From our cricket heroes making historical past to rising and already established monitor athletes firing and dominant shows within the NRL and AFL, it was a giant yr of sport in Australia.
Right here, foxsports.com.au appears at 25 of one of the best — each on the worldwide and home stage.
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NICOLA OLYSLAGERS
It was a giant yr for Olyslagers, who was topped girls’s excessive bounce world champion after claiming gold on the World Athletics Championships in Tokyo earlier than then being named feminine discipline athlete of the yr in December by World Athletics at a gala occasion in Monaco.
It was a well-deserved honour for Olyslagers, who loved a career-best season having additionally lifted the Oceanian file to 2.04 metres, gained the Diamond League trophy and completed the yr because the world No.1 girls’s excessive jumper.
JESS HULL
Elsewhere in athletics, Paris Olympics silver medallist Jess Hull grew to become the primary Australian to medal within the 1500m occasion at a World Athletics Championships.
Hull had come up brief in her earlier two makes an attempt on the occasion, ending seventh in 2022 and 2023, however held on for third place simply 0.09 seconds forward of fourth-placed Nelly Chepchirchir.
JESS STENSON
It was an emotional second for Jess Stenson when she made historical past in December, breaking the Australian girls’s marathon file in Spain.
Stenson revealed that she rang the earlier file holder, Sinead Diver, after she crossed the end line and that the pair had been in tears, with Stenson smashing her personal private finest by 82 seconds to realize the feat.
“She was so comfortable for me, and it was so good to attach together with her after the race,” Stenson mentioned of the cellphone name.
GOUT GOUT
The teenage dash sensation rapidly grew to become a family title this yr, making headlines quite a few instances however two feats specifically stand out.
First, Gout beat his personal nationwide file by two hundredths of a second with a time of 20.02 seconds on the Ostrava Golden Spike in June.
Then, in September, Gout earned a spot within the 200m semifinals on the World Athletics Championships. Whereas he didn’t progress to the ultimate, it was an enormous step in the fitting course for {the teenager}, who’s a famous person of the longer term on the monitor.
LACHLAN KENNEDY
Gout additionally broke the 10-second barrier in a giant 2025, however he wasn’t the one dash star to announce himself to Australia this yr, with Lachlan Kennedy additionally working the 100m inside 10 seconds.
Kennedy achieved the feat in June at a World Athletics Continental Tour Gold meet in Kenya, the place he gained his race with a time of 9.98 seconds.
The 2 got here collectively on the Maurie Plant Meet earlier within the yr in March, the place it was Kennedy who upstaged Gout as he gained the lads’s 200m remaining.
Kennedy additionally emerged victorious within the 100m remaining earlier within the day.
MINJEE LEE
In one of many feel-good moments of the yr, Minjee Lee gained her third main after a three-shot victory on the Ladies’s PGA Championship.
With it, Lee grew to become simply the fourth Australian golfer after Karrie Webb, Peter Thomson and Jan Stephenson to win three main crowns, having already triumphed on the 2021 Evian Championship and 2022 US Ladies’s Open.
It was her eleventh profession victory on the LPGA Tour.
GRACE KIM
Whereas Lee’s victory was extra snug, it was something however breezy for Grace Kim as she claimed the Evian Championship in thrilling trend in July.
Kim trailed by 4 photographs coming into the ultimate spherical and one way or the other rallied again with an eagle-birdie-eagle end to beat world No.2 Jeeno Thitikul on the second playoff gap.
With it, Kim joined Karrie Webb, Minjee Lee, Hannah Inexperienced and Jan Stephenson as solely Australia’s fifth feminine main winner.
OSCAR PIASTRI
It clearly wasn’t the consequence Piastri was after in the long run, with McLaren teammate Lando Norris ending sturdy to assert the drivers’ championship.
However there’s little doubt after a extremely profitable 2025 season that Piastri could not have to attend lengthy for his crowning second, having etched his title into the historical past books in August.
Piastri did so by profitable seven races in his first 14 to tie Mark Webber for essentially the most Grand Prix victories by an Australian.
He appeared on monitor to move Webber however struggled within the back-end of the season.
Regardless of that, McLaren CEO Zak Brown confidently declared he’s “satisfied” Piastri is “going to be a world champion”.
