As we hurtle towards 2032 and the biggest sporting event Australia has ever seen – the Olympic and Paralympic Games – all eyes will be on Brisbane, with a significant related lift to community sporting infrastructure in the regions as well.

And so who are the people shaping our sporting landscape, and what degree of power do they really wield?

Today, The Courier-Mail reveals 65 of the most influential people in this vibrant and lucrative sector and you’ll be surprised by who did and did not make the cut.

POWER 100: Queensland’s most powerful people 100-51

We have excluded executives and editors of News Corp, The Courier-Mail, Foxtel and Fox Sports. That is because News Corp Australia is the publisher of The Courier-Mail, and owns 65 per cent of Foxtel.

We have, however, included those who work for the Brisbane Broncos, in which News Corp holds about 70 per cent of the listed shares.

Scroll to the bottom to read how we selected the list.

TOMORROW: The Business Power List

NEXT THURSDAY: Queensland’s Top 50 Most Powerful

1. JOHN COATES

Australian Olympic Committee immediate past president

Success has many fathers, but when it comes to Brisbane hosting the 2032 Olympics there is but one person who can truly claim the credit: John Dowling Coates.

He reframed Olympic host bidding criteria from a scramble among cities to a preferred candidate option so Brisbane could break away from the pack and seal the deal.

Consequently, when Coates now says jump the Premier asks how high.

Well connected on both sides of parliament, he has one key advantage over friends and particularly rivals – he outlasts them all.

He was president of the Australian Olympic Committee for 32 years before stepping down this year, but will continue as honorary president of the AOC and vice-president of the Organising Committee of the 2032 Brisbane Olympics.

He remains the only national Olympics boss in history to deliver two games to his homeland (Brisbane and Sydney).

2. ANNASTACIA PALASZCZUK

Olympics Minister and Premier

She has never been a natural sports fan, but in our Covid-challenged world through 2020 Palaszczuk became the most important person not simply in Queensland sport but Australian sport.

Her government came to the rescue of the AFL and rugby league competitions – an 18-month rescue mission right the way through to the NRL Grand Final at Suncorp Stadium last year.

She was also the public figurehead of Brisbane’s successful Olympic bid and chairs the government committee which hands out funds for special events – so few major events happen in Queensland without her approval.

When you write the cheques and have a track record of showing you are prepared to offer big dollars, in doing so you have the power – and for that reason the Premier is right at the top when it comes to power in sport in Queensland.

3. PETER V’LANDYS AND ANDREW ABDO

Australian Rugby League Commission chairman and NRL chief executive

These two Sydneysiders form a formidable team north of the Tweed as the pair that run the most popular sporting competition in Queensland.

V’landys is ultimately in charge of the direction and expansion of rugby league in Queensland, while Abdo is the consummate chief executive – being across the detail and never switching off.

Their mishandling of the recent debate over where this year’s grand final will be held (Sydney ended up the host, as always expected) aside, the pair has shown commitment to Queensland through the addition of the state’s fourth NRL team, the Dolphins, next season.

Well connected across politics and sport, V’landys has also shown his hand by convincing the ARLC to bolster the NRL’s off-field position in Queensland with the recent acquisition of the iconic Gambaro Hotel and restaurant in Caxton Street, just up the road from Suncorp Stadium.

4. GINA RINEHART

Hancock Prospecting executive chair

Australia’s richest person is not only known for her astute investments in the mining, beef and property sectors, but has long been a staunch supporter of the nation’s Olympic Games efforts.

Bronze-medal-winning sailor John Bertrand, who skippered Australia II to victory in the 1983 America’s Cup, calls her the matriarch of the Australian Olympic team.

Rinehart is patron of four teams – swimming, volleyball, rowing and synchronised swimming – and the largest single non-government contributor to the Olympic effort.

This year, Hancock Prospecting was announced as a sponsor for the Australian Olympic Team through to 2026, encompassing the Beijing 2022 Winter Olympic Games, Paris 2024 Summer Olympics and the Milan-Cortina Winter Olympics in February 2026.

5. WAYNE BENNETT

Dolphins coach

He may be 72 but his influence on the game is wide-ranging, ever-present and deep-seated.

The game’s bosses do not make a big policy call without ringing Bennett, who remains one of the few to be equally highly rated by Sydney powerbrokers and their QRL rivals with whom Bennett has special ties – due to his 50-year friendship with chairman Bruce Hatcher.

