Thu, 28 Oct, 2021
Sydney: The Matildas and superstar striker Sam Kerr were the big winners with fans at the AIS Sport Performance Awards in Sydney on Tuesday.
Kerr was awarded the ABC Sports Personality of the Year, voted on by the Australian public, ahead of Australian Kangaroos rugby league skipper Cameron Smith, AFL star Dustin Martin and Paralympic champion Curtis McGrath.
Riding a wave of success, the Matildas were voted the Public Choice Team of the Year ahead of NRL premiers the Melbourne Storm, AFL champions the Richmond Tigers and the Australian Diamonds netball team.
The online poll, run in partnership between the AIS and ABC Grandstand, attracted almost 19,000 votes from fans.
Accepting the Team of the Year award on behalf of the Matildas, star striker Lisa De Vanna was ecstatic and proud.
“To have a nation vote for us as the team of the year against some of the great sporting teams of Australia is fantastic.
“I have been around for a very long time and it used to be 400 of our friends and family that would come watch us.
“Now we have thousands of people wanting to watch us and engage with us and that is because we play good football,” concluded De Vanna.