Doug Walters joins Ash Barty and Shane Warne on Queen’s Birthday honours list

Ash Barty, Shane Warne and Doug Walters are among the sports stars to receive Queen’s Birthday honours | FULL HONOURS LIST

Doug Walters, 76, at Parramatta district cricket oval, in western Sydney, where a stand is named after him. he received an AM in the Queen’s Birthday Honours. Picture: John Feder

Doug Walters told his teammates he needed to warm up for a Test innings. They were shocked. Net sessions weren’t his go. He grabbed a dart, threw a bullseye and declared himself adequately prepared. “Had to get my eye in somehow!” he says, laughing as he celebrates his inclusion on the Queen’s Birthday Honours list.

Walters was a cheeky, mega-talented, beer-sipping, chain-smoking, card-playing 1970s larrikin with a fabulously dry wit and gentlemanly heart of gold who entertained the masses like few Australian cricketers before or since. Forty-seven years after receiving an MBE, “Dungog Doug” was on Monday made a Member in the General Division of the Order of Australia (AM) “for significant service to cricket at the elite level”.

Ash Barty.

If Walters ever played a boring innings, no one saw it. If he ever said a bad word about someone, no one heard it. He smoked 50 cigarettes a day as a player before giving the bludgers up. Sounding as chipper as when he was the coolest player of a particularly cool decade, Walters said: “I feel well and truly honoured. I thought my years were past for this sort of stuff. It’s nice to be recognised.”

Walters played 74 Tests between 1965 and 1981. His diamond-studded, twinkle-toed, daredevil batting racked up 5357 Test runs, including 15 centuries, at an average of 48.26. His giggling medium-pacers had enough rat cunning to take 49 wickets. A true fan favourite, his most famous shot was hooking England paceman Bob Willis for six to bring up a hundred in a session at Perth in 1974.

“Funnily enough, that’s still very fresh in the memory,” the 76-year-old Sydneysider said. “My first Test is just as fresh. Getting selected to play cricket for Australia was the highlight of my life. I remember both those moments especially well. Looking back on that six – there were probably easier places for me to hit that ball but it turned out all right in the end.”

To the suggestion his era seemed a rather enjoyable one for blokes who knew how to party as well as play, he said: “They were sensational times. Absolutely sensational. It was a lot of fun.”

Walters was part of a seven-strong squad of past, present, late and great Australian athletes to be recognised on the Queen’s honours list. The others were Ash Barty, Shane Warne, Adam Scott, Johnny Famechon, Meg Lanning and Jakara Anthony.

Barty’s retired from sport, not life. “I’m honoured to receive an Order of Australia,” the 26-year said of her AO for distinguished service to elite tennis and youth development programs. “There are so many Australian people who do wonderful things for our country and I want to congratulate all of the other award recipients on being recognised for their contributions. I’m a very proud Australian and representing my country to the best of my ability has always been my priority.”

The Queenslander called game, set and no more matches on her career in March, despite being the Wimbledon and Australian Open champion and World No.1. “On a personal level, I always try to uphold Australian values – being humble, respectful, kind and caring for others. I hope to continue my contribution to our country, focusing on providing youth with sport and education opportunities and inspiring all young kids to go after their dreams.”

The late Shane Warne. There’s a sentence still difficult to believe and type.

Adam Scott. Picture: Getty Images

He joined Barty as an AO recipient. Dismissed by a heart attack aged 52, Warne’s memorial service at the MCG in March prompted tears and laughter as stubbies of beer, bottles of champers, packets of darts to do Walters proud, cricket balls and flowers hugged his statue.

When the Great Southern Stand was officially renamed the Shane Warne Stand, the 50,000-strong crowd chanted Warnie! Warnie! Hearts broke hardest for his children: Brooke, Jackson, Summer. He was a colourful character and an all-time great cricketer but perhaps most of all, he was a great dad. “It has been exactly 26 days since you went to heaven and I miss you more than anything in the whole world,” Summer said in her achingly beautiful tribute.

Anthony, 23, received a Medal (OAM) of the Order of Australia for “service to sport as a gold medallist at the Beijing Winter Olympic Games 2022”. She said: “It’s incredible. So exciting. I’ve still got a long way to go in my career so to receive this now is unbelievably special.”

Queenslander Scott, 41, broke Australia’s curse of Augusta National by winning the US Masters in 2013. After 76 years of close shaves, rotten luck and balls splashing into Rae’s Creek, his famous triumph included a signature cry at one stage of “C’mon Aussie!” He was made a Member (AM) of the Order of Australia for “significant service to golf at the elite level”.

Interviewed by The Australian after he broke the Augusta hoodoo, Scott said: “I’m proud to be an Australian but just as much, I’m proud of the way we’re seen around the world.” How are we seen? “As good blokes, really,” he said. “I think we’re seen as good people, men and women. People tell me they think Australians are a bit of a rare breed. I think it’s true. Our reputation is important and positive. I want to keep up my end of the bargain.”

Victoria’s Lanning, the captain of Australia’s all-conquering Test, ODI and T20 women’s cricket teams, was given an AM “for significant service to women’s cricket at the elite level”. She said: “I love representing my country. A huge thanks to all my family, friends and teammates for their support.” Victorian Jean-Pierre “Johnny” Famechon, 77, received an AM for “significant service to boxing at the elite level”. He was the World Boxing Council’s featherweight champion in 1969 and was inducted to the World Boxing Hall of Fame in 1977. Virtually unscathed from his fighting days, he sustained a brain injury when hit by a car outside Sydney’s Warwick Farm racecourse in 1991.

“I’m very grateful,” he said of his AM. “It is such an honour.”

Tenpin bowler Jason Belmonte, from Orange in NSW, earned an AM (Member in the general division of the Order of Australia) for his prolific and ongoing career in the US, where he’s won a record 14 majors.

He’s one of only two bowlers in PBA history to have won the so-called Super Slam of all five majors. He’s a six-time PBA Player of the Year and has racked up more than $2m in prizemoney.