It is important to continue to recognise and remember the many people whose contributions over many years have built this great sport. Our first Hall of Fame members were inducted in 2014.
Present criteria is the nominee must be an Australian citizen, 18 years or older, involved at local, state, or national level for at least seven years, and adjudged for their overall contribution to goalball and not just one aspect. State associations may separately have their own halls of fame, and life members. Where inductees are accepted, there will be no more than two inductees per year.
ANGA – Australian National Goalball Association – is the former name of Goalball Australia.
001 Terrence Kenaghan (inducted 2014)
Terry is widely credited for bringing goalball to Australia and for assisting in the formation of ANGA (now GA). He coached NSW from 1981 through to 2001 and the Australian teams from 1984–1989 and again 1995–2000. Terry won in excess of ten national titles with NSW.
Terry was made a GA life member (#1) in 2009.
002 Robyn Bousie née Stephens (inducted 2014)
Robyn played for Victoria in national competition from 1981–2000 and went on to coach the Australian women's team from 2002–2010. Robyn was also the secretary of ANGA from 1988–1990.
003 Warren Lawnton (inducted 2014)
Warren played Goalball for Australia at the Paralympic Games in 1992, 1996 and 2000, as well as the World Championships in 1994 and 1998. Warren went on to coach the Australian mens team from 2006–2008. In 1986 and 2001, Warren was named the NAIDOC Australia Aboriginal Sportsperson of the Year as well as the 2001 ATSIC Disabled Sportsperson of the Year.
004 Kevin Frew (inducted 2015)
Kevin represented Australia at the Paralympic Games in 1988, 1992, 1996 and 2000; along with World Championships in 1990, 1994 and 1998. On the national scene, Kevin played for NSW from 1988 through until 2001, winning the highest goal scorer three times (1988, 1989, 2000). In addition to his on-court commitments, Kevin was the Goalball Australia Vice-President 2002–2005 and Treasurer 2010–2012.
005 Anthony Telfer (inducted 2015)
Anthony represented Australia at the Paralympic Games in 1988 and World Championships in 1986 and 1990. In 2010 he coached New Zealand at the IBSA Oceania regional championships. Anthony's national playing career saw he represent two states: Victoria 1981–1990 and NSW in 1996, 2001, 2002, 2005, 2009–2011. He continues his involvement with coaching the NSW Juniors.
Away from the court, Anthony was President of the Victorian Goalball Association 1987–1989. Tony continues to bring goalball to the world as a broadcaster for Blind Sports Radio and is co-founder and Broadcaster for the Disability Sports Network.
006 Marilyn Mills (inducted 2016)
At the international level, Marilyn competed in the Paralympic Games (1988, 1992, 1996), World Championships (1986), and a Paralympic Qualification Tournament (1995). She also represented Australia at the FESPIC Games (1994), Oceania Challenge (1989), and USABA National Championships (1990).
The highest goal scorer in 1987, Marilyn competed at the Australian Goalball Championships 1984–1996, and was part of the national champions for 1984–1988, 1990, 1991, and 1996. Her other achievements included president of New South Wales Blind Sports in 1985.
008 Sam Theodore (inducted 2017)
Sam was the Australian men's coach 1990–2000, women's coach 2001, and served as ANGA vice-president (1997–2001) and president (2001–2008). He was the coach for the Paralympic Games (1992, 1996 and 2000), and World Championships (1990, 1994, and 1998). His engagement continues with his later role as IBSA Oceania regional chair, and chair of Blind Sports Australia.
009 Troy King (inducted 2017)
Troy has been a long term athlete within New South Wales, and representing Australia. He competed in the Paralympic Games (2000), FESPIC Games (1999, 2002), the Southern Cross Games (1999), and the Trans-Tasman (2004). Nationally he has presented New South Wales twenty-one times at the Nationals (1992–2017), once for ACT (2006), and two other times; as well as grand prix competitions and state championships. Troy also served as the Australian youth boys coach at the Youth World Cup hosted in Sydney in 2017.
Troy was treasurer (2005–2009) and vice-president (2009–2011) of GA.
010 Bailey COMPTON (inducted 2018)
Bailey played his first game of goalball in 1981 at the age of 19 and played his first Nationals in 1982, winning his first gold medal for NSW at the 1984 AGCs. In 1984, Bailey was selected for the first time to represent Australia on the international stage and was part of the team that won Bronze at the Far East and South Pacific Games for the Disabled (FESPIC) in 1994. Off the court, Bailey was a Director of the Australian Blind Sports Federation (now Blind Sports Australia) from 1984–1988, filling the role of Vice President 1986–1988. In 1985 Bailey was appointed President of NSW Goalball.
In 1987, Bailey wrote the Australian National Goalball Association (now Goalball Australia) constitution and became the inaugural President in 1988. He once again held the position of GA President 1991–1999. He was also a member of the 2000 Paralympic Games Steering Committee.
011 Rob Crestani (inducted 2019)
Representing Australia in four Paralympics (1988, 1992, 1996 and 2000), Rob also competed in three goalball world championships (1990, 1994, 1998). This was amongst other goalball athletic involvements within Australia, and included the USA Nationals in 1990.
Rob was ANGC/GA treasurer 1989–2005, and president 2008–2015.
012 Barry Harpur (inducted 2019)
The quiet achiever, and counsellor and advisor to many, Barry commenced as a referee from 1996 to 2015, becoming an IBSA Level 1 referee; once refereeing a finals before the King and Queen of Thailand, in Bangkok. He served as ANGA/GA secretary for thireen years, and later minutes secretary; throughout working as GA's archivist/historian.
013 Robbie Vogt (inducted 2022)
Robbie started playing in the early nineties as a junior when he was 11 years of age. Between being an athlete and a coach he has been involved with goalball for over 30 years. Domestically he played in 24 Australian Goalball Championships as well as numerous other tournaments. Internationally he participated in some 20 tournaments including the 2000 Sydney Paralympics, as well as a number of overseas tours.
When he finished playing he continued on with various coaching and management positions as well as being part of the Goalball Australia executive committee in different roles from 2009 to 2016. He is still coaching today and continues to support the game we all love.
014 Rob Apps (inducted 2022)
A volunteer with Goalball Victoria and Goalball Australia since 1995, Rob initially started out as a coach with Victoria to coach them over almost 30 years at many tournaments throughout Australia (and continuing in that role today). Not being satisfied with State coaching he moved into coaching Australian teams and started off as Assistant Coach for the women’s team at the 1996 Paralympic games in Atlanta. From there he continued on with many overseas tours, from Bangkok in Asia to Lithuania in Europe, and even New Zealand.
His love for the game was such that as well as coaching he decided to move into refereeing and commenced in this role at the Australian Nationals in Melbourne in 2009, and still refereeing today. Another high point of his goalball career was being the tournament director at the Pacific Schools Games, Adelaide, in 2015, and 2017. Our sport would not be where it is today without volunteers like Rob and we are forever grateful to him and all the volunteers.
Each Hall of Fame inductee receives a numbered medallion. The presentation, where practicable, is made in conjunction with a dinner at the annual Australian National Goalball Championships.