As coach of the NRL’s latest team, Bennett also has a constant presence in the transfer market.

6. GILLON MCLACHLAN

Australian Football League chief executive

His tenure as the game’s head honcho will end this season and his star does not burn as bright in this non-AFL state as it does in the southern and western states, but McLachlan is still one of sport’s most powerful figures in Queensland.

Not only did he play a significant role in Brisbane getting the first AFL grand final held outside Melbourne during the pandemic (in 2020), he was also a key driver in the construction of Metricon Stadium on the Gold Coast and, in recent years, as the man with a decisive say in fixtures, was an important voice in the Lions form surge being recognised with more plum television timeslots.

He has an excellent working relationship with the Queensland Premier and Federal Sports Minister Anika Wells.

Expect to see more of him in Queensland after he leaves the top AFL job.

7. KATIE PAGE & GERRY HARVEY

Magic Millions bosses

Apart from their thriving Harvey Norman business empire, the husband and wife team are the owners of the successful Magic Millions business – and their racing clout stretches through the ownership of several studs and more than 1000 racehorses.

Queensland-raised Page, one of four daughters of a bank manager who gave his children confidence by claiming they could achieve anything they wanted, has been trailblazer for women in business and in sport – such as becoming the NRL’s first female board member in 2004.

8. ANDREW LIVERIS

Brisbane 2032 OCOG president

The former boss of Dow Chemicals has been installed as head of the Brisbane 2032 Olympic Games Organising Committee.

Since stepping down from Dow, the Queensland University graduate has chaired companies such as electric car maker Lucid Motors.

The eternal challenge for Liveris and his committee is keeping the Games somewhere near its goal of being cost neutral in its $4.5 billion budget, a grand challenge given a 2020 study showed that most Olympic Games spends end up three times as much as their initial budget.

It is still a decade until the Brisbane Games, but if he stays BOCOG president Liveris will be leading this list before long.

9. ASH BARTY

Tennis legend

Six words – that was all it took for Ash Barty to send Australia’s multibillion-dollar television sports industry on its ear.

When the Ipswich-based Barty told the world “I announce my retirement from tennis’’ in an Instagram post in March, it shook many worlds.

Tennis was aghast at the thought of losing its world number one and it only took days for the shockwaves to sweep into the boardrooms of this nation’s top television executives.

Channel 7, hoping to ditch the cricket rights and snatch back the tennis off Channel 9, suddenly took a step back in the belief tennis without Barty lacked ratings zing.

Reports the TV deal could rise from $60-$100m a year because of the Barty boom vanished – all because of those six words delivered without intent to change anyone’s world bar her own.

That is a true influencer. True power can mean being beholden to no one. Barty has no boss.

Her decision to retire at age 25 has influenced many lives – she is often told her brave call about her future has prompted others to do the same.

10. STIRLING HINCHLIFFE

Queensland Minister for Sport

He is quietly spoken and a stickler for playing by the rules, but Stirling Hinchliffe’s genuine passion for sport is widely acknowledged – and that is something respected within the sporting community.

As chair of the government’s Olympics legacy committee, he has the opportunity to make his role more important than it has ever been in the state’s history – from attracting Olympic sports to set up their base here, to investments and support for the burgeoning sports tech industry and fresh thinking about community facilities.

11. KATE JONES

ARLC commissioner

Now a member of the Australian Rugby League Commission, Kate Jones is the hot tip to become its first female chair down the track.

The former state Labor minister, who presided over the 2018 Gold Coast Commonwealth Games, was at the forefront of the decision to grant the Dolphins the 17th NRL licence – and her connections helped rugby league navigate a tricky course through the Covid-19 pandemic.

She is highly rated by league bosses, has powerful connections nationally (and not just in Labor circles), and is now also on the Paralympics Australia board.

12. DAVE DONAGHY

Broncos chief executive

Recruited from the serenity of the Melbourne Storm to be pitchforked into the Broncos furnace, the former Brisbane sports scribe and media manager has brought a calmness to the Broncos fightback plan.

Despite the recent explosion in the team’s on-field form, so far the Donaghy era has been a qualified success though the next few winters will shape his rating.

Working at the Storm has allowed him to learn the essentials of what makes a successful rugby league club.

The Storm is renowned for its lung-busting pre-season training camps and it was no coincidence Donaghy was a big supporter of the Broncos’ fitness revival, which was a key plank of their mid-season recent seven-match winning streak that saw them ranked in the top four (before dropping outside of the eight by season-end).

