Fraser named greatest female athlete

What's the point of an online poll if the results are going to be moderated? Shortstop won this thing. If Cathy Freeman or Betty Cuthbert had won the online poll, I doubt they would have been "moderated" out of the top spot. I have no real problem with the rankings, but it just shows that the online poll is a sham, and you have to wonder if the results were going to be changed to suit the expert panel regardless of how it turned out. And if you're about to tell me Roller Derby isn't a real sport, you need to stop watching 60's reruns, and come to a modern day bout.

And an even more average politician.

Dawn Fraser was a great swimmer and an even greater whinger.

Definitely agree about Shane Gould. And what a dizzying peak it was ... hard to believe anybody could hold every freestyle world record at once (100m, 200m, 400m, 800m and 1500m) ... and she was only 15 years old ... amazing. She was one of three incredible Australian sports people to retire very young, the other two I'm thinking of are Herb Elliott (at 22 I think) and Mark Ella (at 25).

Unless selection criteria for "Greatest Evers" are water tight the actual person chosen will also be subjective. Is it amount of titles won or individual level of skill or amount of time as world number 1a? What bearing factor does the global level of the sport come into play? A sport like surfing that only a handful of nations compete at surely could not truly compare with say a sport like track and field that the entire world competes at?.With changes in equipment how can you truly compare eras ..etc etc...unless the criteria is universal these type of namings of greatest evers will always be the soure of many an unresolve debate.

Excellent call on Layne Beachley and Rechelle Hawkes I think. Definitely deserved top 12. I think Shane Gould was unlucky not to be higher. I guess that showcases the argument of dizzying peak vs' longevity. I would say that Tracy Wickham could have snuck into the top 25, Maybe Alisa Camplin was also a bit low. But hard to argue really and shows a wonderful depth of talent. A couple of the names outside the top 25 really popped out as fierce fierce competitors - Michelle Timms, Kathy Watt. and finally surely Vicki Wilson was a bit hard done by to miss out entirely?

Agree, Heather McKay didn't lose a match in 17 years....17 YEARS....How she's not the top sportswoman of all time is ridiculous.

I must own up to a couple of mistakes. The women have always had a 4 x 100m freestyle relay. The 4 x 200m was not introduced until 1996. It is the men who only swam the 4 x 200m freestyle relay until 1964, when the 4 x 100m was introduced. The womens individual 200m was not added until 1968. Both mens & womens 50m freestyle were not added until 1988. Nor did Dawn win any bronze medal. But it doesn't change the original premise that Dawn, given today's program, could easily have won about 9 gold medals & another 9 minor medals.

The list was not bad, but feel Heather Mckay defiantly deserved higher ranked than Lauren Jackson. Lauren Jackson is great, but she is not even the best women's basketball player ever, more top 10 maybe top 5. Heather Mckay is the no 1 female squash player ever period. She was ranked 6th best Aussy female sports woman, Lauren Jackson was ranked 5. Karen Rolton the female cricketer was unlucky as well not to make the top 25, as was maybe Kerry Juna Saxby. Debbie Flintoff-King may of pushed that top 25. Didn't have any other complaints abut the list except for Heather Mckay's ranking, . http://www.canberratimes.com.au/sport/poll-position-for-skater-but-fraser-named-greatest-20130227-2f6jt.html Stephanie Rice could of maybe made the top 25 too, She held a world record, and won 2 Olympic gold medals in 2008 at Beijing , when swimming is really global now a tough feat.

To appreciate just how good Dawn Fraser was & how much better she could have been, the only freestyle events available to her at the 1956, 60 & 64 Olympics were the 100m, 400m & 4 x 200m relay. Unlike today, there was no 50m, no 200m & no 4 x 100m relay. Dawn won 3 x 100m freestyle gold medals. It's reasonable to assume, with her blinding speed, she would also have won 3 x 50m freestyle gold medals. She was pipped for gold in the 1956 400m final by team mate Lorraine Crapp. Obviously, 400m was a bit long for her. It's also reasonable to assume had there been 200m available, she would have medalled in all three, perhaps picking up two gold. Finally, if there had been 4 x 100 relays, Australia would definitely have won the gold in 1956, & picked up minor podium places in 60 & 64. Dawn won four gold medals, four silver medals & a bronze from the program available to her. It's patently clear, given today's more expanded program, she would have probably won 9-10 gold medals all-up & about 9-10 minor medals all-up. In other words, easily doubled her 4-4-1. Dawn was named by an international sporting organisation in 1999 as the greatest female swimmer of the 20th century.

Pretty good top 12 there. Happy with Dawn at #1 All of those in the top 12 would rate on a world stage, and be close to the top of the pile in their sports history.