While typically a column that features just cricket lists, in light of Ash Barty’s inspirational Australian Open title, GAZETTE reporter TYLER LEWIS has changed the tune of Tyler’s Top 10 this week, ranking the best female athletes of the modern era.
The difficulty of this list definitely suggests how good the Aussie girls are in their chosen sport…
10. Erin Phillips (AFLW): The word ‘prime’ is thrown around a lot in Australian Rules circles. Phillips is having one of the all-time greatest ‘primes’ in the codes history. Two-time league best and fairest, both in premiership years. Won best on in the AFLW grand final in 2019 despite not playing the final term. Also has taken out two WNBL championships, what a star.
9. Layne Beachley (surfing): Who would’ve thought a young girl out of Manly would be handy on a surfboard! Seven-time Surfing World Champion, Australian Sporting Hall of Fame, Sportsperson of the Year in 2005 and a Surfers Hall of Fame inductee. Without question the G.O.A.T in Australian surfing.
8. Anna Meares (cycling): When a stadium gets named after you, you’re a seriously good athlete. Stole hearts in Athens in 2004, taking home the gold and a searing world record. Meares had the weight of her nation on her shoulders wherever she competed, but it obviously wasn’t too heavy, because she often carried home a chunky medal or two as well.
7. Sharelle McMahon (netball): Two Commonwealth Games gold medals, two Netball World Championship gold medals and the queen of the big moments… but she still comes in at number seven. Grew up on the sizzling hard-courts of Echuca, tough as nails and a true-blue Aussie hero.
6. Samantha Kerr (football): Soaring up this list as we speak. Unlike others in this list, Kerr competes in a team sport, which is often argued to be harder to collect accolades. 106 appearances and 56 goals for the Matildas, if we did this list in a year, Kerr probably isn’t sixth.
5. Lauren Jackson (basketball): We’re on a tight word count for Tyler’s Top 10. So much so we’re just going to list some accolades for this one and move on… four-time WNBL MVP, four-time WNBL Grand Final MVP, five-time WNBL championships, seven-time WNBL All-Star.
4. Ellyse Perry (cricket): There’s no greater flex than when Perry walks out to bat for Australia with an extremely faded helmet. Perry recently became the first female, and fourth ever cricketer to take 300+ international wickets, and 5000+ runs. Averages just a lazy 86 in Test cricket and 50 in ODI’s.
3. Catherine Freeman (track): Controversially coming in at number three! The golden girl of the 2000 Sydney Olympics has been an icon of Australian sport on and off the track since she streamed over the line in Sydney. She could very well have started the fire for a lot of the athletes in this list with her.
2. Ash Barty (tennis): Flavour of the month Ash Barty has become one of Australia’s most cherished people, let alone athletes. The world number one has won Roland Garros (French Open), the prestigious Wimbledon and now the Aus Open on home soil. Just the US Open to go and she’s knocking on the door of number one.
1. Emma McKeon (swimming): Being Australia’s greatest Olympian means McKeon was a lock-in for pole position. McKeon bagged seven medals in Tokyo to go with her four in Rio. With 11, she holds the record for most Olympic Medals by an Aussie. What needs to be considered is as an Olympian her opportunity rolls around once every four years, not annually. She currently holds three Olympic Records and one World Record, and is just 27, lookout Paris 2024.