13. REBECCA FRIZELLE

Gold Coast Titans co-owner

Rebecca Frizelle is one of the most connected people in Australia and a powerful voice in the expansion of rugby league’s new women’s competition.

She is respected for her vast business and sport connections.

As part-owner of the Titans with Darryl Kelly (who lost more than $5 million in his first investment in the club in 2012 but has admirably gone the distance and spent more), Frizelle has played a key role in the survival of the club.

She also has secured a spot on Brisbane’s Olympic Games Organising Committee (appointed by former prime minister Scott Morrison, but then confirmed by incoming Prime Minister Anthony Albanese), and is on the Paralympics Australia Board.

14. ANIKA WELLS

Federal Minister for Sport

The former compensation lawyer and Moreton Bay College captain faces an engrossing few years as pleas for Olympic funding in her home state intensify.

Wells’s husband Finn McCarthy is a senior consultant at SEC Newgate, a lobby firm whose clients include SCT Motorsport, Surf Life Saving Australia and Tabcorp, so between them they are an emerging power couple in sport.

She has been named by Prime Minister Anthony Albanese on the Brisbane Organising Committee for the Olympic Games.

15. HARVEY LISTER

ASM Global Asia Pacific chairman

If it’s a major sporting event, Harvey Lister’s name is all over it. In the Asia Pacific region his company manages 12 venues of more than 200,000 seats, including Suncorp Stadium and the Brisbane Entertainment Centre.

Brisbane-based Lister has been involved in the presentation of more than 40,000 major events including multiple Olympic and Paralympic Games, Commonwealth Games, world title boxing, world cup rugby and league, test cricket and AFL, basketball and netball internationals.

But his biggest imprint on Brisbane sport may be if the Brisbane Live site at Roma St gets approved ahead of the 2032 Olympics.

16. KEVIN WALTERS

Broncos coach

It’s the most highly pressured sporting job in the state, with the potential to be the most rewarding if Kevin Walters can crack the premiership code.

The Broncos dominate Queensland’s sporting news for nine months a year.

Local fans, who grew up expecting a finals appearance every year, do not tolerate failure – and Walters must deal with this pressure.

After years of campaigning by Broncos old boys, Walters was finally given the job and despite a recent dramatic form slump that saw the team miss the finals this year, the club’s mid-season seven-match winning streak gives hope that he might still be the man to take them to the promised land in years to come.

17. CAMERON SMITH

Golfer

Cam Smith has made golf cool again for the people least likely to play it – the mullet-wearing, rev-headed working class boys – bringing the elite sport back to the common man.

His decision to join Greg Norman’s LIV golf troupe on a sign-on fee of $US100 million was seen as the key tipping point which could change the balance of power in world golf.

Smith still cherishes his association with the north Brisbane course of Wantima where he started and still cheers passionately for the Broncos and Queensland team in the State of Origin series despite having to watch the action on tour overseas.

18. JOHNATHAN THURSTON

Rugby league great

Townsville might not have had its new rugby league stadium had Thurston not pitched for it in his grand final winning speech in 2015.

Today, he may be retired but Thurston’s influence in league remains wide-ranging – as an occasional mentor to rejuvenated Cowboys halfback Tom Dearden, assistant coach to Billy Slater in State of Origin and as a Channel Nine commentator.

There is not a powerbroker in the sport who would not stop what they are doing to take his call.

Thurston’s imprint on Indigenous welfare is also greater than ever, through the JT Academy which gives heath, education, sport and other opportunities.

19. GRACE GRACE

Racing Minister

Grace Grace has the daunting job of ensuring Queensland racing does not get left at the barriers in the war between Sydney and Melbourne which is dragging both states to new heights in the prizemoney and publicity stakes.

Racing always wants more than it gets from the government, but under Grace has fared better than some others.

Big issues lie ahead such as solving the state’s integrity woes, fixing the Eagle Farm track and finding a new major home base for the Albion Park trots – as well as lingering concerns from the big online bookies over the point of consumption tax changes announced this year without consultation.

Grace, also Minister for Education and for Industrial Relations, has won admirers in the racing world for being approachable and turning up trackside.

20. CHELSEA WARR

Queensland Academy of Sport CEO

Chelsea Warr returned home to Brisbane last year after playing a central role in the revival of British Olympic sport at the London and Rio Olympics through her role heading up UK Sport.

