Held at the Western Bulldogs' Western Grounds (Whitten Oval), Our 22nd annual VU Sport Awards celebrated an outstanding year of achievement.
Throughout 2025, VU sportspeople excelled at state and national level, representing the University at UniSport Nationals and Championships, VU's first full team at the UniSport Indigenous Nationals, and competing internationally at the World University Games and World Championships. It was an especially big night for members of our Elite Sport and Performer Program and Representative Sport (VU Vultures) students, whose dedication and success were showcased.
VU Blues and Half Blues
In the tradition of Oxford and Cambridge, Blues are a prestigious symbol of sporting excellence, awarded to student athletes who compete at the highest level. Since the Sport Awards began, 283 athletes have been recognised for their achievements representing the University, State, or Australia.
- Blues: Ellie Blackburn (Australian Rules), Bianca Puglisi (Half Marathon), Karla Heric (Cheerleading), Blake Cachia (Netball) and Mayuol Makuac (Basketball)
- Half-Blues: Charlotte Jackson (Cross Country), Nicole Faltum (Cricket), Tess Flintoff (Cricket), Tayla Vlaeminck (Cricket), Georgia Taylor (Hockey), Oscar Mugerwa (Para Rowing & Basketball), Rhys Davey (Rowing)
We also acknowledged two retrospective 2024 Half-Blues for Michael Douch (Kendo) and Xavier Huxtable (Surfing).
Service Awards
The success of VU Sport relies on dedicated volunteers.
- Outstanding Service Award: Rocco Papalia was recognised for his leadership and commitment to the Uni Nationals men's football program. Since joining as a player in 2018 and later as team manager, Rocco has helped the team remain a consistent top-five national contender.
- Team Service Awards: Casidhe Green (Basketball) and Hamish Inglis (Football) were honoured for their leadership and service to Uni Nationals.
Rising Star
James Lodge (Motorsport): After a record-breaking rookie season in the Toyota GAZOO Racing Australia GR86 Cup, James stepped up to the Porsche Michelin Sprint Challenge in 2025. With multiple podiums and a round win at Sydney Motorsport Park, he is quickly establishing himself as one of Australia's brightest motorsport talents.
Jacinta Carroll Academic and Sporting Excellence Award
Georgia Taylor (Hockey) - Bachelor of Exercise Science (Sport Practice) student with a WAM of 83 and GPA of 6.7.
Sportsperson of the Year
- Female Athlete of the Year: Millie Bongiorno (Snowboarding) - Australia's leading Alpine Snowboarder, Millie competed at the World Championships, claimed gold at the Nor-Am Cup in the USA, and continues her pursuit of Olympic selection for 2026.
- Male Athlete of the Year: Oscar Mugerwa (Wheelchair Basketball & Rowing) - A dual-sport athlete, Oscar represented Australia in wheelchair basketball and won multiple rowing gold medals at national and international events, earning selection for the AIS national development squad.
Hall of Fame
This year's inductee was Brendan Joyce, celebrated for his remarkable career as both player and coach. Joyce played 289 National Basketball League games across 13 seasons and later became one of Australia's premier basketball coaches. His achievements include leading the Wollongong Hawks to an NBL Championship, coaching the Kaohsiung Aquas to a T1 League title in Taiwan, and guiding the Australian Opals to a World Cup bronze medal. His legacy continues through his work developing athletes at the highest levels.
The 2025 VU Sport Awards highlighted individual brilliance and the collective spirit of dedication, leadership, and excellence that defines Victoria University's sporting community.