Piastri upbeat regardless of title loss | 02:36
JOSH GIDDEY
Each on the back-end of final season and the beginning of this one, Giddey has established himself as a cornerstone piece for the Chicago Bulls after being traded by the Oklahoma Metropolis Thunder.
Giddey averaged 21.2 factors, 10.7 rebounds, 9.3 assists after the All-Star break to shut out his first yr with the Bulls and has carried that kind into this season, even when outcomes have been blended for Chicago as a workforce.
The Australian was rewarded for his stellar kind with a four-year, $100 million deal in September and whereas he will not be a clear-cut prime choice for a championship contender, he has confirmed he’s greater than able to being the secondary playmaker for a prime NBA workforce.
Giddey hits triple double in Bulls win | 00:59
JAMIE MELHAM
It was an emotional scene after Jamie Melham made historical past at this yr’s version of the Melbourne Cup, changing into the primary girl to win each the race that stops the nation and the Caulfield Cup.
As well as, Melham additionally grew to become simply the second girl ever to experience a Melbourne Cup winner, 10 years after shut good friend Michelle Payne was the primary to do it.
Making the second much more particular, Payne was in commentary on the time and had tears in her eyes for Melham, who Payne mentioned “deserved” her second within the highlight.
ALEXANDER VOLKANOVSKI
The Australian UFC famous person was alleged to be executed. Historical past mentioned so.
No fighter had ever gained an undisputed UFC championship after struggling back-to-back losses. In the meantime, fighters 35 years or older had a 3-25 file in title fights at welterweight or under.
However after 14 months away from the octagon, a refreshed Volkanovski silenced his doubters as he claimed a unanimous resolution win over Diego Lopes at UFC 314 to reclaim the featherweight throne.
Volkanovski will now defend his belt towards Lopes in a rematch at Sydney’s Qudos Financial institution Enviornment on February 1.
Volk dismisses retirement speak | 02:27
JACK DELLA MADDALENA
He could now not be champion, nevertheless it was nonetheless a particular second when one other Australian UFC title holder was topped in Might after Jack Della Maddalena upset Belal Muhammad.
Della Maddalena entered his first-ever title shot on an unbeaten seven-fight win streak however was extensively anticipated to fall sufferer to Muhammad’s superior wrestling and grappling.
As a substitute, the Perth native’s takedown defence was medical as Della Maddalena had his hand raised after a unanimous resolution victory.
REECE WALSH
After an inconceivable run to the grand remaining, the Brisbane Broncos appeared on the verge of falling wanting a fairytale premiership.
First they misplaced Adam Reynolds after which Ben Hunt. However they’d Reece Walsh, and the Broncos fullback left his finest till final with a standout recreation on either side of the ball to encourage Brisbane to glory.
It capped off a surprising run of kind for Hunt, who had been pivotal in each of Brisbane’s comeback wins within the finals towards Canberra and Penrith.
There have been some query marks over Walsh’s defence too coming into the grand remaining, however he greater than answered them with essential one-on-one tackles together with a key one on Ryan Papenhuyzen within the dying moments to seal the premiership for the Broncos.
QUEENSLAND MAROONS
It was a giant yr for Queensland rugby league.
Not solely did the Broncos do the double within the NRL and NRLW, however Billy Slater masterminded one other Origin ambush because the Maroons made historical past to stun the NSW Blues in Sport 3 on their approach to a sequence win.
Queensland accomplished 35 of 38 units within the decider, a 92 per cent completiong charge which ranked one of the best in Origin historical past, as Slater’s daring name to drop skipper Daly Cherry-Evans for Tom Dearden paid off.
MATT ROWELL
It was a Brownlow boilover, with Rowell upsetting Collingwood’s Nick Daicos to develop into the second Suns participant to assert the AFL’s prime particular person gong.
Rowell began the season sturdy, changing into the primary participant in Brownlow Medal historical past to ballot three votes in every of his first 4 video games.
He then completed the yr off on a tear too, polling votes in 9 of his final 10 video games of the season to complete with 39 all up, seven forward of Daicos.
NASIAH WANGANEEN-MILERA
It was a giant yr for Nasiah Wanganeen-Milera, who grew to become the AFL’s first $2 million per season participant — and if he’s going to maintain making performs like those he made towards the Melbourne Demons, he’ll be price each cent.
Wanganeen-Milera kicked 4 targets, together with the game-winner, to spark wild scenes at Marvel Stadium because the Dockers stormed dwelling from a 46-point deficit at three quarter time to stage the best comeback in AFL/VFL historical past.
