The Aussie athletes with the most to prove in 2025
Some of Australia’s finest athletes are cruising into 2025 riding a wave of success while others face a career wipeout if they don’t find form soon. We look at who is on the way up, and who is on the way out.
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With 2024 now safely in the rearview mirror we take a look at some of the biggest names in Australian sport and map out the challenges and opportunities that 2025 is set to present to them.
GOUT GOUT (ATHLETICS)
The hottest name in Australian sport right now - this 16-year-old sprinter from Queensland is going to be a name and face you will be seeing plenty of in 2025 and all the way through to his home 2032 Olympics in Brisbane. Gout broke the Australian 200m record in December and at 16, he is running times faster than the greatest sprinter in history Usain Bolt. In 2025 Gout will get more international exposure and keep chasing a sub 10 second 100m run but don’t expect too much too soon, he is still in high school.
MARY FOWLER (FOOTBALL)
The Matildas don’t have a major tournament in 2025 but it will be a crucial year for 21-year-old football sensation Mary Fowler as she looks to make her mark on the national women’s team. Fowler shot to stardom during the 2023 World Cup but didn’t live up to the same potential this year, mostly due to coaching decisions. Fowler is now a regular starter for WSL club Manchester City and with a new coach pending for the Matildas this year is an important one for Fowler to stake her claim as a key member of the squad. She took time out at the end of 2024 citing mental and physical fatigue - will she be able to cope with the increase in demand in 2025.
SAM KONSTAS (CRICKET)
The new face of Australian cricket. The country has been captivated by the teen’s stunning MCG Test match debut and the hype is only going to get bigger as he heads to a fairytale home Test at the SCG this week. At just 19, Konstas is the future of Australian cricket. His courageous flair with the bat, engaging personality playing it up to the masses in the crowd and carefree attitude will be a huge hit in 2025 with a home Ashes series.
ALEX DE MINAUR (TENNIS)
The first Aussie male since Lleyton Hewitt to break into the top-10 rankings, the Demon has now established himself as a genuine contender at the grand slams, making the quarter-finals in the last three majors. But he hasn’t made a semi final yet and with Roger Federer and Rafa Nadal now retired and Novak Djokovic slowing down, his window is narrowing with Carlos Alcaraz and Jannik Sinner still yet to peak. One of the best returners in tennis, and with an improving serve, he has the game to contend on any surface.
BRISBANE LIONS (AUSSIE RULES)
Can the 2024 AFL premiers go back-to-back? A 60-point Grand Final win over Sydney last September was convincing and made for 14 wins from the final 16 games of the season for Chris Fagan’s side. The Lions lose key forward Joe Daniher to retirement in a big blow, but do welcome back Keidean Coleman, Darcy Gardiner, Lincoln McCarthy and Tom Doedee from long-term injuries. There is also a kid called Levi Ashcroft, who is poised to make an immediate impact after being selected at pick 5 in the national draft.
CAMERON SMITH (GOLF)
Smith looked to have the golfing world at his feet when he produced the best nine holes of his career to win the 150th British Open at St Andrews in 2022. Then, he took the big bucks on offer and switched to LIV. No shame in that, plenty of other top names did that too, but Smith hasn’t been able to add to his solitary major success since. He has registered top-10 finishes at the Masters, US Open and PGA Championship in the last two years but missed the cut at the British Open in 2024 and failed to make the Aussie team for the Paris Olympics.
JOSEPH-AUKUSO SUAALII (RUGBY UNION)
The hottest defection from league to union since Sonny Bill Williams, Suaalii will be the centre of attention for the rugby faithful in 2025 with the Wallabies hosting the British & Irish Lions. Still just 21, Suaalii has been billed as the saviour of Australian rugby after he made an impressive start to the 15-man game on the Grand Slam tour. But with a $5 million price tag, he’ll need to take things up a notch over the next 12 months or the naysayers will start laying the boot in.
MOLLIE O’CALLAGHAN (SWIMMING)
It’s a sign of the incredibly high expectations Mollie O’Callaghan places on herself that she was in tears after the Paris Olympics, saying she felt like she had underperformed despite collecting five medals - three gold, one silver and one bronze - to take her Olympic career tally to eight at the tender age of 20. Australia’s go-to big gun in four relays that medalled, O’Callaghan also won the individual 200m freestyle gold but missed the podium in the 100m. After winning the 100m freestyle world title in 2022 and 2023, she has the chance at Singapore in 2025 to become the first woman to three world titles in the blue-riband sprint.
MICHAEL MAGUIRE/BEN HUNT (RUGBY LEAGUE)
The triumphant NSW Origin coach gets his chance at NRL coaching redemption with one of the biggest clubs in the league, while prodigal son Ben Hunt returns after his controversial exit from the Dragons. The pressure is on both to deliver and drag the Broncos back into title contention.
