Rugby Union who keeps on giving. The powerhouse No. 8 put 60 games in green and gold with 103 for the Queensland Reds and helped the Wallabies to their second World Cup in 1999, their first Tri Nations title and record third consecutive Bledisloe Cup in 2000. In his best year in 2001, he was a force in the Wallabies first series win over the British & Irish Lions in 70 years and scored the winning try against the All Blacks to send captain John Eales into retirement. Tongan national coach since 2016, he will take his country of birth to the 2023 Rugby World Cup in France. 

Water polo's Gail Miller won a gold medal at a home Olympics in 2000 in Sydney, living the dream as she and her Stingers teammates beat the United States to win our first and only water polo gold medal after a free throw goal 1.3 seconds from time. An Australian representative from age 19, a World All-Star at 20 and a World Cup silver medallist en route to Sydney gold, she hung up the goggles after 90 internationals in her sport and continues her contribution to sport via Board membership of the Queensland Olympic Council and the Australian Sports Foundation. 

10-metre platform diver Matthew Mitcham won gold at the 2008 Beijing Olympics. With one dive to go in his event, he was in silver medal position. Needing a near perfect 107.3 points to win, it was all or nothing. He chose a back 2.5 simersault and 2.5 twists and an intimidating 3.8 degree of difficultu but he nailed it, earning a perfect score from four of seven judges and Australia's first diving gold for 84 years. It was the highest individual score in Olympic history at the time and still ranks second best and it earned him the Sport Australia Hall of Fame "Don" Award for the athlete or team who inspired the nation. Six Commonwealth silver medals, and a gold, Mitcham now lives in London, is a member of the International Hall of Fame and the first diver in the Queensland Sport Hall of Fame.

The late rugby league player Jack Reardon captained Queensland and vice captained Australia, before moving to a 30-year stint as chief rugby league writer for The Courier-Mail. While commonly accepted that the birth of State of Origin rugby league in 1980 was driven by then QRL Chairman Ron McAuliffe, folklore in the game and the media says the first person to suggest the concept back in 1964 was journalistic great "Gentleman Jack" who played 21 times for the Maroons in plenty of hidings from Blues sides full of Queenslanders recruited by poker machine fuelled Sydney clubs who rejected his calls for Origin representation for over 15 years. An inaugural inductee into the Sports Media Hall of Fame at Suncorp Stadium in 2006, after passing away in 1991, he represented all that was good about sports journalist, football, and sport.

The six inductees will be inducted at the Queensland Sport Awards and Hall of Fame Presentation on 25 November at which the next Legend of Queensland Sport selected from exisitign Athlete Hall of Fame members will be installed. 

The identity of the next Legend will be revealed this coming weekend, while the 12 contenders for The Courier-Mail Channel Seven Queensland Sport Star of the Year Award will be named closer to the event on 25 November at an evening function for up to 750 guests at the Brisbane Convention and Exhibition Centre. 

Click here to read the full list of Hall of Fame inductees and Queensland Sport Awards finalists.