Very medal-orientated, she faces the challenge of aligning the QAS program to the Brisbane Olympic countdown, but her influence has already been shown by the academy having convinced the government to invest heavily in a full refurbishment of its facilities at Nathan.

She also has the endorsement of the Premier to get the job done – and the government has funded her You For 32 talent scouting program that will test thousands of schoolkids for their athletic abilities.

21. CATHY McGUANE AND TODD HARRIS

Stadiums Queensland chair and Stadiums Queensland CEO

Reappointed in 2021, Cathy McGuane chairs the body that manages a portfolio of assets of stadia, sports and entertainment venues worth over $3bn. We’re talking the Gabba, Cbus Super Stadium, Queensland Sport and Athletics Centre (QSAC), Metricon, Queensland Country Bank Stadium, Sleeman Sports Complex and the Queensland Tennis Centre.

So McGuane, who is also executive manager at TUH Health Fund, oversees some of the biggest venues in the state, working with astute CEO Todd Harris.

In June Harris was recognised in the Queen’s birthday honours list with a Public Service Medal for outstanding public service in Queensland’s sporting and major events, particularly through the COVID-19 pandemic.

Harris was instrumental in Queensland hosting the AFL grand final in 2020 and NRL grand final in 2021 as well as international rugby events, international test match cricket and the 2020 Super Netball season.

22. TONY COCHRANE

Gold Coast Suns chairman

A colourful character, Cochrane is a sometimes controversial supporter of his club, the type of big voice it needs in its fight for credibility and sustainability.

Kicking off his career in the events management space in the 1970s, Cochrane promoted and produced tours for the likes of The Rolling Stones, Sammy Davis Jr, John Farnham and Olivia Newton-John, and once spent a week sleeping on Frank Sinatra’s floor in a bid to lure him to Australia.

More recently he has immersed himself in the V8 Supercars. His connections in business, sport and entertainment are extensive.

23. DENNIS WATT

Gold Coast Titans executive chairman

The former hard nut rugby league forward loves the game from all angles and was a Broncos chairman before accepting a similar role on the Coast in 2017.

From delivering a eulogy at the funeral of his close friend Tommy Raudonikis to occasionally speaking on behalf of his fellow NRL chairs on issues affecting the game, Dennis Watt is passionate about all things rugby league and well connected in the business world after a 30-year stint with News Corp Australia, which included a time as general manager of Queensland Newspapers.

24. KARL MORRIS

Brisbane Broncos chairman

Morris became chairman in 2018 and has presided over a volatile era in which the club has sacked Wayne Bennett and Anthony Seibold, both of whom made awkward, ugly exits as head coaches.

As boss of Ord Minnett, Morris is one of the country’s leading financial heavyweights and, as Broncos board chairman, his opinion matters.

Morris stepped into the Broncos job with little experience in the highly scrutinised world of rugby league administration, but his confidence has grown by the season and there are signs the club is now on course for a brighter era – despite the late-season form slump of the mens’ team.

25. TERRY SVENSON

Queensland Cricket chief executive

The Queensland Cricket boss can be strong when it matters, such as his decision to support the Heat cutting ties with Big Bash star Chris Lynn – a tough decision that will totally change the direction of the marquee team.

Respected by Cricket Australia, including chief executive Nick Hockley, as a sincere voice even if he says things they don’t want to hear, Svenson is also a director of the Brisbane Racing Club and a former boss of a multinational food and beverage company.

26. BRETT GODFREY

Tourism and Events Queensland chairman

The well-connected Brett Godfrey is a key driver in bringing some of the best sporting events to Queensland.

As chair of TEQ, he signs off on crowd-pleasers including the Magic Millions carnival, PGA tournament, Hamilton Island Race Week, Noosa Surfing Festival, NRL Magic Round and Brisbane Cycling Festival.

As the co-founder with Sir Richard Branson in 2000 of Virgin Blue airlines – the precursor to Virgin Australia, of which Godfrey was its long serving CEO – this entrepreneurial accountant has major influence also in the tourism and business sectors.

27. TONY GOLLAN

Horse trainer

Tony Gollan won his eighth successive Brisbane trainer’s premiership in 2020-21 with 103 city winners as part of a decorated career which features more than 1600 winners and $60 million in prizemoney.

He is a giant of the local industry.

His opinion matters on all things racing and he is happy to give it, sometimes behind the scenes, when major decisions are afoot.

He has 91 boxes at Eagle Farm so every decision he makes sends ripples through the industry.

