Our team developed a unique annual property called the Sports Dad of the Year. The activity is designed to highlight Australia's celebrity sportsman who are fathers, providing a rare insight into their everyday family lives, with the winner announced on Father's Day.

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All forms of media have joined in on profiling this unique property with social media now playing a major part in deciding the winner. Channel 9 and News Limited have been the competitions media partners since the inception in 2009. The finalist Sports Dad's are profiled on a uniquely designed website sportsdads.com.au which include questions and answers from the athletes about their families, as well as comments from their partners and children plus never before seen family photos. The public are then directed to vote where major prizes can be won.

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Some of the biggest names in Australian sport have participated in the Sports Dad of the Year campaign, a celebration of fatherhood and sporting excellence. The award has attracted legends across AFL, NRL, cricket, tennis, swimming, surfing, motorsport, and more. Notable participants include two-time Grand Slam tennis champion and former world number one Lleyton Hewitt, world surfing champion Joel Parkinson, Olympic gold medallist and world champion swimmer Michael Klim, and one of cricket’s most feared batsmen, David Warner, who won the title in 2016. The NRL has always been strongly represented, with inaugural winner John Skandalis (2009) setting the tone. Since then, the honour has gone to legends like Paul Gallen, Cameron Smith, Corey Parker, Brett Kimmorley, Nathan Hindmarsh, Wendell Sailor, and Anthony Minichiello (2014). Johnathan Thurston remains the only dual winner (2015 and 2018), while more recent winners include Benji Marshall (2019), Adam Reynolds (2020), Damien Cook (2022), Daly Cherry-Evans (2023), and Reuben Cotter (2024). AFL has also been a dominant force, with Brett Kirk (2010), Sam Mitchell (2011), and Jude Bolton (2013) each claiming the award. Other icons featured in the campaign include Brownlow medallist Adam Cooney, Richmond premiership captain Trent Cotchin, and retired greats like Matthew Lloyd, Michael O’Loughlin, and Nick Maxwell. From the round ball game, legends like John Aloisi, Mark Schwarzer, and Tim Cahill have added star power, while Wallabies stars Stephen Moore and Nathan Sharpe have carried the flag for rugby union. Motorsports have been represented by V8 Supercars champion Mark 'Frosty' Winterbottom, the 2012 winner, and Tour de France sprint legend Robbie McEwen. In recent years, the campaign has also embraced Olympic champions like Logan Martin, who took home the 2021 title the same year he won Olympic gold, highlighting the campaign’s expanding reach and ongoing relevance in Australian sport.

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The Sports Dad of the Year celebrity winner is provided with funds to donate to his charity of choice with $115,000 donated to numerous charities. Below are our previous winners;

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• 2009 Winner - John Skandalis, NRL - Wests Tigers (donated $5,000 to Sydney Children's Hospital)

• 2010 Winner - Brett Kirk, AFL - Sydney Swans (donated $10,000 to Redkite)

• 2011 Winner - Sam Mitchell, AFL - Hawthorn FC (donated $5,000 to Ronald McDonald House)

• 2012 Winner - Mark 'Frosty' Winterbottom, V8 Supercars (donated $10,000 to National Breast Cancer Foundation)

• 2013 Winner - Jude Bolton, AFL - Sydney Swans (donated $5,000 to Redkite)

• 2014 Winner - Anthony Minichiello, NRL - Sydney Roosters (donated $10,000 to Steggles Roosters Charity Nest)

• 2015 Winner - Johnathan Thurston, NRL - North Queensland Cowboys (donated $5,000 to The Mark Hughes Foundation)

• 2016 Winner - David Warner, Cricket (donate $10,000 to Make-A-Wish Australia)

• 2018 Winner - Johnathan Thurston, NRL - North Queensland Cowboys (donated $5,000 to The Mark Hughes Foundation)

• 2019 Winner - Benji Marshall, NRL - Wests Tigers (donated $5,000 to Ronald McDonald House Charities)

• 2020 Winner - Adam Reynolds, NRL - South Sydney Rabbitohs (donated 5,000 to Save Our Sons)

• 2021 Winner - Logan Martin, BMX - Olympian (donated $5,000 to Lung Foundation Australia)

• 2022 Winner - Damien Cook, NRL - South Sydney Rabbitohs (donated $10,000 to Ronald McDonald House)

• 2023 Winner - Daly Cherry-Evans - Manly Sea Eagles (donated $10,000 to Gotcha4Life)

• 2024 Winner - Reuben Cotter - North Queensland Cowboys (donated $10,000 to Brighter Lives Foundation)

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In 2013 the success of the celebrity activity gave way to developing a community activity with local Australian sports dads being recognised and given the chance to be crowned the Community Sports Dad of the Year. The Community Sports Dad nominee can be any dad, whether it's a dad that coaches his local junior team, helps the local sports club with funding or support, or simply plays competitive sport on the weekend. Thousands of entries are received each year highlighting these wonderful father's who are inspirations to their local community.

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The Sports Dad of the Year community winner is provided with funds to donate to their sports club of choice. These funds are used to buy sports equipment and generate extra support for their local club — with over $55,000 contributed to grassroots clubs across Australia to date.  Below are our previous winners;

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• 2013 Winner - Tony Vecellio (OAM), Randwick (donated $5,000 voucher to Randwick Botany Little Athletic Centre)

• 2014 Winner - Gary Timperley, Byron Bay (donated $5,000 voucher to Byron Bay Surf Lifesaving Club)

• 2015 Winner - Jason Greenhalgh, Orange (donated $5,000 voucher to Bloomfield Junior RLFC)

• 2016 Winner - Stephen Bissett, Eastwood (donated $5,000 voucher to Eastwood St Andrews AFC)

• 2017 Winner - Richard Galea, Blacktown (donated $5,000 voucher to Blacktown City Swimming Club)

• 2018 Winner - Bill Soliola, Bankstown (donated $5,000 voucher to Berala Bears Junior RLFC)

• 2019 Winner - Terry Williams, Arcadia Vale (donated $5,000 voucher to Westlakes Wildcats FC)

• 2021 Winner - Scott Peeler-Hammond, Wavell Heights (donated $5,000 voucher to Kedron Lions)

• 2022 Winner - Bradley Benjamin, Lightning Ridge (donated $5,000 voucher to Lightning Ridge JRL)

• 2023 Winner - Greg McKervey, Cobar (donated $5,000 voucher to Cobar Junior Soccer Club and Cobar Athletics and Triathlon Squad)

• 2024 Winner - Nathan Butler, Mt Gambier (donated $5,000 voucher to Blue Lake Soccer Club)