Hawthorn legend Jason Dunstall is among an elite group of athletes who will be among the 2025 class inducted into the Sport Australia Hall of Fame.

The Fox Footy expert analyst, a four-time premierships star with Hawthorn, was at the MCG on Thursday alongside World Cup-winning netballer Laura Geitz and renowned sports medicine expert Dr Peter Harcourt OAM for the announcement.

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Former world No.1 and dual grand slam winner Lleyton Hewitt, Melbourne Storm and Queensland icon Cameron Smith, Olympic snowboard star Torah Bright and ex-Socceroo goalkeeper Mark Schwarzer are the other inductees for this year.

Dunstall, one of the AFL’s greatest goalkickers who finished with 1254 goals in 269 games with the Hawks, declared it was an “amazing honour and great privilege to be considered a worthy induction” into the Sport Australian Hall of Fame.

“(It is) quite humbling given the depth of Australian sport and the incredible quality of our sporting stars,” he said.

“My biggest influences were Allan Jeans and George Stone. Allan was a real father figure, disciplinarian and mentor who always encouraged, and George worked tirelessly with me doing countless extra skill and fitness sessions.”

Smith, who is the only NRL player with more than 400 games experience and captained Australia in 33 of the 56 Tests he played, was unwell and unable to attend the announcement, but he will attend the official induction midway through November in Melbourne.

“It is an incredible honour (and) one that I will forever hold with great pride,” he said in a statement.

“It’s also a reminder of the people who supported me throughout my entire rugby league journey. My parents, my sister and brother. My wife Barb and our three children. Without their love and support I would not have achieved what I did. For that I will always be grateful.

“Being the first person to play 400 NRL games will always be on top of the personal achievements in my sporting career. On a broader scale, playing a role in the growth of rugby league in Victoria as a member of the Melbourne Storm provides me with immense satisfaction. I will always be grateful for being a part of such an extraordinary organisation.”

The NRL paid tribute to Smith, who played 430 matches for the Melbourne Storm across 19 seasons from 2002-20 and also represented Queensland in 42 State of Origin matches from 2003-17, on Thursday.

“On behalf of the Australian Rugby League Commission, I congratulate Cameron for this remarkable and well-deserved achievement,” Australian Rugby League Commission (ARLC) Chairman Peter V’landys said.

“Cameron is renowned as one of the game’s great leaders, both on and off the field. It’s pleasing that Cameron has been recognised for his services to sport in Australia more broadly. His role in the growth of Rugby League in Victoria is arguably unmatched, while his contribution to sport in Australia is immense.”

Cameron Smith will also be inducted.Source: Getty ImagesMark Schwarzer had an incredible career for the Socceroos/Source: Getty Images

Hewitt, who was inducted into the International Tennis Hall of Fame after a stellar career that included featuring as part of two Australian Davis Cup winning teams, is a sport lover and is delighted to join greats from other sports.

“It’s pretty surreal to be honest,” he said.

“When you’re playing your professional career it’s not something you think about at all or focus on, but over the years growing up in Australia, we’ve had such a rich history, not only in our sport of tennis, but also in so many other great sports as well.

“I’ve had so many great role models and idols that I’ve looked up to (and they are) all there in the Sport Australia Hall of Fame, so for me now to be inducted is an incredible honour.”

Schwarzer, who was a member of Australian soccer’s golden generation, helped his nation qualify for three World Cups while also starring with Middlesbrough, in particular, in the United Kingdom.

He was the first non-British man to play more than 500 EPL games when representing Bradford City, Middlesbrough, Fulham, Chelsea and Leicester City.

“First of all, I thank my parents for their support in the early stages of my career as a young kid who loved football,” he said.

“My Dad’s love of football was infectious. Then throughout my professional career my wife Paloma, without her I wouldn’t have had the success that I had.

“She has been constant and unwavering in her support of me and my career, from those moments of extreme doubt in my ability to succeed to being my biggest off-pitch problem solver and cheerleader. She has also almost single-handedly brought up two wonderful children of whom we are both very proud. I owe her so much.”

Bright was brilliant on her snowboard, with her remarkable skill earning her the distinction of being Australia’s most successful winter Olympian.

A gold medallist in the halfpipe in the Vancouver Games in 2010, where she was Australia’s flagbearer, she claimed a silver in Sochi four years later in the same event.

“I hope my legacy shows that no dream is too big. I want the next generation of snowboarders and athletes in general to truly believe in themselves,” she said.

“Belief, real, unwavering belief in yourself, your vision and what’s possible, isn’t something you’re just born with. It’s a skill. Like a muscle it has to be built, stretched and strengthened every day.

“People often point to talent or genetics as the key to success. But in my experience, belief is the foundation. It’s the silent force that carries you through every challenge.”

Belief was critical for Laura Geitz, who pivoted to netball when all her friends were choosing hockey as a teenager and went on to become one of Australia’s greatest players, which included three premierships with the Firebirds and two World Championships.

“Being inducted into the Sport Australia Hall of Fame is such an honour. It’s a moment that allows me to reflect on the journey that brought me here,” she said.

“It reminds me of the people who supported me from the very beginning, my family, my coaches, my teammates, and the countless volunteers who helped create opportunities for me to play the sport I love.

“It also reminds me of the responsibility that comes with it, to continue contributing to sport in Australia and to help inspire the next generation, especially young girls who might see themselves in my story.”

Dr Harcourt, who will be inducted for his work in furthering sports medicine along with filling several prominent off-field roles in Australian sport, has been a foremost expert in anti-doping over four decades.

As a SAHOF release said, his expertise in sports medicine practice, developing best-practice protocols for individuals and sporting codes and facilitating research, has made significant contributions to sports medicine in injury prevention, concussion management, and return-to-play protocols, as well as anti-doping monitoring and practices.

“Without a doubt the most rewarding part of my work in sport over 40 years has been the wonderful people I have been able to work with – (the) athletes, coaches, administrators and sports medicine colleagues,” he said.

“It is such a contrast to other parts of medicine (to be) dealing with highly motivated and committed individuals who, more times than not, are grateful for your expertise and contribution.”