Leader Local Sports Star winners 2019: our best sporting talent celebrated

Pat Cash, Meg Lanning and Lydia Lassila have enjoyed worldwide success, but they started their journeys winning Leader Sports Star awards. Check out the new recipients following in their footsteps.

Water skier Luke Johnson, who is legally blind, won the Jim Dowsley Award, which is given to someone beating the odds. Picture: Hamish Blair

What do tennis star Pat Cash, Olympic gold medallist Lydia Lassila and Australian cricket captain Meg Lanning have in common?

Along with excelling in their chosen sports, they were each once named a Leader Sports Star.

Leader Community News has a long and proud history of supporting young and not-so-young sporting talent — recognising the players, teams, coaches and volunteers who bring local sport to life.

>> CHECK OUT THE FULL LIST BELOW

Editor in Chief Andrew Rennie said Leader had been unearthing and celebrating grassroots talent over the past 40 years, and this year’s Sports Star program had nominations for more than 66 different sports from athletics to wheelchair basketball.

Over the years the honour roll has included some of the nation’s biggest sporting names including Lauren Burns, Shane Warne, Brooke Hanson and Matt Welsh.

Pictures: Leader Sports Star winners 2019

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This year’s Sports Star awards, held at the Melbourne Cricket Ground’s Members Club last night, saw a new crop of future stars from throughout Melbourne join the impressive list.

Stephen Quartermain hosted the night with special guests Olympic swimmer and AFLW boss Nicole Livingstone — a former Leader Sports Star herself — netball star Bianca Chatfield and boxer Harry Garside, who shared some words of wisdom with the finalists.

The program is sponsored by GoldFM.

Brent Reid, who coaches a deaf basketball team, received the Services to Sport Award. Picture: Norm Oorloff

OVERALL STATE WINNERS

Jim Dowsley Award: Luke Johnson

Services to Sport: Basketball coach Brent Reid

Team: Victorian Penrith Cup rowing team

Junior Sports Star: Ben Voogd

Overall Senior Sports Star: Michael Zerafa

MASTHEAD WINNERS

BAYSIDE LEADER

Junior Sports Star: Sienna Shepherd — swimming

Senior Sports Star: Ben Canham — rowing

CAULFIELD/PORT PHILLIP LEADER

Junior Sports Star: Alisa Gimgina — gymnastics

Senior Sports Star: Aimee Aharoni — judo

CRANBOURNE LEADER

Junior Sports Star: Riley Simmons — basketball

Senior Sports Star: Laetisha Scanlan — shooting

DIAMOND VALLEY LEADER

Junior Sports Star: Jai Lemire — cricket

Senior Sports Star: Keith Nyberg — lacrosse

Knox Leader’s Senior Sports Star Sarah Chaplin. Picture: Norm Oorloff

FRANKSTON STANDARD LEADER

Junior Sports Star: Brock Batty — trampoline

HEIDELBERG LEADER

Junior Sports Star: Louis Inifer — golf

NORTHERN LEADER

Junior Sports Star: Angus Miller — fencing

Senior Sports Star: Michael Zerafa — boxing

KNOX LEADER

Junior Sports Star: Dharam Deol — athletics (steeplechase)

Senior Sports Star: Sarah Chaplin — swimming, Special Olympics

Heidelberg Leader Junior Sports Star Louis Inifer at Kew Golf Club. Picture: Hamish Blair

LILYDALE & YARRA VALLEY LEADER

Junior Sports Star: Georgia Pistone — shooting

Senior Sports Star: Nick Coburn — para beach volleyball

MANNINGHAM LEADER

Junior Sports Star: Stephanie Ratcliffe — track and field (hammer throw)

MARIBYRNONG LEADER

Junior Sports Star: Joshua Giddey — basketball

Senior Sports Star: Ben Morrison — swimming

MAROONDAH LEADER

Junior Sports Star: Ben Voogd — track and field (hammer throw)

Senior Sports Star: Kate Linford — weightlifting

Sunbury/Macedon Ranges Leader Local Sports Star Ella-Grace Santos. Picture: Cold Shot Photography

MONASH LEADER

Junior Sports Star: Nicholas Lum — table tennis

Senior Sports Star: Dean Hewitt — curling

MOONEE VALLEY LEADER

Junior Sports Star: Jarryd Davies — bowls

Senior Sports Star: Jessica Au — futsal

MOORABBIN LEADER

Junior Sports Star: David Dunstan — softball

MORDIALLOC CHELSEA LEADER

Junior Sports Star: Morné Nel — athletics

Progress Leader Sports Star, basketballer Patrick Lane. Picture: Penny Stephens

MORELAND LEADER

Junior Sports Star: Dilan Egodawatte — athletics

Senior Sports Star: Brendan Clarke — canoeing

MORNINGTON PENINSULA LEADER

Junior Sports Star: Emily Hamilton-Smith — hockey

NORTHCOTE LEADER

Senior Sports Star: Reka Abraham — canoeing

PRESTON LEADER

Junior Sports Star: Ava Jordan — football

Senior Sports Star: Marcel Leteri Sasso de Oliveria — Brazilian jiu jitsu

Lilydale and Yarra Valley Leader shooter Georgia Pistone. Picture: Hamish Blair

PROGRESS LEADER

Junior Sports Star: Jessica Mackenzie — heptathlon

Senior Sports Star: Patrick Lane — deaf basketball

STONNINGTON LEADER

Junior Sports Star: Ola Evans — triathlon

SUNBURY/MACEDON RANGES LEADER

Junior Sports Star: Ella-Grace Santos — ice skating

Senior Sports Star: Coral Semmens — crossfit

WHITEHORSE LEADER

Junior Sports Star: Claire Sardana — taekwondo

Senior Sports Star: Tim Davis — fencing

WHITTLESEA LEADER

Junior Sports Star: Hannah Scott — softball

Senior Sports Star: Ethan McCormack — gymnastics