When you boil it all down, the moments are what truly matter in sport.
Moments are the parts shared around, conversation-starters and, ultimately, the memories we reflect on down the line.
An insane amount happened in 2022, but the reality is that years from now, only a few of them will be stored in the long-term memory part of our brains. Chances are, these below nominations will be the ones replayed relentlessly on our screens, referenced on our radios and reminisced about down at the pub.
The Only Sports Show | LISTEN TO OUR FULL AWARDS EPISODE:
Moment of the Year in sport, 2022
Nominations:
(Please note our Awards podcast and the nominations were done before the World Cup Final)
BUDDY KICKING HIS 1000TH AFL GOAL: Swans superstar Lance Franklin caused a spectator ‘all-in’ back in Round 2 at the SCG, slotting his way into footballing folklore becoming just the sixth player to bring up four figures for total goals. It was his fourth goal against Geelong in the Friday night game, triggering one of the most spectacular celebratory scenes of all time.
Embed from Getty Images
ASH BARTY WINNING THE AUSTRALIAN OPEN: In what would become quite literally her final appearance, Ash Barty had the entire nation tuned in. She ended a 44-year drought becoming the first Aussie in nearly half a century to claim a singles crown at Melbourne Park, beating Danielle Collins in straight sets, before riding off into the sunset and announcing her retirement.
AUSTRALIA WINNING THE WOMEN’S WORLD CUP: Alyssa Healy smashed a 138-ball 170 in the World Cup final to lead the Aussies to a memorable win over England in Christchurch; one of the best knocks in cricketing history. It came literally one match after Healy blasted 129 against the West Indies in the semi. She’s a straight up baller.
RELATED: The 12 contributors that make the finals-bound Aussies so formidable
RELATED: New golden era arrives, as CA locks in Nitschke full-time
MCG FILLS AS INDIA & PAKISTAN PLAY A T20 FOR THE AGES: Who can forget this; a truly unique moment in Australian sporting history. While home fans were struggling to get up for games involving the Aussies, India and Pakistan fans showed the world how it’s done, right in our backyard. A record 90,293 fans piled in; everyone took notice. Oh, and it might’ve been the best T20 International of all time.
NICK KYRGIOS’ RUN TO THE WIMBLEDON FINAL: We all knew he was a smoky to win a few matches; Nick Kyrgios loves playing at the All England Lawn Club. But few predicted a run as deep as this, assisted by Rafael Nadal withdrawing from their Semi. Novak Djokovic finally ended the fiery Aussie’s run in the Final; a four-set win for the 21-time Grand Slam winner.
RELATED: Come on! A date’s been set for Netflix’s ‘Break Point’
JOEL SELWOOD’S GRAND FINAL HEROICS: Special things happened when Sydney met Geelong on 2022. It wasn’t just Buddy; Joel Selwood also had a legendary moment. On football’s biggest stage, the Cats’ veteran kicked a fourth quarter goal for the ages, putting the icing on a huge win over the Swans. He would go on to announce his retirement after Premiership celebrations, well and truly finishing on top.
WINNER: Buddy’s 1000
Watch our full breakdown of how we came to this conclusion:
