Kitty Chiller, Danni Roche among Melbourne Girls’ Grammar’s best sporting stars

From golfing pioneers to Olympic gold medallists, Melbourne Girls Grammar has a rich history of athletic success. See the list.

It is a long list when it comes to the sporting stars who have emerged from Melbourne Girls Grammar.

The 130-year-old school, based 2km south east of Melbourne in the suburb of South Yarra, has educated athletes who have gone on to have careers in a wide array of sports including AFL, tennis, athletics, golf and hockey.

The following Melbourne Girls’ Grammar sporting alumni identified by Leader Sport tracks back as far as the early 1900s.

AFLW footballer Bonnie Toogood is among the best sporting stars to emerge from Melbourne Girls Grammar. Pic: Michael Klein

Here’s the list of the best sporting stars to have emerged from Melbourne Girls’ Grammar.

Alex Ames (Athletics)

A 2009 WNBF Asia Pacific and FAME World Tour American Open Figure Champion.

J‘Noemi Anderson (AFLW)

Made her debut for St Kilda in the AFLW in 2022.

Sarah Birrell (Karate)

Gold medal winner for Australia in Karate in Oceania Karate Championships 1997. She was the champion in the 1998 Women’s Middleweight Australian Open Karate Championships in Sydney.

Mollie Bloore (Hockey)

Was a member of the All Australian Women’s Hockey Team in 1925, 1926 and 1928. Mollie Bloore was with the All Australian Women’s Hockey Team that toured South Africa in 1929 and 1930.

Kathryn Buckser (Ultimate Frisbee)

Selected in the Australian U20 Women‘s team at the 2020 World Junior Ultimate Frisbee Championships.

Frances Bult (Swimming)

A 1932 Los Angeles Olympics competitor in the 100 metre freestyle. She was the first Australian woman to make an Olympic final. At that time she held all Australian titles and records for 100, 200, 440 yards freestyle. In 1985, she competed in Canberra and at 71 won the medal for the best performances in the 70-74 age group, winning seven races and breaking six Australian records.

The Australian Olympic Team for the Los Angeles Games in 1932. Back row L-R Andrew 'Boy' Charlton, Eddie Scarf, George Golding, Harry 'Bob' Pearce. Centre row L-R Clare Dennis, Eileen Wearne, James Eve [Manager], Mary Chantell [Chaperone], Philomena Mealing, Frances Bult. Front row L-R ER Terry [Masseur] Alex Hillhouse, William Barwick, Edgar 'Dunc' Gray, Noel Ryan, Edwin Gee [Masseur] Athletics Cycling Rowing Swimming Australia's First Century Historical

Bettina Burgess (Golf)

A member of 1957 Australian Womens Golf Team which competed in South Africa.

Grace Byrnes (Diving)

A competitor at the National Diving Championships.

GAD Geelong diver Grace Byrnes wins two silver and a bronze at European diving titles.

Tiffany Chiang (Taekwondo)

Kukki won the World Taekwondo Hanmadang Championships in Jeju, South Korea in 2018 representing Australia.

Kitty Chiller (Modern pentathlete)

The modern pentathlete competitor represented Australia at the 2000 Summer Olympics. She was a national champion on 12 occasions and was ranked number one in the world in 1996, 1997 and 1998. In 2013, Chiller was named as the Chef de Mission for Australia at the 2016 Summer Olympics held in Rio de Janeiro, Brazil.

Athlete Kitty Chiller when she was the number one ranked modern female pentathlete as result of new ranking system devised by UPIM in 1997.

In 2013, Kitty Chiller was named as the Chef de Mission for Australia at the 2016 Summer Olympics to be held in Rio de Janeiro, Brazil. Picture: Andrew Tauber

Ethel Crawford (Swimming)

In 1914, Ethel Crawford won the open competition of the Ladies’ Swimming Championships of Victoria. She also won diving.

Jean Cumming (Hockey)

Was a member of the Victorian Hockey team in 1926.

