It’s awards season, and because we’re all about giving fans their say here at The Roar, it’s time for you to decide who the winners are in The Roar’s Sports Awards 2016.
Last Friday, you were able to cast a vote in the first of six different categories: Sports Personality of the Year. Today, it’s time to decide who the 2016 Team of the Year is.
We’ve narrowed the options down to a shortlist of six of Australia’s finest sports teams, all of whom had a 2016 to remember. It’s up to you, however, to decide which one really stood out from the pack.
Missed out on the previous awards? There’s still time to vote:
» Sports Personality of the Year
And the nominees are…
Swimming
Rio might have been a disappointment for some of our swimmers, but the women’s 4x100m freestyle relay was never in doubt. In the final event of the first day in the pool at Rio, the pre-race favourites Emma McKeon, Brittany Elmslie and Cate and Bronte Campbell teamed up to blitz the rest of the field.
They cruised to the gold medal, defending the title won in London 2012 and setting a new world record while they were at it.
Rugby Sevens
Rugby sevens is booming in Australia, and it’s largely due to the exploits of the ‘Pearls’. Having claimed the World Sevens Series title, they followed up that success by winning the first gold medal for rugby sevens in Olympic history, cementing themselves as the best side in the world in the process.
Rugby League
Prior to 2016, the Sharks had made just the single grand final since the 1970s and had never won a season-decider. Come the end of the 2016 season and they’d broken their title drought thanks to a pulsating two-point win in the grand final against the Storm, coming after they’d won a record 15 games in a row earlier in the year.
Netball
They say winning one title is hard, but winning a second the next season is even harder. That had proved to be the case in the ANZ Championship, with no team ever managing to claim back-to-back trans-Tasman netball titles.
That was, at least, until the Queensland Firebirds pulled it off this year, winning a double extra-time thriller in the grand final against the NSW Swifts by just two goals.
Cricket
For so long the whipping boys of the Big Bash, the Sydney Thunder turned their maiden finals appearance into a first-ever Big Bash title on the back of some exhilarating performances from the likes of Usman Khawaja and Andre Russell.
Adding to the club’s success was the Thunder’s women’s side, who edged out their cross-town rivals the Sixers in a final-over thriller to win the first ever WBBL title.
AFL
The Bulldogs continued the year of the fairytale in 2016 by breaking a title drought which stretched back to 1954. Having been written off in just about every week of the AFL finals, from their opening-week trip to Perth right up to the grand final against the minor premier Sydney Swans, the Bulldogs pulled off the unlikeliest of premiership wins despite missing a large chunk of their side because of injury.
clipper
Guest
...or you can like the Rugby 7's and Western Bulldogs, hard decision, but the Rugby 7's was also a great story, getting the team together and being so good is such a short time, but thought the FIji 7's was more emotional, of course not in the list as not Australian.
cuw
Guest
actually 3 strong teams in women's rugger - England NZ and auzzy. also they play fewer tournaments than the men - i think 4 legs in the world series compared to 10 by the men.
The Slow Eater
Roar Rookie
I am a rugby fan well before an Afl fan and I voted for the bulldogs. They were given no chance, we're riddled with injuries (including to their captain early in the season) and won the grand final from 7th position - a feat which has not been done since the finals system changed to what it is today. For mine they top the list. A close second would be the women's sevens.
Torchbearer
Guest
How many countries play Rugby League or AFL or Netball? Say 6, 1 and 8! That knocks out the other entrants!
Statler and Waldorf
Roar Guru
ha ha, I'm not into code wars, each to their own in my opinion but that is a classic comeback but, how can you hate pies!
Brumby Bill
Guest
Very amusing Will.
AR
Guest
The original top-tier Victorian football competition was the VFA, forming around 1877, after decades of disorganised micro-competitions. After almost 2 decades of the VFA, a few disgruntled clubs agreed to form a breakaway league, and around 1896 the "VFL" was formed. The two competitions ran concurrently for years, both introducing their own rule changes along the way, but the VFL soon became the dominant competition and the one that most clubs aspired to be a part of...with Footscray, North and Hawthorn gaining admission from 1925. Obviously, that's the one that eventually became the "AFL" in 1990. So - back to my original point - I just don't think there's much of a case people can make that the Sharks have got the same sort of drought history that the Bulldogs do. But I understand not everyone knows the history.
Joe B
Guest
Because, despite all the injuries they had during the year, the club turmoil before the season, they still managed to finish 7th.... And then played all their (knockout) finals away from home, as outright underdog in every game, and WON.
Torchbearer
Guest
Womens Rugby- the Olympics were the big stage this year, and where the mens and womens Basketball, Hockey, Water Polo and Football teams failed to medal, the Womens Rugby held their nerve to win.
Snert Underpant
Roar Rookie
Jarman Impey. Power walking.
Mango Jack
Guest
Now there's a sport I could get into. Sort of bullrush meets rugby.
I hate pies
Guest
Here's a philosophical question for you; is it really a sport if no-ones there to watch it?
Daniel Chick's Missing Finger
Guest
Thank you. So a number of clubs played in a lower division before being invited into the top tier ?
me too
Guest
How'd our Kabbadi team do?
AR
Guest
They were playing in the VFA, the split-off and rival competition to the VFL. Same with North Melbourne (founded in 1869) and Hawthorn (1902).
no one in particular
Roar Guru
The Australian Dropbears won the 2016 World Cup
Magnus M. Østergaard
Roar Guru
Dogs came from nowhere and mowed everyone down in their path in finishing 7th in the H&A.
Daniel Chick's Missing Finger
Guest
AR, I thought the Bulldogs (as Footscray) along with Hawthorn and North Melbourne entered the comp in 1925. If they are a 140 plus year old club, what were they doing for those other 50 or so years ?
Mango Jack
Guest
Good point
AR
Guest
Well, if most of your Sydney friends think that, maybe the Bulldogs aren't special after all. Thanks for setting me straight 70s Mo.