28. BRENDAN PARNELL

Racing Queensland chief executive

Brendan Parnell has solid government connections and had a win with the new tax on corporate bookies which, controversial as it was, stands to put tens of millions into local prizemoney.

He navigated a solid path through a tricky rain-affected winter carnival but the challenge is ongoing with the controversial Eagle Farm track, at its best in recent rain-marred conditions, to come under fresh scrutiny in dryer weather when it can become too hard.

29. TRACY STOCKWELL

Swimming Australia president, Brisbane 2032 OCOG member

This former United States pool great was an obvious choice to sit on the organising committee of the Brisbane Olympics, also given her time on the board of Queensland Events Corporation and with the Queensland Academy of Sport.

Tracy Stockwell’s sage views carry the greatest weight in swimming but she has vast experience in the wider sports world.

Her husband Mark missed out on the job of Australia’s new Olympic boss, but may yet get another chance before Brisbane 2032. They are a powerful couple in sport as well as property.

In addition to their many achievements, in 1994 they founded Splash Leisure. It has developed and operated some of the most recognisable aquatic, fitness and leisure centres in Brisbane, including Centenary Aquatic Centre, Spring Hill Baths and Chermside Aquatic Leisure Centre.

30. CATE CAMPBELL

Swimmer

Thoughtful, articulate and boasting immense natural charisma, Cate Campbell is one of the state’s most natural sporting leaders and opinion shapers, with her influence stretching far beyond her pool deeds – which have reaped a bagful of relay golds at three Olympics.

As chair of the Australian Olympic athlete’s commission, she bravely goes where others fear to tread on topics like vaccination and, on a global stage, giving a brave, heartfelt speech supporting swimming’s decision to stop transgender athletes from competing in senior events.

31. ALAN GRAHAM

ASM Global’s general manager, Suncorp Stadium

The well-connected face of the state’s biggest stadium, Alan Graham is in charge of putting on arguably the biggest events on the sporting and music calendar.

From NRL grand finals and State of Origin clashes to hosting concerts for some of the world’s biggest music acts, the long-time Suncorp Stadium general manager is the man behind the scenes making the big events happen.

His connections within the rugby league community are vast and tight-knit, and go back decades.

32. ADAM RYTENSKILD

TAB chief executive

The new Tabcorp chief has had an early win as part of the successful campaign to have online bookies pay more tax, bringing them into line with the higher rate Tabcorp had traditionally been paid and long considered unfair.

Other states are set to follow Queensland’s lead under Adam Rytenskild and the benefits will flow back into the racing industry.

33. DEAN SHANNON

Entain Australia CEO

Fans love to bet on sport and Entain bet on Dean Shannon, appointing him CEO of their Australian business in 2019, a business that incorporates both Ladbrokes and Neds betting brands.

Before that, Mr Dean served as the non-executive director of Neds, keeping his thumb on the pulse of the sports world and what made spectators tick.

He also enjoyed a period working with Ladbrokes.

In 2021, he urged Tabcorp to accept his $3.5bn cash offer to take control of their wagering and media arms after the more traditional betting house began losing customers to his more tech-savvy alternatives.

34. BRUCE HATCHER

QRL chairman

The fearless veteran administrator, a former flatmate of Wayne Bennett, has no issue challenging southern administrators who make many league men tremble.

Bruce Hatcher fights hard for Queensland at national level and shrewdly supported the State of Origin coaching appointments of Billy Slater and, in a masterstroke, Bennett in 2020.

35. BEN IKIN

Broncos head of football

One of rugby league’s shrewdest brains has gone from the bright lights of television on Foxtel’s NRL 360 to the less conspicuous but more critical role of Broncos football boss.

His football smarts, wide connections, high profile and sound reputation make Ben Ikin a persuasive force at the contract table and the signs are the tide is turning with the Broncos again a chance of becoming a destination club rather than one which has to pay overs to keep their best players.

36. GREG SWANN

Brisbane Lions chief executive

Greg Swann joined the Lions in 2014 after stints at Collingwood and Carlton and has been a force in their revival.

After nine totally unspectacular years when they finished no higher than 12th, Brisbane made this finals this year for the fourth year in a row.

Well connected to head office in Melbourne – who are indebted to him for reviving the Lions – Swann sanctioned the appointment of Chris Fagan as coach.

A premiership would not be essential to prove his worth but would be the gold stud that would define his journey.

