INFLUENTIAL WOMEN

Last week as part of International Women’s Day (Wednesday) some of the top newspapers and a TV station got their journalists to get together and come up with the top 50 women.

Interestingly, only women got to have a vote, but it was done fairly and in the right spirit. Many were names that most of us in the grandstand didn’t know because their work is concentrated in Melbourne for instance, or they work behind the scenes and never on the back page.

Now remember, it is not simply who are best sportswomen, but the most influential. That said it was no wonder that athletes did in fact dominate that list. No surprise then to read that Sam Kerr and Ash Barty dominated the votes. Each of the ten ‘selectors’ were asked to nominate their top 20 women with votes from 20-1. Then the votes of all ten were combined and bingo we have our top scorers.

As it turned out Sam came out on top with 185 votes which means all ten judges had her as their #1 choice or at worst five of them had her #2.

Ash Barty finished third and probably suffered as a result of her being retired. Had it been done twelve months earlier I’m sure she would have scored even higher. It’s a bit like ‘our’ Dawn Fraser who came in at #47 which is a tribute to her respect and longevity. Cathy Freeman and Gai Waterhouse were in the top 20. Ash will always have a special place not just in our memories but our hearts.

So, you are probably asking well who was the runner up? This is where the surprise is. The answer is Gina Reinhardt which surprised all of us in the grandstand. When we think of such lists, we tend to concentrate on the athletes but from the start it was made clear that it was the influencers.

She has been a big financial supporter of our swimmers and rowers particularly. You remember last year when the netball competition had to knock back her money because it conflicted with their ‘green’ agenda. So be it, but it wasn’t long before they had a replacement sponsor in the form of the Victorian government.

Seven of the top ten are athletes and just like the full list of fifty, it comprises administrators in all the major sports, some coaches and commissioners who decide what is shown on television, how much government money goes to particular sports etc.

We are certainly blessed to have some of the world’s best athletes be they swimmers, cricketers or footballers but Sam is in a league of her own and will probably end up as our best ever.

PS Can some reader please advise me when International Mens day is celebrated so I can do a similar story.