Angela Darby (Modern Pentathlon)

The former Melbourne Girls student qualified in the 2008 Beijing Summer Olympics for the Modern Pentathlon, an Olympic sport consisting of fencing, freestyle swimming, equestrian show jumping, pistol shooting, and cross country running. She won the Asian and Oceanian Championships in Tokyo, Japan to qualify for the Olympics. Darby was awarded a Rhodes scholarship in 2012, an international postgraduate award for students to study at the University of Oxford, in the United Kingdom.

Gerard Adams (coach) and Angela Darby, pentathlete at the VRI fencing club in Richmond.

Sarah-Jane D‘Arcy (Swimming)

An Australian representative at the 2000 Sydney Summer Olympics for middle-distance freestyle events.

JAN 2000 - Swimmer Sarah Jane D‘Arcy.

Joan Elvin (Hockey)

A member of the All Australian Women’s Hockey team in 1928.

Florence Faul (Hockey)

In 1936, Florence Faul was in the Australian Women’s Hockey Team.

Suzanne Forster (Diving)

A member of the Victorian State team at the National Diving Championships.

Erin Garbler (Athletics)

Was a participant in the 2017 Inaugural World Para Junior Athletics Championships in Nottwil, Switzerland. Also was involved in the 2018 Arafura Games in Darwin, Australia.

TRACK & FIELD: Tasmin Colley Erin Garbler competes at the World Para Athlete Junior Championships in Nottwil Switzerland.

Sarah Gigante (Cycling)

A competitor in the 2021 Tokyo Olympics in the road race and time trial events. In 2019 at age 18, Gigante won the elite women’s race at the Australian National Road Race Championships. The following year, Gigante won the Australian National Time Trial Championships.

Cyclist Sarah Gigante poses for a photo in Cremorne ahead of the Tour of Gippsland in 2022. Photo by Michael Klein

Amanda Gillon (Hockey)

She was a member of the under 25 Australian Women’s Hockey Team that toured Italy, Wales and Scotland in 1996.

Player Katie Allen with Amanda Gillon (right) during the hockey game - Adelaide Suns vs Victorian Vipers match at The Pines.

Jan Gray (Shot Put)

Victorian shot put champion in 1951.

Helen Green (Hockey)

A member of the All Australian Women’s Hockey team in 1928.

Sarah Hammond (Handball)

In the 2000 Sydney Summer Olympics, Sarah Hammond competed in the handball tournament.

Australian women's handball team members. (L-r top) handballer Raelene Boulton and Gitte Schroeder. (L-r bottom) Shelley Ormes, Sarah Hammond and Vera Ignjatovic.

Samantha Harley (Windsurfing)

In 1984, she was the state Women’s Title Holder in windsurfing. The only woman to compete in the Australian Team for the 1985 World Youth Sailing Titles, finishing 6th. She won the American International Mistral title and she represented Australia in World Windsurfing titles.

Marjorie Hedderwick (Baseball)

A member of the Australian women’s baseball team in 1934.

Alice Hocking (Water Polo)

A member of the 2023 Victorian open team.

Girlie Hodges (Hockey)

Girlie Hodges was a representative of the Australian hockey team in 1925, 1926, 1927, 1928 and 1936.

Jean Hoggart (Hockey)

A member of the Australian Women’s Hockey team in 1934.

Isis Holt (Paralympics)

The Australian Paralympic athlete has competed in Olympic T35 sprint events where she has won four silver medals and a bronze medal in her Olympic Games career. Holt is affected the condition cerebral palsy. She has won a Commonwealth Games gold medal (2018 Gold Coast) and four gold medals at IPC Athletics World Championships.

Silver medallist Isis Holt of Team Australia celebrates after Women's 200m - T35 Final on day 5 of the Tokyo 2020 Paralympic Games at Olympic Stadium on August 29, 2021 in Tokyo, Japan. (Photo by Adam Pretty/Getty Images)

Rosie Hooper (Athletics)

A 2009 WNBF Asia Pacific and FAME World Tour American Open Figure Champion. She represented Australia in the 2006 Commonwealth Games in the Women’s Javelin Finals.

Rosie Hooper looks to the crowd for support in the Women's Javelin Final on Day 4 of the Melbourne 2006 Commonwealth Games.

