Mack Horton OAM - Winner

Kim Brennan AM - Winner

Luke Beveridge - Winner

Our 2016 Victorian Sport Award recipients are listed below. Please click on the links for more details about their achievements including photos and video footage from the evening.

Kim Brennan AM helped bring women's rowing to the forefront when she won the gold medal at the Rio 2016 Olympic Games in the Single Scull and has previously won the Victorian Female Athlete of the Year Award in 2012 and 2013.

Mack Horton OAM became the first male Victorian swimmer to win individual Olympic gold with his hard fought victory in the 400 metres freestyle.

Emily Beecroft, the youngest S9 female on the Australian 2016 Paralympic team, who swims for the Traralgon Swimming Club and is a member of the Swimming Australia Youth Squad, won medals at both the Victorian Open and Australian Swimming Championships, has been named the 2016 Young Victorian Athlete of the Year.

Luke Beveridge, the Western Bulldogs Premiership Coach was awarded the Victorian Coach of the Year. Football legend Kevin Sheedy AM who played and coached in a combined total of over 1000 games over 47 years from 1967 until 2013 is being recognised with the 2016 State Government of Victoria Outstanding Contribution to Sport Award.

Victorian Community Coach of the Year Hussain Hanif's work with people with intellectual disabilities in Melbourne's western suburbs goes beyond coaching and getting them involved in sport. He's become a mentor and role model to his players.

John Cocks, an 80 year old swimmer who has proved that age is not a barrier to sporting success when he moved into the 80-84 age group by setting in excess of 50 records, to be the current holder of 20 National and 30 Victorian State Records, has been awarded the 2016 Victorian Masters Sport Award.

Neil Dalrymple, CEO of Bowls Australia has been named the Victorian Sport Administrator of the Year. His efforts have helped place bowls at grassroots and elite levels in a position through Neil's vision and drive for the sport across all its departments.

Hary Milas has set an admirable example by combining his officiating skills with a passion for helping those in need. He regularly volunteers his time to support charity and community events including the Homeless World Cup, Victoria Police Soccer Team, Victorian Pride football match and the Reagan Milstein Foundation. Hary has received the 2016 Victorian Community Official of The Year Award.

George Halkias has received the 2016 Victorian Service to Community Sport and Recreation Award for his fifteen years involvement in community sport and recreation bringing sport to many Victorians who otherwise faced huge barriers to participation and challenges to their health and well-being.

Joshua Burt has received the 2016 Victorian Official of the Year Award. Joshua is a much loved and admired member of the hockey community, not just in Victoria but throughout the world. Not content with just coaching, Josh became the Manager of the Australian Men's Hockey Team (The Kookaburras) in 2010, a position he had worked tirelessly to achieve and loved dearly. His game knowledge and respect within the hockey community soon saw him appointed in his first international match (2011 Oceania Cup).

The Lorne Pier to Pub, the largest open water swim in the world organised and run entirely by volunteers from Lorne Surf Life Saving Club has been recognised for the <>2016 Victorian Community Sporting Event of the Year Award.

Will Robertshaw, a nineteen year old senior player with the Ormond Cricket Club and the Ormond Amateur Football Club, is an outstanding young volunteer being a highly regarded as an inspirational coach and mentor for junior cricketers and footballers. Will has received the 2016 Victorian Young Volunteer of the Year Award.

Moreland City Council has won the 2016 Victorian Local Government Initiative Award for its policy to address the inequity in the use of council sporting resources by requesting clubs to be inclusive of women, juniors, and people with a disability and people from culturally diverse communities.

On the back of winning the 2015 Victorian Sport Awards Team of the Year, the Victorian Fury returned in 2016 having won its fourth consecutive premiership within the Australian Netball League (ANL) competition. The Victorian Fury has now won back to back Victorian Sport Awards winning the <>2016 Victorian Team of the Year Award.

The Mount Martha Life Saving Club Under 15 R&R Team led by Coach Geoff Waters, had a fantastic season winning gold at every Victorian competition they attended. They have won the <>2016 Victorian Young Team of the Year Award.

Achilles Melbourne is a running club for people with disability that brings athletes and able bodied volunteers together to train in a supportive, friendly, and safe environment. Achilles Melbourne has a particular focus on guiding and supporting runners who are blind or have low vision. Achilles Melbourne is the only running club of its kind in Victoria and has won the 2016 Outdoor Active Recreation Initiative of the Year Award.

Melbourne Stars Basketball Club Since 2009, Melbourne Stars Basketball Club has focused on making sport available to people within the Aboriginal Community. The club has gone from strength to strength and has grown significantly, with strong representation in the local domestic competition and has been awarded the joint 2016 Community Sporting Club of the Year.

Hawthorn Cycling Club holds the impressive status of being the fastest growing club in Australia. A major part of this growth has been due to the success of a number of community and member based programs. This has resulted in its number of female members quadrupling over three years, is also being awarded the 2016 Community Sporting Club of the Year.

The 2016 Victorian Sport Development Initiative of the Year Award was presented to Sport and Recreation Spatial - Victorian University in collaboration with Federation University.Sport and Recreation Spatial is a collaborative program of research conducted by Victoria University and Federation University.