2025 Hall of Champions Inductee and Legend elevation
Published Wed 22 Oct 2025
LIZ ELLIS ELEVATED TO NSW HALL OF CHAMPIONS LEGEND STATUS
Netball great Liz Ellis AO will be officially recognised as a Legend of NSW Sport at the prestigious NSW Champions of Sport Ceremony at The Star Event Centre, Pyrmont, on Monday, November 24.
Ellis, considered one of the best Netball players of the mid-1990s, becomes the 26th NSW athlete and the second Netball player to be elevated to Legend Status in the NSW Hall of Champions, located at the Quaycentre at Sydney Olympic Park.
As an NSW Hall of Champions Legend, Ellis joins the company of fellow Netball player, Anne Sargeant OAM, Sir Donald Bradman AC, Dawn Fraser AC MBE, Shane Gould AM MBE, Ian Thorpe AM, Louise Sauvage OAM and others in the highest echelon of NSW sport.
The Awards ceremony will also celebrate the induction of five NSW sports greats into the NSW Hall of Champions. They are Graham Arnold (Football), Mo’onia Gerrard OAM (Netball), Naazmi Johnston (Gymnastics), Mark “Mono” Stewart (Adaptive Surfing) and Ricky Stuart AM (Rugby League).
Liz Ellis began her elite career in 1992 and became the most capped Australian Netball player of all time with 122 Test match appearances. She was a valued member of the Australian teams which won three World Championships in 1995, 1999 and 2007, and two Commonwealth Games gold medals in 1998 and 2002.
She captained the Sydney Swifts for eight years, winning four national premierships. She also captained the national team, the Australian Diamonds, from 2004-2007, retiring as the winner of the 2007 Netball World Championships.
In her final season with the Swifts in 2007, Liz captained the team to victory in the National League and became the most capped Commonwealth Bank Trophy player in history with 173 match appearances.
Liz retired as a four times winner of the most prized individual honour in Australian netball, the Most Valuable Player Award – in 1996, 1998, 2002 and 2006. The annual award is now named in her honour - the Liz Ellis Diamond.
Liz has continued her passion for the sport through coaching, operating the Liz Ellis Netball Clinics from 1997 until 2014, and she is currently the coach of the mighty Headlands Breakers U/14s team in Ballina. She is an advocate for equality and representation in sport and has appeared on multiple media programs as a sports commentator and host.
In 2018, Liz was awarded Officer of the Order of Australia (AO) for her service to the sport and community. In 2024, Liz was elected Chair of Netball Australia.
NSW Hall of Champions Committee Chair, Alan Whelpton AO, said Ellis’ elevation to Legend status and the accomplishments of the five inductees throughout their distinguished careers earned them worthy selection.
“Liz has made a remarkable contribution to Netball as a player, coach, media commentator, and administrator for over 30 years. She becomes the 11th female sporting great to be elevated to Legend status and she now sits proudly alongside NSW’s greatest ever athletes,” said Whelpton.
“We also welcome five new inductees to the Hall of Champions in Graham Arnold, Mo’onia Gerrard, Naazmi Johnston, Mark “Mono” Stewart and Ricky Stuart. They have each reached the pinnacle in their chosen sport and paved the way for the next generation of athletes to aspire to reach greatness,” he added.
Sport NSW Chief Executive, Stuart Hodge, paid tribute to Ellis and to the five new inductees.
“Liz’s tireless contribution and leadership, both on and off the court, has been immense over several decades. The sport of Netball and the wider NSW sporting fraternity owe Liz a huge debt of gratitude for her services, and we are delighted to see her elevated to Legend status in the NSW Hall of Champions,” said Hodge.
“We also congratulate Graham, Mo’onia, Naazmi, Mark and Ricky on entering the NSW Hall of Champions. They join other NSW sports greats who have served NSW and Australian sport with honour and distinction,” added Hodge.
The gala Ceremony dinner will also celebrate the achievements of NSW athletes, coaches, administrators, and organisations across 12 Award-winning categories including Athlete of the Year and Athlete of the Year with a Disability.
The five inductees to the Hall of Champions are:
Graham Arnold – Football
Graham Arnold’s 14-year playing career featured 88 matches (56 A internationals) for the Socceroos, with 33 goals scored (19 A-level), making him the 10th highest goal scorer in Australian history.
He began his career playing for Sydney United from 1984–1990 (178 games, 67 goals) and debuted for the national team in 1985. Arnold played in the 1986, 1990, 1994 and 1998 World Cup Qualifiers, the 1988 Olympics, and was NSL Player of the Year in 1986.
In 2000, Graham was appointed Assistant Coach of the Socceroos (2000-2010). In that time, he was Interim coach for the Socceroos in 2007, and coach of the Australian team at the 2008 Beijing Olympic Games.
Graham won Coach of the Year on three occasions during his four-year tenure as manager of Sydney FC (2014-18). He returned to coach the Socceroos between 2018-2024, becoming the longest-serving Socceroos coach.
