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Recognising greatness on and off the sporting field with the ‘Philips Sports Dad of the Year’

The annual award highlights celebrity dads from various sporting codes, giving us all an insight into how they juggle fatherhood with their community and sporting commitments. The winning dad donates much needed funds to his charity of choice, with $115,000 donated so far to various charities close to the celebrity dads hearts!

From inaugural champion, Wests Tigers NRL premiership winner John Skandalis, the winners read like a Who’s Who of a future Australian sporting almanac. AFL premiership winners Brett Kirk, Jude Bolton and Sam Mitchell have joined rugby league greats Skandalis, Johnathan Thurston, Benji Marshall, Anthony Minichiello, Adam Reynolds and Damien Cook as winners of the award, while Mark Winterbottom claimed the checkered flag for the Supercar fraternity as the 2012 winner. Former Australian Cricket vice-captain David Warner knocked up a win in 2016. Our 2021 winner was high flying BMX star Logan Martin, who became Australia’s first-ever men’s BMX Freestyle gold medallist at the Tokyo Olympics Games and our 2023 winner was Manly Sea-Eagles and Queensland Maroons skipper Daly Cherry-Evans.

Last years finalists were Wallaby scrum half  Nic White, known for his on-field leadership; Supercar champion David Reynolds, a fearless competitor on the racetrack; five-time Paralympian Brenden Hall, a swimming legend and Australia’s flag bearer for Paris; NRL powerhouses Thomas Burgess and Jared Waerea-Hargreaves, all celebrated for their resilience and impact in the game; NBA icon Joe Ingles, whose sharpshooting and playmaking have made him a fan favourite; tennis champion Matt Ebden, an Olympic gold medalist and Grand Slam winner; and AFL greats Patrick Dangerfield and Lachie Neale, both known for their remarkable skills, leadership, and multiple accolades, including the prestigious Brownlow Medal. And our 2024 winner was Cowboys captain and Origin star, Reuben Cotter.