Women's trailblazer among batch of feted sports figures
Nicole Livingstone heard it all when leading the charge of women into the male-dominated sport of Australian Rules football.
"You name it, I heard it," Livingstone, the former AFLW chief executive, told AAP.
"Women shouldn't be playing footy, it's a men's game.
"Women aren't built for football; the standard was not good; the AFL was moving too fast.
"Now, I look on proudly with the AFLW going into their 10th season - it's pretty incredible."
Livingstone is among sports identities in the King's Birthday Honours List, appointed an Officer (AO) of the Order of Australia.
After swimming at three Olympic Games, Livingstone carved a successful broadcasting career before moving into sports administration - she left her AFLW role in 2023 to become the Victorian Institute of Sport's chief executive.
"Elevating women's sport is something that I have always tried to do," she said.
"Women have always been doing extraordinary things for Australia in sport but it has taken time for women to be recognised for their sporting prowess.
"Having a strong belief in equal opportunity and breaking down that barrier was really important."
But for Livingstone, sport is only part of her King's Birthday honour, which also cites her service to community health.
Her mother Elsie died from ovarian cancer in 2001, prompting Livingstone and her sister Karen to form Ovarian Cancer Australia the same year.
"Most charities are formed through personal tragedy and most charities don't survive very long," Livingstone said.
"Twenty-four years later, the organisation is not only still in existence but it's the peak organisation for ovarian cancer in this country in terms of advocating research, providing nurse support for ovarian cancer patients.
"That is a special one."
Other sports luminaries featuring in the King's Birthday Honours List include respected Australian rules football official Brian Cook, who has been appointed a Member (AM) of the Order of Australia.
Cook has been the chief executive officer of AFL club Carlton since 2021, having previously filled that role at Geelong (1999-2021) and West Coast (1990-99).
He is joined in the honours list by fellow AFL identity Chris McDermott. The South Australian great and inaugural Adelaide Crows captain received a Medal (OAM) in the Order of Australia.
Rugby league Hall of Famer and Queensland's current State of Origin chairman of selectors Gene Miles also received an OAM, as did soccer's Jimmy Rooney, who earnt 102 Australian caps from 1970-80.
Tia-Clair Toomey, who was an Olympic and Commonwealth Games weightlifter before turning to the International CrossFit Games where she is a seven-times women's champion, was appointed an AM.
The same honour was bestowed on long-time swim coach John Rodgers - who guided Michelle Ford to Olympic freestyle gold in 1980 and has more recently worked with the nation's open water program - and rugby union player and coach Shirley Russell, among others.
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