Around the grounds: The Australian towns that have produced our sporting greats

When a trivia quiz throws up a question about an Australian sporting star’s town of origin, there are a handful of safe bets that might get you over the line.

Top of the list would have to be the Riverina town of Wagga Wagga, where the locals wear their sporting prowess with well-deserved pride. Domain takes a look at Wagga Wagga and three more towns that have produced more than the average number of top sportsmen and women.

Wagga Wagga

It’s known as the “City of Good Sports” and has produced so many talented sportspeople the term “the Wagga effect” has now entered Aussie lingo. It’s used to explain the theory that country towns provide the ideal conditions for nurturing athletes who go on to professional careers in their chosen sport.

The long list of sporting greats who were either born, or spent formative years, in Wagga includes legendary cricketers Geoff Lawson, Michael Slater and Mark Taylor, rugby league players Peter Sterling and brothers Steve, Peter and Chris Mortimer, and AFL superstars Paul Kelly and Wayne Carey. Then there are hockey heroes Melanie Wells (nee Twitt) and Adam Cummens, pro golfer Steve Elkington, footballer Sally Shipard and triathlete Brad Kahlefeldt.

Today, Wagga natives popping up in sporting headlines include rugby union gold medal winner Alicia Lucas (nee Quirk), AFL player Harry Himmelberg and sailor Greg Williams.

Rep AFL and cricket players head to Robertson Oval for big matches while McDonald’s Park is the home of rugby league. There are hockey and touch football fields at Jubilee Park and netballers head to the Exhibition Centre. 

Perth

It’s one of the world’s most isolated cities, but that hasn’t stopped Perth from producing an abundance of sporting talent, from current champions Daniel Ricciardo, a formula one star, and gold medal-winning gymnast Lauren Mitchell, to retired tennis greats Margaret Court, Alicia Molik and Casey Dellacqua. Hockey hero Jamie Dwyer calls Perth home, as does professional basketball player Natalie Burton and winner of this year’s Women’s PGA Championship Hannah Green.

Perth’s cricket clubs have produced an embarrassment of riches, from iconic fast bowler Dennis Lillee, the inspirational Adam Gilchrist and current coach of the national men’s cricket team Justin Langer, to wicket keeper-batsman Cameron Bancroft and all-rounder Heather Graham who has just made her women’s one-day international debut.

The grounds of the world-famous WACA have played host to some significant sporting moments over its 100-plus year history including Glenn McGrath’s hat-trick in 2000 and Gilchrist’s 57-ball century in 2006.

The Cockburn Ice Arena opened in 2015 and offers two Olympic-sized ice rinks used for ice hockey, figure skating and recreational skating. Perth is also home to CAMS, the Confederation of Australian Motor Sport, an organisation focused on the development, regulation and administration of motor sport across Australia.

Tamworth

Best known for its annual country music festival, Tamworth also boasts noteworthy sporting alumni. Australian international cricketer Josh Hazlewood grew up just north of the city in Bendemeer, the late cricketer John Gleeson is well-remembered for his unusual bowling grip and pro basketballer Nick Kay is a member of the Australian national team.

Olympians and brothers Clive and George Barton both excelled in sport shooting, while another brother combo, Ethan and Cody Parry, look set to make an impact on the NRL with Ethan debuting for the Eels this year and Cody set to join him having recently inked a four-year deal with the club.

There are over 180 sporting clubs in the Tamworth region and locals are spoilt for choice when it comes to facilities, which include indoor and outdoor cricket pitches, a host of netball courts and footy fields and two Olympic pools. It’s also home to the Australian Equine and Livestock Events Centre, the biggest of its kind in the southern hemisphere and a venue for pro bullriders like Troy Wilkinson, who captained NSW at this year’s inaugural PBR Origin.

Hobart

Our southernmost city is no lightweight when it comes to sporting prowess – take pro boxer Luke Jackson, the current title holder of the WBA Oceania, WBO Oriental and Australian Featherweight titles as a shining example. Jackson’s fellow Hobart sporting greats include successful mixed martial artists Priscus Fogagnolo and Rob Wilkinson, AFL player Jessica Wuetschner and gold medal-winning rower Scott Brennan.

The late Australian cricket legend Max Walker grew up in West Hobart and two of today’s cricketing stars, Matt Wade and national team captain Tim Paine, call the Apple Isle home.

Blundstone Arena is the only venue in Tasmania to host international cricket matches, with a crowd capacity of 19,500. The Queens Domain is one of the city’s top sporting facilities with aquatic, athletic and tennis centres, and is home to the Tasmanian Cricket Association, while the North Hobart Oval is the city’s premier AFL ground.