37. BILLY SLATER

Queensland State of Origin coach

Billy Slater could have run for premier and got the job after guiding Queensland to victory in the first State of Origin match, after a preparation that was very much from the handbook of the game’s Mr Meticulous.

He brought his old mates Thurston and Smith in to look after loose threads, he called up King Wally for a special “this is what it means speech’’ and he even gave Queensland’s back three special catching practice.

When the Maroons sensationally won the series, Queensland’s entire mood lifted, which makes the coach a man of influence.

38. KERRY PETERSEN

2032 Taskforce deputy director-general

With more than 30 years’ public sector experience, Kerry Petersen is responsible for leading the Queensland Government’s engagement in all activities associated with the 2032 Olympic and Paralympic Games, including navigating a complex network of stakeholders.

Under her leadership, the 2032 Taskforce successfully bagged the Games for Brisbane.

39. KIEREN PERKINS

Australian Sports Commission chief executive

A two-time Olympic 1500m champion, Kieran Perkins was a fearless competitor in the pool and doesn’t mind swimming against the tide on dry land.

Recently stood down as Swimming Australia president to become Australian Sports Commission CEO and made major headlines by warning of the extreme dangers in swimming’s new policy to ban transgender athletes from competing against females at elite level.

Very much his own man, Perkins and his board are charged with handing out more than $170 million in government funding in decisions which will make or break some sports in the lead-up to Brisbane 2032.

40. SARAH KELLY

Brisbane Lions deputy chair

Sarah Kelly is an accomplished marketing and legal expert with strong links to the Brisbane Lions and Tourism and Events Queensland where she is board deputy chair.

Kelly’s laser-sharp focus on sport has also seen her appointed as Queensland leader of the Minerva Network, which mentors professional sports women, and to a position on the Brisbane Olympic Games Organising Committee.

Kelly also supports sports technology start-up ventures and serves on several government and non-government boards.

41. SHANE HOWARD

Supercars CEO

Gold Coast-based Shane Howard was acting Supercars CEO three times before he took the job full-time this year and there was no questioning his credentials.

The Tasmanian-born son of a racing driver was a motorsport fan before he was a businessman, first working with the Supercars in Bathurst 25 years ago.

Before becoming CEO he was Supercars operations manager, often given the key role of working with various governments.

42. STUART GILES & CATHIE REID

Australian Premier League investors

This husband-and-wife duo are formidable in the business and sporting worlds. Cricket-mad Stuart Giles has been instrumental in the Brisbane Premier League, and he and Cathie Reid splashed $5 million to roll out the Australian Premier League nationally this year.

Co-investors include former Australian cricket great Ian Healy and commentator Mark Nicholas.

Reid is an AFL tragic and a director of the Brisbane Lions.

The couple made their fortune through healthcare as co-founders of Icon Cancer Group, Epic Pharmacy Group and the Epic Good Foundation.

They now run Arc31, their family office that manages their portfolio of investments.

43. BRETT CLARK

Queensland Rugby Union chairman

Brett Clark followed the respected Jeff Miller into the chairman’s role to take up the fight to keep rugby union front of mind with a fan base which needs to stretch beyond hard core rugby tragics.

The former Queensland ballet chairman, widely recognised for his philanthropic work, is also on the Brisbane Olympics organising committee.

44. NATALIE COOK

Queensland Olympic Council president

The five-time Olympian and Sydney beach volleyball gold medallist knows the Games like few others and was overjoyed when Brisbane landed the big prize.

From fundraising nights where she walked on flaming coals, Natalie Cook has seen it all, which is why she was one of four premier’s picks on the panel which will manage the Brisbane Olympics Games $5bn budget.

45. MEGAN DAVIS

ARLC commissioner

The Cobble Cobble woman is a Cowboys and Maroons fan and celebrated human rights lawyer who is the first Indigenous Australian to sit on a United Nations body.

Megan Davis has been on the Australian Rugby League Commission since 2018, and was a key supporter of the no-fault stand-down rule, the national women’s competition as well and being heavily involved in all Indigenous policy.

46. DALY CHERRY-EVANS

Queensland Rugby League captain

Initially reserved as a young player, his opinions now carry great weight as president of the players’ union.

Daly Cherry-Evans has spoken out on issues such as players being consulted more before Covid-induced competition changes and an overhaul of the league’s fining system.

Once an outcast at State of Origin level, he is now a respected captain of the Maroons who famously led “the worst Queensland side ever’’ to a series win two years ago.