DYSON DANIELS (BASKETBALL)
He’s been dubbed the ‘Great Barrier Thief’ with his ability to rack up steals and score points igniting huge interest in the 21-year-old Aussie in the NBA. The Atlanta Hawks guard has averaged 13 points and 3.1 steals per game - ranked No.1 in the league.
OSCAR PIASTRI (FORMULA ONE)
In his second Formula One season Piastri staked his claim as the hottest young driver on the grid, taking a maiden Grand Prix victory and finishing fourth in the drivers’ championship. Mooted as a future world champion, the 23 year old has the motorsport world at his feet - but the expectations will only grow ahead of next season. Piastri should again have one of the best cars on the grid at his disposal but with the uber-quick Lando Norris as his teammate, 2025 looms as a sliding doors campaign for the young Victorian.
JORDAN PETAIA (NFL)
The former Wallaby and Queensland Reds back shocked rugby in 2024 by walking away from the game to follow his dreams of playing in the NFL. Following in the footsteps of NRL stars Jarryd Hayne and Valentine Holmes, Petaia is headed off to the US and will try to secure a mega-rich grid iron contract after a season learning his new trade in the NFL International Pathway Program.
PAT CUMMINS (CRICKET)
The Australian cricket captain’s most immediate concern in a massive 2025 is to finish the job and win the Border Gavaskar Trophy for the first time in his career. The Aussies lead 2-1 but if India win at the SCG starting Friday, they will retain the trophy. After that there is a Test tour of Sri Lanka, which Cummins may miss for the birth of his second child, followed by the ICC Champions Trophy in Pakistan. Then next summer it’s the big one - a home Ashes series against England. After the volatile tour of the UK in 2023, there will be plenty of feeling in this year’s clash in Australia.
TAYLA HARRIS (AUSSIE RULES)
She is one of the AFLW’s biggest names, but it has been a few years since Harris put together a big performance on the footy field. Injuries have hampered the key forward over the past two years and shoulder issues restricted her to only one game for Melbourne last season. Harris requested a move to a fourth AFLW club – Hawthorn – during the trade period but a deal was not done, leaving her with the Demons for 2025.
JAROME LUAI (RUGBY LEAGUE)
Few openly welcome the challenge of being the man. Well, here it is. After perfectly playing the role of sidekick to Nathan Cleary during their premiership dynasty, Luai now gets his shot at being the main star at a club that has won three wooden spoons in a row. Good luck.
QLD FIREBIRDS (NETBALL)
After a tumultuous couple of years on and off the court the Queensland Firebirds are under a lot of pressure to stake their claim as one of the best clubs in Super Netball. With new coach Kiri Wells at the helm and a revamped squad the Firebirds will be looking to win their first premiership since 2016.
COLLINGWOOD (AUSSIE RULES)
Craig McRae’s side was the toast of the competition in 2023 as the Magpies soared to an AFL premiership. However, they came crashing back to earth in 2024. A mid-season slump saw Collingwood miss the finals last season, finishing ninth with 12 wins and two draws. Entering 2025, the Magpies have the competition’s oldest list and they reloaded for the now by adding Port Adelaide’s Dan Houston during the trade period. Has Scott Pendlebury got a third premiership left in him before he calls time on a decorated career?
THE WALLABIES (RUGBY UNION)
Once the pride of the nation, albeit a long time ago now, the Wallabies have descended into Australian sport’s loveable losers, a sorry tag no team can be proud of. They still pull big crowds because they have such a loyal fan base but it’s time the men in gold started repaying the favour by winning some silverware. With the British & Irish Lions coming to Australia, plus the Bledisloe Cup and Rugby Championships on the line, the Wallabies have the chance to turn everything around in 2025 but it’s yet to be seen whether they will.
NATHAN CLEARY (RUGBY LEAGUE)
After winning four premierships in a row, there is little left for the league’s best player to prove. But winning without his partner-in-crime Luai, dominating at State of Origin level and a serious, injury-free tilt at a Dally M medal has so far eluded him. Immortal-status beckons.
LATRELL MITCHELL (RUGBY LEAGUE)
Another underwhelming season littered with injuries and controversy has robbed Mitchell and league fans of the enigmatic superstar both in Origin and the post-season. At 27 years of age, time is on Mitchell’s side. But how many times can the supremely talented fullback be missing from the biggest games of the year?
LUKE BEVERIDGE (AUSSIE RULES)
He’s the longest-serving coach in the history of the Western Bulldogs, but whether Beveridge remains at the helm of the AFL club beyond 2025 remains to be seen. The Bulldogs have not won a final since 2021 and again crashed out of the premiership race with a 37-point elimination final defeat last September. Many rate the Bulldogs as a top-four list, but inconsistent performances have haunted Beveridge and his side over the past three years.
THE SOCCEROOS (FOOTBALL)
The Australian men’s national football team is in the midst of qualifying for the 2026 World Cup. They have performed well under new coach Tony Popovic but can their form continue into the new year? The Socceroos currently sit second in their group and just the top two teams earn automatic qualification into the 2026 tournament. The team’s first big test will come in March when they take on Indonesia and China.
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