Bonnie Inge (Hockey)

Was a member of the Victorian Hockey team in 1926.

Ann Kemp (High Jump)

Victorian high jump champion in 1947.

Lillyanne Johnston (Sailing)

Represented Australia in the 2019 International Cadet World Championships in Poland and in 2022 in the International Cadet World Championships in Williamstown finishing in seventh place.

Marjorie Lamble (Hockey)

A member of the Australian Women’s Hockey team in 1929.

Robin Lesh (Tennis)

Played tennis for Australia at Wimbledon from 1963 to 1965 and played in the Australian Open over the years 1959 to 1968.

Joan Lewis (Golf)

In 1939, she was the Victorian and Australian Golf Champion. She was also the Australian Women’s Golf Champion in 1947 and 1952. She was the first woman in Australian to be on a handicap of one in 1955. In 1964 she won the Victorian Women’s Golf Championship for the sixth time, a record amount.

Joscelin Yeo Wei Ling (Swimming)

A talented swimmer who won 40 gold medals from eight appearances at the Southeast Asian Games. Ling also represented Singapore in the Asian Games, Commonwealth Games and Summer Olympics. She broke the 4x50 Medley Relay world record in 2000 with a time of 1:49.23.

Hayley Luscott (Body Sculpting)

In 1991, Hayley Luscott won the state, national and world Natural Body Sculpting titles. She was the youngest ever to win the Ms Teenage Olympia – Physique.

Coco Marshall (Diving)

Participated in the 2021 National Diving Championships.

Jacqui Marshall (Rowing)

An Australian rower who competed in the women‘s single sculls event at the 1984 Summer Olympics in Los Angeles.

Pat Matthews (Skating)

A 1939 Victorian and Australian Speed Skating Champion. She was also a 1940 Victorian Figure Skating Champion. There were no Olympics due to the war.

Gretta McCulloch (Hockey)

A member of the Victorian hockey team in 1928.

Abbie McKay (AFLW)

The daughter of former Carlton footballer Andrew McKay has notched up 13 AFLW games for the club since season 2019.

Abbie McKay of Carlton breaks a tackle during the round 4 AFLW match against Geelong Cats in 2019. (Photo by Darrian Traynor/Getty Images)

Margaret Woodlock McLean (Shot Put)

Competitor in Shot Put at the 1956 Melbourne Olympic Games. McLean was a former teacher at the school.

Eliza McNamara (AFLW)

Since 2021, McNamara has played 22 games for Melbourne.

Melbourne’s Eliza McNamara taking on Carlton at Casey Fields. Photo by Michael Klein

Phoebe McWilliams (AFLW)

Centre half forward Phoebe McWilliams has played 45 games in her AFLW career to date. She began with GWS playing 14 games, before joining Geelong. Now, the 37-year-old is playing with Carlton.

Geelong’s Phoebe McWilliams in action West Coast Eagles at GMHBA Stadium in Round 5, 2022. Photo by Michael Klein

Gwynneth Morris (Hockey)

The hockey player represented the Victorian Hockey team in 1913. Gwynneth Morris was also appointed the first President of the All Australian Women’s Hockey Association.

Belinda O’Connor (Beach Tennis)

Represented Australia at the 2008 World Championships of Beach Tennis in Italy. Won a bronze medal and had a work ranking of four.

Yrsa Osborne (Hockey)

A 1935 member of the Australian women’s hockey team.

Amber Parkinson (Fencing)

Qualification in the Australian Olympic fencing team for the Beijing 2008 Olympics was the highlight of Amber Parkinson’s sporting career. Other achievements include a gold medal at the Australian Open Fencing Championships in December 2007. Parkinson also won silver and bronze in the Asian Fencing Championships. She was also the 1995 Victorian State Women’s Sabre champion.

Amber Parkinson at the Athens 2004 Olympic Games.

Gabriella Peiniger (Swimming)

A member of the 2019 Junior World Swimming Championship Team in Budapest and Hungary.

