Winner: Marnie Vinall, ABC News, “Kyneton women’s side leave football club after claims of ‘horrible, volatile environment’”

Judges’ Citation:

Marnie Vinall’s exceptional coverage of the ongoing adversity the Kyneton Women’s Football Team is facing as they continue to fight to play the game they love, demonstrates enduring commitment to amplify important issues and diverse voices in women’s sport. Through careful, empathetic storytelling, Vinall centres the lived experiences of the players who felt undervalued and unsupported in traditional club structures, amplifying voices too often marginalised in mainstream media. Vinall’s reporting situates the Kyneton women’s breakaway within broader national trends of inequity, declining participation and entrenched cultural barriers in women’s sport. By weaving firsthand accounts with expert insight and participation data, Vinall demonstrates that this is not an isolated dispute, but a symptom of systemic issues. The article’s clarity, depth and balance reflects rigorous journalism, important relationship building, and continued advocacy to deliver a strong public-interest story that has garnered significant attention and achieved meaningful impact.

Highly Commended

Konrad Marshall, Good Weekend magazine, “Out of the saddle”

Shortlisted

Lauren Wood, Herald Sun, “The Women of Wadeye”

Hannah Kennelly, The Age, “‘I love beating the boys’: Inside Australia’s quest to produce the next female F1 driver”