Celebrating sporting excellence: the 2024 VU Sport Awards

Held at Western Bulldogs Whitten Oval, it was a night of celebration for what’s been an outstanding year for VU sportspeople, competing with pride at regional levels, representing the University in national comps like UniSport Nationals, and representing Australia in Paris at the 2024 Olympics and Paralympics.

VU Sport Manager, Scott Cashmere, said the awards acknowledge the continued sporting excellence at VU.

This year we’ve seen inspiring achievements from elite student-athletes at the Olympic Games and other major international events; outstanding individual and team performances at university championships; and student and alumni volunteers working tirelessly to support representative and club sport programs. 

“It's also great to have VU alum Jacinta Carroll as VU’s 20th inductee into the University Sport Hall of Fame,” Scott said.

Meet the recipients

Individual awards: VU Blues and Half Blues

In the tradition of Oxford and Cambridge, Victoria University Blues are a prestigious symbol of excellence, earned by student athletes for competition at the highest level. 

This year’s Elite Athlete Blues join a legion of 280 student athletes who have been recognised over two decades for their outstanding individual sport performance representing the University, State, or Australia.

Evaluated by VU’s Sports Awards Committee, 'Full' Blues are the highest recognition of performance and representation, usually reserved for medallists, or the highest statistics recorded in a league. A student may progress from a Half-Blue to a Blue in a subsequent year.

Our new Blues are completing university degrees in study areas including education, exercise science, nutritional science, physiotherapy and osteopathy.

Blues

• Darcy Beer – Beach Volleyball
• David Hammersley – Beach Volleyball
• Riley Galea – Canoe Kayak
• Bianca Puglisi – Cross Country

Half-Blues

• Leith McKenzie – Athletics
• Felicity Theodore – Basketball
• Boris Stanish – Biathlon
• Eisay Adhanom – Football
• Marcus Piscopo – Gymnastics
• Alannah Joyce – Judo
• Andy Htiak – Karate
• Alexandra Hodgson – Netball
• Saffron Canny-Smith – Short Track Speed Skating

Service Awards

The success of our sport teams and programs depends on volunteers – both on and off the field.

Outstanding Service Award

The Outstanding Service Award went to Stella Rose Lay. A VU student since 2020, Stella has competed in university sport and volunteered for many roles: Team Manager (Beach Volleyball, Netball, Football), Uni Nationals Overall Team Captain, and a leader in Indigenous Uni Nationals. Stella is also contributing on a national level serving on the UniSport Australia Student Advisory Committee, and is one of only two Australian student ambassadors for the International Federation for University Sport.

Team Service Award

Four students received awards for their dedicated leadership service to teams and clubs:

• Maxwell Viitala – Basketball
• Melanie Bell – Netball
• Devin Johnson – Lacrosse
• Kasey Thornson – Multi-sport

Sport Club of the Year

The Footscray United Rangers Football Club were recognised as Sport Club of the Year.

Representative Sport Team of the Year

Representative Team of the Year Award went to the VU AFL nines team. Our AFL nines team was in the top two teams in Australia this year, picking up silver at the UniSport Nationals.

Rising Star Award

Alannah Joyce (Judo) won the Rising Star Award.

Jacinta Carroll Academic and Sporting Excellence Award

Exercise Science (Clinical Practice) student Aoife Coughlan (Judo) was awarded the prestigious Jacinta Carroll Academic and Sporting Excellence Award.

Sportsperson of the Year

Female Athlete of the Year went to Olympian and Commonwealth Games Gold medallist Aoife Coughlan (Judo) who had another standout year, at her second Olympic Games.

Male Athlete of the Year went to Leon Sejranovic (Taekwondo) who competed at the 2024 Olympics, and was VU’s 2023 Rising Star.

VU Sport Hall of Fame: 2024 inductee

The Hall of Fame recognises outstanding, sustained performance in sport by alumni who have retired from elite-level sport.

Five-time World Champion Waterskier and VU alum, Jacinta Carroll, was the 20th inductee into VU’s esteemed Sport Hall of Fame 

Since placing second at 2013 Moomba Masters, Jacinta has won every professional waterski jump event she has competed in.