47. USMAN KHAWAJA

Test cricketer

Queensland’s Sheffield Shield winning captain is a man of influence in many ways.

His own heritage acquainted him with the challenges of multicultural youngsters and he is now a strident supporter of change.

Usman Khawaja has a strong, fearless voice and is not afraid to go against the flow as he did when he stood up to Justin Langer when no one else would and defended him when others had started a whispering campaign.

His influence will grow when, upon retirement after his late-blooming career, he accepts roles in the media for which he is a natural fit, especially on television.

Khawaja is increasingly well-connected in the social scene as well.

48. DARREN LOCKYER

Rugby league great

One of a small number of former players the current Broncos side truly listen to because they all know he was the last great Bronco.

Sensible and considered, Darren Lockyer plays a key role on the Broncos board and as a Queensland selector, Sunday Mail columnist and Channel Nine commentator his views and opinions matter in public and behind closed doors.

49. IAN HEALY

Queensland Cricket board member

The wicketkeeping legend is not as front and centre as he was in his Channel 9 days but is still a voice of influence as a Queensland Cricket board member, SEN morning radio show host, backer of the Brisbane Premier League T 20 competition, Bulls Masters champion and a lively master of ceremonies.

Never afraid to offer an opinion that goes contrary to the popular view, Ian Healy has also given generous time to charitable causes since his retirement two decades ago.

50. MICHAEL BOHL

Swimming coach

This decorated swim coach has had individual medallists at four consecutive Olympics dating back to Stephanie Rice’s triple gold medal haul in Beijing in 2008.

Cool, sensible and sincere, Michael Bohl’s steady hand guided Emma McKeon to a seven-

medal bag, including four golds, at the Tokyo Olympics.

Australia is hoping he can still be in his trade for the next decade to put it on a path to glory for the Brisbane Olympics.

51. TERRY READER

Dolphins chief executive

Terry Reader crafted the pitch which enabled the Dolphins to win the new NRL licence ahead of two strong rivals.

He has used his 15 years of experience as the Broncos’ key strategist to help shape the new club – and has recruited heavily from former Broncos staffers.

His fingerprints are on every major decision at the Dolphins.

The coming year will be a big test for him, but he has the chance to rocket up this list.

52. TODD PAYTEN

North Queensland Cowboys coach

Todd Payten’s hard-nosed, straight-talking ways have revived not simply the North Queensland Cowboys but, by direct consequence, the Queensland State of Origin side.

Had not the Cowboys not zoomed from mediocrity into the top reaches of the NRL ladder the Maroons would not have been supercharged by the likes of Tom Dearden, Jeremiah Nanai, Reuben Cotter, Tom Gilbert, and Murray Taulagi with Valentine Holmes there anyway.

Cooper Cronk said Payten was an unsung hero of Queensland’s State of Origin success “by putting in a system which makes players better”.

53. JAMES JOHNSON

Football Federation Australia CEO

English-born but raised in Rockhampton and Brisbane, the Cavendish Road High School graduate is now a citizen of the world and his extensive global contact book helped him land the job of boss of Australian soccer.

James Johnson helped secure hosting rights to next year’s FIFA Women’s World Cup but plenty of challenges await in the next few years with the A League’s modest fan base.

54. ADAM REYNOLDS

Broncos captain

His cool head has been a tonic to all things Broncos – the coach, the board and even the fans – this season.

In terms of game plans and strategy, Adam Reynolds gets what he wants within reason. He watches most games. He has great football IQ. Players look at him to guide them. His steady hand has reshaped the club.

55. MICK POWER

Sports sponsorship

Out Wynnum way, the region where he lives and greatly loves, it’s quicker to name things Mick Power doesn’t sponsor than those he does.

The construction company boss backs the local golf pro-am, the Wynnum-Manly rugby league team, as well as sponsoring the North Queensland Cowboys coaches, the Gold Coast’s Northcliffe Surf Life Saving Club and many other good causes, as well as being a Brisbane Lions board member and the man whose workers answered an SOS to install Allan Border’s statue at the Gabba.

56. DEAN BOXALL

Swim coach

He is the mad-capped mentor of Ariarne Titmus, whose iconic victories over Katie Ledecky at the Tokyo Olympics saw Dean Boxall snare the International Swim Coach of the Year Award.

He goes completely off tap celebrating his charges’ successes but his swimmers swear by his dedication and he looms as a major pool force in the lead-up to the Brisbane Olympics.