He led the Olyroos to their first Olympic appearance in 12 years at the Tokyo 2020 Olympics. In 2022, he became the first Australian-born coach to reach the World Cup Round of 16 and win multiple matches in a single FIFA World Cup, finishing 11th in the world.
Mo’onia Gerrard OAM - Netball
Mo’onia Gerrard played an impressive 68 Test matches with the Australian Diamonds, winning two Netball World Cups in 2007 and 2011, and achieving silver at the 2010 Delhi Commonwealth Games, in which year she was honoured with the title of 2010 Australian International Player of the Year.
Her elite debut with the Sydney Sandpipers in the 1999 Commonwealth Bank Trophy saw her win the Best New Talent Award. In 2003 she won the Players’ Player Award for the Sandpipers, before joining rival team, the Sydney Swifts, in 2004.
In 2008, Mo’onia joined the Adelaide Thunderbirds, who she co-captained to victory in the 2010 ANZ Championship. In 2011, she returned to the Sydney Swifts, and co-captained the team from 2012-13, before finishing her career in 2013.
In 2014, she was a Finalist in the NSW Premier’s Woman of the Year Awards, and in 2016, she received an Order of Australia Medal in the Queen’s Birthday Honours List.
In 2023, Mo’onia returned to the sport to play for Tonga in their first year entering the Netball World Cup.
Naazmi Johnston - Gymnastics
Naazmi Johnston made her elite, international debut at the 2006 Melbourne Commonwealth Games, where she won a team bronze in the Group All-Around, and finished fourth in the Individual All-Around.
At the Australian Championships, Naazmi won a combined 16 gold and five silver medals in three years from 2007-2010. At the World Championships in 2007, she was the top placed Oceania gymnast, which earned her a coveted wildcard position for the 2008 Beijing Olympics, where she was Australia’s sole gymnastics representative, placing a respectable 22nd.
In 2010, Naazmi became the first Australian rhythmic gymnast in over a decade to win the Individual All-Around gold medal at the 2010 Delhi Commonwealth Games. She also won gold medals in the Group All-Around and Ball plus silver in Ribbon and Rope. Following her achievements, she was named Australia’s co-flagbearer alongside swimmer Alicia Coutts at the Closing ceremony.
Mark ‘Mono’ Stewart – Adaptive Surfing
As a teenager, Mark ‘Mono’ Stewart played Football and was a star striker, representing Northern NSW in the Tasman Cup. After a severe injury and Osteosarcoma(bone cancer) diagnosis, Mark lost his right leg at 15 years old. This did not dissuade him from his goals, and he went on to become one of the world’s first, and best, adaptive surfers.
‘Mono’ has won gold eight times in the Australian Adaptive Surfing Championships, from 2016-2025. He has an impressive medal tally of 33 gold, seven silver, and five bronze across a range of national and international competitions. He also has six World Titles across ISA and AASP Professional platforms.
He has won multiple competitions including the 2015 ISA World Adaptive Surfing Championships, the 2021 Australian Para Surfer of the Year Award, and the 2022 World Professional Adaptive Surfing Championships.
In 2021, ‘Mono’ became the world’s oldest Para Surfing champion, winning the ISA World Adaptive Surfing Championships at Pismo Beach, California, at age 59. In 2023, he was the first adaptive surfer to get a perfect score with two 10-point rides in the Final of an International event. This is only the fourth time any surfer has achieved the feat.
Ricky Stuart AM– Rugby League
Ricky Stuart’s decorated career as a Rugby League player and coach began in 1988 with his first-grade debut for the Canberra Raiders. He swiftly cemented himself as one of the game’s best half-backs, winning three premierships with the Canberra Raiders, including the team’s first win in 1989, and again in 1990 and 1994.
He was honoured with the Clive Churchill Medal as man-of-the-match in the 1990 grand final with the Canberra Raiders. In 1992 and 1993, he was named Canberra Raider’s Player of the Year.
Between 1990-94, he played nine Tests for the Australian Kangaroos, and 14 games for the NSW Blues Origin team.
Ricky retired from playing Rugby League in 2000. He has since coached over 500 NRL games across four clubs, including the Sydney Roosters, Cronulla Sharks, Parramatta Eels, and Canberra Raiders.
In 2005, he coached the NSW Blues Origin team, winning the series 2-1 against Queensland. This would be the last NSW victory until 2014. Between 2006-08, he coached the Kangaroos to 10 wins out of 11 international matches.
In 2018, Stuart was inducted into the NRL Hall of Fame and in 2022, the NSW Rugby League Hall of Fame. He was appointed a Member of the Order of Australia in the 2021 Queen’s Birthday Honours.
In 2025, Ricky was named Dally M NRL Coach of the Year.
For tickets to the prestigious Ceremony, go to https://www.sportnsw.com.au/events/312047
Further information: Greg Campbell, PRISM Strategic Communications, Ph: 0418 239 139
