Brydens Lawyers NSW Blues coach Brad Fittler received a rare honour today after being inducted into the nation’s most prestigious sporting club, the Sport Australia Hall of Fame (SAHOF).
Fittler was among nine inductees for 2022 with the others being paralympic movement pioneer Sir George Bedbrook OBE, former Australian netball captain Catherine Cox AM, Olympic Games softball medallist Tanya Harding, Commonwealth Games ten-pin bowling gold medallist Cara Honeychurch, former Australian basketball coach Dr Adrian Hurley OAM, two-time Brownlow medallist Chris Judd, champion women's golfer Karrie Webb AO, and former Formula One driver Mark Webber AO.
“I’m very humbled to have received this honour as there are some real Australian legends in this list who achieved great things to promote their sports,” Fittler said.
“Rugby League has been, and always will be, such a massive part of my life and I am forever grateful for the journey it has taken me on and the opportunities it has provided me.”
The NSW Blues coach was recognised for his distinguished playing career which spanned 16 seasons with the Penrith Panthers and Sydney Roosters. He won two premierships (Penrith 1991, Roosters 2002), holds the record for most games for NSW (31) and captained them 14 times for eight wins, and captain Australia in 20 of 40 matches, including World Cup wins in 1995 and 2000.
The inductees have all been acknowledged for excelling in their chosen field with dignity, integrity, courage, modesty, pride and ambition, with seven being inducted as athlete members and two as general members.
There could be a further honour for Fittler with two of the members to be elevated to Legend of Australian Sport with the winners of The Don Award and The Dawn Award to be announced on Thursday 8 December.
Fittler will join illustrious company in the Sport Australia Hall of Fame with the roll call already including Sir Donald Bradman AC, Dawn Fraser AC MBE, Cathy Freeman OAM, Ian Thorpe AM, E.J. ‘Ted’ Whitten OAM, Raelene Boyle AM MBE, Wally Lewis AM, Shane Gould OAM MBE, Sir Jack Brabham AO OBE, Greg Norman AO, Lauren Jackson AO, John Eales AM, Susie O’Neill AM, Rod Laver AC MBE, Bart Cummings AM, Louise Sauvage OAM and Layne Beachley AO.
