By Greg Blood

List of notable Australian sports people that died in 2023. These people contributed significantly to their sport and Australian sport in playing, coaching, administration or media roles.

Sport Australia Hall of Fame five members – Ron Barassi, Phil Coles, Rale Rasic, John Devitt and Ken Warby.

Significant Coaches – Ron Barassi (Australian football), Geof Motley (Australian football), Brian Taber (cricket), Rale Rasic (football), Gary Bourne (athletics) and Paul Sait (rugby league)

Long time administrators – Phil Coles (canoeing/Olympics), Graham John (Australian football), John McDonald (rugby league) and Elaine Watson (football).

Media – Ken Archer (cricket), Patrick Smith and Wayne Smith.

Indigenous trailblazers – Ken Coombs (wheelchair basketball) and Faith Thomas (cricket).

Australian Football

• Ron Barassi AM 87, Melbourne VFL premiership player; VFL Premiership coach for Carlton and North Melbourne ; Australian Football Hall of Fame Legend ; Sport Australia Hall of Fame  
• Ken Bennett, 83, Collingwood VFL premiership player
• John Devine, 82, Geelong VFL Premiership player ; Geelong VFL coach
• Ted Hopkins, 74, Carlton premiership player and co-founder of Champion
• Graeme John AO, 80, South Melbourne VFL player ; East Perth player ; South Melbourne VFL coach ; AFL Commissioner
• Alan Morrow, 86, St Kilda premiership player
• Geof Motley OAM, 88, SANFL Port Adelaide premiership  player ; SANFL Port Adelaide and North Adelaide coach ; Australian Football Hall of Fame
• Kevin Neale, 78, St Kilda VFL premiership player ; Coach of Ainslie and Central
• Matt Rendell, 64, VFL/AFL Fitzroy and Brisbane ; SANFL West Torrens player
• Austin Robertson Jr., 80, Subiaco WAFL premiership player ; South Melbourne VFL player ; player  ; Australian Football Hall of Fame
• Jack Sheedy, 96, East Perth and East Fremantle premiership player ; East Perth and East Fremantle WAFL coach ; Australian Football Hall of Fame

Athletics

• Gary Bourne, 68. Olympic coach
• Gary Eddy, 78, Olympic sprinter (1964) ; Commonwealth Games bronze medallist (1966)
• Tracey Freeman, 75, Paralympic gold medallist (1972 and 1976) ; Australian Paralympic Hall of Fame
• Terry Giddy, 73, Paralympic gold medallist (1984)^[
• Graham Gipson, 90, Olympic silver medallist (1956)
• Noel Clough, 86, Commonwealth Games gold medallist (1966)

^Basketball

• Kevin Coombs, 82, Paralympic wheelchair basketball player ; First indigenous Paralympian ; Australian Paralympic Hall of Fame

Bobsleigh

• Duncan Pugh, 48, Olympic bobsledder (2010)

Boxing

• Rocky Gattellari, 81, Italian-Australian Olympic boxer (1960) ; National Boxing Hall of Fame
• Ray Wheatley, 74, Boxer and official ; National Boxing Hall of Fame

^Canoeing

• Phil Coles, 91, Olympic sprint canoeist (1960, 1964, 1968) ; Olympic administrator; Sport Australia Hall of Fame

Cricket

• Ken Archer AM , 95, Test cricketer and broadcaster
• Brian Booth MBE, 89, Test cricketer (29 tests ;  ;Olymic hockey player
• Norma Johnston.  95, Test cricketer (7 tests)
• Brian Taber, 83, Test cricketer and coach(16 tests)
• Faith Thomas AM, 90, Test cricketer (1 test) ; First indigenous female test cricketer
• Norma Whiteman, 95, Test cricketer (7 tests)

Cycling

• Ian Browne OAM, 92, Olympic gold medallist (1956)
• Melissa Hoskins, 32, World team pursuit champion, Olympic and Commonwealth Games cyclist

Football

• Attila Abonyi, 76, Socceroos player (61 games) ; Football Australia Hall of Fame
• Rale Rasic OAM 87, Socceroos manager ; Football Australia Hall of Fame ; Sport Australia Hall of Fame
• Manfred Schaefer, 80, Socceroos player (49 games) ; Football Australia Hall of Fame
• Elaine Watson OAM, football administrator ; Football Australia Hall of Fame

^Golf

• Frank Phillips OAM, 90, Professional golfer (35 wins)

Gymnastics

• Bret Hudson, 49, Olympic gymnast (1996) ; Commonwealth Games gold medallist (1994)

Horse Racing

• Dean Holland, 34, Jockey (1,080 career wins)

Motor Sport

• Brian Sampson, 88, Racing driver, Bathurst 1000 winner (1975)

Rugby League

• Bob Bugden, 87, Rugby league premiership player – St George and Parramatta , Kangaroos (2 tests)
• Merv Cross OAM, 82, Rugby league player – South Sydney, East Suburbs, North Sydney ; Orthopaedic surgeon.
• John Hayes, 84, Rugby league player – Western Suburbs ; Coach – North Sydney
• John McDonald AM , 79, Rugby league premiership player – Manly Warringah ; Kangaroos (13 tests) ; Administrator
• Lionel Morgan, 85, Rugby league player – Wynum Manly ; Kangaroos (3 tests)
• Jack Lumsden, 93, Rugby league footballer – Manly Warringah ; Kangaroos (1 test)
• Paul Sait, 76, Rugby league premiership player – South Sydney ; Kangaroos (16 tests) ; Coach – South Sydney
• John Sattler, 80, Rugby league premiership player South Sydney ; Kangaroos (4 tests)
• Carl Webb, 42, Rugby league player – Brisbane Broncos and North Queensland Cowboys ; Kangaroos (1 test)

Rugby Union

• Rob Heming, 90,  Rugby union player – Manly ; Wallabies (21 tests)
• Eric Tweedale, 102, Rugby union player – Parramatta ; Wallabies (10 tests)

^Sailing

• Syd Fischer AM OBE, 95, America and Admiral Cup sailor
• Sir James Hardy OBE, 90, Olympic sailor (1964, 1968)

Speedboat

• Ken Warby MBE, 83, Motorboat racer, holder of the water speed record  ; Sport Australian Hall of Fame

Swimming

• John Devitt AM, 86, Olympic gold medallist (1956 & 1960) ; former President Swimming Australia ; Sport Australia Hall of Fame.

Tennis

• Owen Davidson, 79, Tennis player and coach (13 major doubles titles)

Journalism

• Patrick Smith, 71, Australian sports journalist – The Age and The Australian
• Wayne Smith, 69, Australian sports journalist – News Corp and Sydney Morning Herald