57. MATT CARROLL

Australian Olympic Committee chief executive

An experienced Sydney-raised sports official, Matt Carroll has held high ranking posts in soccer, rugby union and yachting before taking the steering wheel of the AOC in 2017.

He plays a key role in knitting together the patchwork quilt of Australia’s Brisbane 2032 Olympics game plan and recently made a strong plea for all levels of government to not simply pull their weight but also pull in the right direction.

58. CHRIS FAGAN

Brisbane Lions coach

Chris Fagan has done a spectacular job in his first head coaching role to turn the Lions from a basket case to premiership threats for the past three seasons.

Has influenced coaches beyond his own sport with his empathetic approach to the players.

Controversial captain Dayne Zorko likens him to a father figure.

A premiership would enhance his rating from very good to great.

59. TONY PARTRIDGE

Brisbane Racing Club CEO

The BRC conducts more than 75 race meetings each year at Eagle Farm and Doomben, and Tony Partridge is overseeing its $1.5bn property master plan.

The club’s racing business, events and property development contributes $158m annually to the state economy. BRC’s pinnacle event is the Brisbane Winter Racing Carnival, with an audience of more than two million across media and betting platforms.

In the job since 2019, Partridge previously worked in professional services for Deloitte.

60. JEFF REIBEL

North Queensland Cowboys chief executive

Bowen-raised Jeff Reibel has been the man in charge for the Cowboys resurgence, including the opening of their new stadium and dramatic rise into the top four.

He knows the Cowboys business model from all angles, starting his career in marketing there before joining the Titans and Stone Brothers Racing.

61. ROB SCOTT Rowing Australia president and chairman

Rob Scott’s dedication to the sporting world grew in 2022 when he was appointed to the 2032 Olympic Games Organising Committee.

A former national rowing champ, Scott has also built a stellar business career as managing director and chief executive of Westfarmers, one of Australia’s largest employers.

62. ANDREW FRASER

Motorsport Australia president

A former Queensland treasurer, Andrew Fraser was unanimously appointed in 2021 to run this not-for-profit, member-based organisation that focuses on the development, regulation and administration of motorsport across Australia.

Fraser serves on a range of boards including the Brisbane Broncos, is chair of OrangeSky Australia and, from October, will ascend to the top job of Chancellor of Griffith University.

As the former chair of Sunsuper, he oversaw its recent merger with QSuper to form the Australian Retirement Trust, where he now serves as a board director. His previous roles include head of strategy and investment at the National Rugby League, and he was a Member of Parliament in Queensland from 2004-12, serving also as deputy premier and in several other ministerial portfolios.

63. STEVE RENOUF

Broncos great

Still the Broncos greatest try scorer and a strong, passionate, charismatic voice on Indigenous welfare through the Deadly Choices program and mainstream media.

Steve Renouf’s strident, no-nonsense views on rugby league still make headlines and he is well connected through the Broncos to a wide range of contacts.

64. STEVE WILSON Queensland Racing chairman

Dynamic businessman Steve Wilson is well connected to State Government, which means he can help racing get things done, an eternal challenge as Labor governments often view racing as a rich man’s sport.

He has strong relationships with the likes of Queensland Racing chief executive Brendan Parnell, and plenty of good contacts in the corporate world from his investment career in Australia and London.

65. KATE DAVIES

Netball Queensland chief executive

Kate Davies has worked in cricket and state and local government, but this is her greatest challenge because of netball’s dire financial predicament.

The performance of all of the sport’s senior executives will be crucial in the next few years as it tries to find a safe passage for a code living beyond its means.

HOW DID WE DETERMINE THE LISTS?

Firstly, The Courier-Mail senior leadership team engaged the newsroom – reporters on the ground and in the know, those whose job it is to cover these sectors every single day.

The leadership team then used its combined years of experience and extensive contacts to brainstorm more names, adding and culling – all the while consulting with external experts and trusted sources in relevant fields.

We have excluded current executives and editors of News Corp, The Courier-Mail, Foxtel and Fox Sports. That is because News Corp Australia is the publisher of The Courier-Mail, and owns 65 per cent of Foxtel.

We understand that any such list is bound to be subjective, and is by no means exhaustive – but this list is as accurate a one as possible to produce in terms of where things are right now.

It is a unique insight into who calls the shots in Queensland. And as a subscriber it is yours exclusively.

But remember that power is more often than not temporary. Who plays large in 2022 might not be so powerful in 2023. Watch this space.