He completed the sport with 34 disposals, 4 tackles, six clearances, 9 rating involvements and 749m gained to go along with his 4 targets.
KANGAROOS
How may you allow the AFLW’s good premiers off the record?
The Kangaroos capped off their undefeated season with a dominant 40-point win over the Brisbane Lions within the grand remaining.
In doing so, they grew to become the primary workforce in AFLW historical past to win back-to-back flags having gained 27 of their final 28 video games.
The one recreation they didn’t win in that stretch? A draw towards Geelong early within the 2024 season.
The definition of dominant.
Roos dominate Lions to win by 40 | 02:43
TRAVIS HEAD
Higher than Gilly?
The person himself reckons so.
Travis Head produced a efficiency for the ages within the first Take a look at at Perth, making 123 from simply 83 balls to steer Australia to victory in an exhilarating opening Take a look at in Perth.
Head reached the massive 100 in solely 69 balls, equalling David Warner’s file when it comes to opening batters for Australia in Take a look at cricket.
It was shades of Gilchrist’s heroics towards England within the 2006-2007 sequence on the WACA, though Gilchrist informed foxsports.com.au he rated Head’s even higher.
“I’d elevate it above mine due to the match state of affairs. It is so simple as that,” Gilchrist mentioned.
“In what was a match shifting at a frenetic tempo, there was nothing to counsel that that was even attainable given what had occurred earlier than.
“I got here in on a 40-degree day towards a drained England assault that was cooked after (Mike) Hussey and Michael Clarke a whole lot, so yeah, I’m rating that above mine.”
Head smashes ‘Unforgettable’ Ashes ton | 01:48
MITCHELL STARC
Talking of that first Take a look at towards Perth, it wasn’t simply Head who was the spotlight for Australia.
Moderately, Mitchell Starc stepped up with out Pat Cummins and Josh Hazlewood to be topped participant of the match after an unimaginable efficiency which noticed him file figures of 7-58 and 3-55.
It was simply the third time Starc had recorded 10 wickets in a Take a look at match, whereas it was the primary time an Australian fast took a ten-wicket haul in an Ashes Take a look at was in 1991.
Playbook predicts Starc v Stokes success | 00:29
AUSTRALIA MEN’S TEST TEAM
There have been a number of performances from the lads’s Take a look at workforce that belong on the record, which makes singling out only one a troublesome speak.
However how in regards to the historic win that sealed a 3-0 sequence whitewash within the Frank Worrell Trophy, when Australia bowled the West Indies out for the second-lowest whole in Take a look at historical past?
The West Indies may solely handle 27 runs in 14.3 overs, with Starc once more developing supreme because the Australian quick bowler recorded career-best figures of 6-9.
Scott Boland, in the meantime, chipped in with a hat-trick.
ALANA KING
The Queen of Spin additionally deserves a point out.
Alana King was unstoppable in Australia’s remaining group recreation on the Ladies’s World Cup, tearing by South Africa’s batting line-up to take seven wickets whereas giving up simply 18 runs.
King’s 7-18 had been one of the best bowling figures in Ladies’s World Cup historical past and marked one of the best bowling efficiency by an Australian in a girls’s ODI.
ALYSSA HEALY
One maestro with the ball, one other with the bat.
Whereas King was placing on a spin-bowling masterclass on the World Cup, Healy was dominating with the bat as he recorded two-straight centuries to guide Australia a spot within the semifinals.
Healy (73 balls) scored the quickest century of the World Cup in 2025 as she recorded an unbeaten 113, simply 4 days after a 142-run haul towards India.
MITCH OWEN
We now have to go all the best way again to January, however a brand new hero was born in Hobart as Mitch Owen capped off a stellar BBL|14 season with a surprising century to seal a maiden championship for the Hurricanes.
The Thunder posted a difficult whole of 7-182 at Ninja Stadium nevertheless it was not sufficient as Owen blasted 108 off 42 balls, recording the quickest fifty in a BBL remaining off simply 16 balls.
The 39 balls he required to carry up the century, in the meantime, equalled Craig Simmons’ 2014 ton because the quickest within the historical past of the competitors.
Michael Hussey referred to as it “among the most brutal hitting we’ve ever seen within the Huge Bash – if not the world in T20 cricket”.