Gabriella Peiniger is seen competing in the Women’s 100m butterfly during the Australian Short Course Swimming Championships in Melbourne, Friday, October 25, 2019. (AAP Image/Sean Garnsworthy)

Emma Rickards (Rowing and Cycling)

She was the 1997 lightweight national champion single sculler and represented Australia at the World Road Cycling Championships in 2006, 2007 and 2008.

Emma Rickards (Vic) racing at the women's criterium.

Petra Rivers (Javelin)

The javelin thrower won two gold medals and a silver in Commonwealth Games javelin events from 1970 to 1982.

Danni Roche (Hockey)

A gold medal feat with the Hockeyroos at the 1996 Summer Olympics in Atlanta, Georgia is one of the greatest achievements by a former Melbourne Girls Grammar sporting alumni. Roche made her national hockey debut as a 19-year-old in a series against New Zealand in 1989. Following her playing career, she went on to become a director at Hockey Australia for seven years and then went on to become a board member of AFL club St Kilda.

Australian hockey player Danielle (Danni) Roche during match Australia against Argentina at the 1996 Atlanta Olympic Games.

Australian hockey player Danni Roche holding her Sydney 2000 Olympic Games gold medal on Aug 12 2000.

Leslie Rudd (Hockey)

A member of the Australian Women’s Hockey team in 1927.

Sarah Sauvey (Ski Cross)

The Australian-born British freestyle skier who specialises in ski cross competed at the Vancouver 2010 Winter Olympics and placed 34th in the qualifying rounds.

Sarah Sauvey, came 12th in the world skiing championships. Pic: Glenn Daniels

Dorothy Sholl (Hockey)

In 1933, 1935 and 1936, Dorothy Sholl was a part of the Australian Women’s Hockey Team.

Jenny Staley (Tennis)

A member of the 1955 Australian Women’s Tennis Team. She was also in the 1950 and 1951 Victorian U19 tennis team.

Jenny Staley after winning her first match in the mixed doubles championship at Memorial Drive, North Adelaide, 21 Jan 1955. (Pic by unidentified staff photographer)

Meredith Sutton (Hockey)

A member of the All Australian Women’s Hockey team in 1928. 

Sybil Taggart (Hockey)

Represented the Australian women’s hockey team in 1926, 1927 and 1932.

Nancy Thompson (Ice Skating)

In 1934, she won the Women‘s Quarter Mile Ice-Skating Championship of Australia.

Bonnie Toogood (AFLW)

Since being drafted to the Western Bulldogs in 2017 with pick 11, Toogood has played 37 games. The utility won an AFLW premiership in her first season in 2018. Toogood is now playing for Essendon.

Bonnie Toogood for the Bulldogs celebrates after scoring a goal for the Bulldogs during the AFLW Round 1 match between Western Bulldogs and Fremantle Dockers at Victoria University Whitten Oval in Melbourne, Sunday, February 4, 2018. (AAP Image/David Crosling) NO ARCHIVING, EDITORIAL USE ONLY

Abbey Trinca (Golf)

A Junior Classic Golf Champion.

Olivia Vesely (AFLW)

The midfielder has played 12 games for St Kilda since she joined the club in the 2020 season.

Olivia Vesely in action for the Saints during the Round 2 AFLW match between the Adelaide Crows and St Kilda Saints at Hisense Stadium in Adelaide, Sunday, February 16, 2020. (AAP Image/David Mariuz)

Judyth Warnock (Tennis)

Competed in the Australian Open singles tournament in 1949.

Susie Whan (Snowsports)

She was the number one downhill skier in Australia in FIS rankings.

Betty Wilmot (Hockey)

A Victoria hockey team member in 1937.

Caroline Wilson (Media)

The leading Australian sports journalist became the first woman to cover Australian rules football full-time in her job at The Herald in 1982. She was also the first woman to win the AFL’s gold media award. Wilson was the chief football writer for The Age from 1999 to 2017. She has also worked on TV and radio throughout her career.

Meryl O’Hara Wood (Tennis)

Previously known as the Australian Championships rather than the current Australia Open, Meryl O’Hara Wood won the women’s double title at the event in 1926 and 1927.