SportWest WA Sports Star of the Year: Patrick Cripps, Sophie Garbin among finalists for prestigious award

They are both at the top of their game, taking home their sport’s highest individual honour. And now Patrick Cripps and Sophie Garbin are in the running to be recognised as the best athletes in their home state, named as finalists for the SportWest WA Sport Star of the Year in 2024. The West Australian can reveal the dual Brownlow Medallist and Liz Ellis Diamond winner as the next two nominees for the prestigious award. Two more will be unveiled each day ahead of the ceremony on February 6, with cricketer Mitch Marsh, Australian water polo captain Zoe Arancini, surfer Jack Robinson and swimmer Iona Anderson already announced. The Carlton captain claimed the league’s highest individual honour for the second time last year, following his 2022 triumph, polling a record 45 votes. It capped off another stellar season for the 29-year-old as one of the premier midfielders in the AFL. He was named vice-captain in his fourth appearance in the coveted All-Australian and earned his fifth club champion award, matching the record held by the medal’s namesake John Nicholls. If victorious, Cripps would become the first AFL player since fellow dual Brownlow Medallist and Fremantle star Nat Fyfe’s second win in 2019 to be recognised with the SportWest accolade. West Coast great Ben Cousins (a joint-winner in 2005) and Brisbane premiership star Simon Black (2002) are the only other AFL footballers to claim the WA Sport Star of the Year award since 2000. Garbin, 27, also claimed her sport’s top honour, the prestigious Liz Ellis Diamond, awarded to the nation’s best netballer across domestic and international performances. The goalshooter was also named in the Team of the Year and crowned the International Player of the Year at the Australian Netball Awards for a 2024. It followed an incredible year for Garbin, who shot more than 500 Super Netball goals and more than 300 goals across 11 international matches. She also broke two Vixens records, including the most points in a game (54). The tradition of an award to acknowledge excellence in sporting achievements by West Australians began in 1956. Previous winners of the Sport West WA Sport Star of the Year award, as it later became known, include golfer Hannah Green in 2019, cricketer Mitchell Johnson in 2024 and Paralympic champion Madizon de Rozario in 2021. The West Australian will reveal two more finalists in tomorrow’s paper with 12 in total to be announced before the official presentation at Optus Stadium.