Members of the Atlanta Team receiving the Award at the Sport Australia Hall of Fame Induction night. Phillip Dutton was unable to attend. Photograph:Franz Venhaus

The annual Sport Australia Hall of Fame dinner at the Crown Palladium is probably THE night for Australian sporting greats.
  
There were plenty of speeches, some a little too long, the national anthem, and Laurie Lawrence with a stirring rendition of a poem on the Australian sporting spirit.  Unfortunately, the microphone that they had wired him with played up. When he was given a handheld, Laurie in his typical style ripped the wired set off his head not realising that the line went under the back of his jacket.  Result: Wires dangling but at last a clear sound.

Victorian Governor and athletics great John Landy (4-minute mile) was declared a "Legend".  In the 1956 Melbourne Olympic Games, Landy stopped to help a competitor who had fallen and still won the race.

Boxing and Commonwealth Games administrator Arthur Tunstall was inducted (as an Associate) together with Cathy Freeman (Member), and cricketer David Boon (Member).  Swimmer Grant Hackett received the Don Award.

Melbourne Cup champion Makybe Diva became the first winner of the new Spirit of Sport award.  The Diva could not come so owner Tony Santic and trainer Lee Freedman collected the award.

The 1996 Atlanta gold-medal-winning Australian Equestrian Team received the Team Sport Australia award.  Wendy Schaeffer, Gill Rolton and Andrew Hoy were there to receive the award. Phillip Dutton was, unfortunately, unable to attend.

Congratulations!