Australia has produced some incredible female athletes over the years and right now, here are Sporting News' top 100 Australian female athletes.
From team sports to individual pursuits, they have covered themselves in glory and represented Australia formidably on the world stage.
We've had trailblazers who have become pioneers in their sport to those who have worked away for years to get the recognition they finally deserve.
And don't get us wrong, there were plenty of names that didn't make this list. It could have easily been a list of 200 or more.
MORE: Is Glenn Maxwell the answer to Australia's middle-order problems?
But we gave ourselves a limit of no more than eight athletes per sport to make sure we spread the list as wide as possible.
The nature of lists is that there are probably players we have left out as well, but hey, that's the best thing about them, it creates debate.
Here it is, in no particular order and organised by sport, Sporting News' list of Australia's Top 100 current female athletes.
Australia's Top 100 Female Athletes
Australian Rules Football
1. Erin Phillips - The cross-code star has made a name for herself across a decorated career in basketball and now the AFLW.
2. Daisy Pearce - The talented footballer is a pioneer of AFLW and has captained the Demons. She has also already made a name for herself in AFL commentary.
3. Tayla Harris - A phenomenal talent in front of goals for Carlton, Harris is also an undefeated boxer with a 7-0-1 record.
4. Maddy Prespakis - The youngster won the 2020 AFLW Best and Fairest award after a standout season for Carlton.
5. Jasmine Garner - The North Melbourne star won the AFL Players' Association MVP award in 2020.
6. Karen Paxman - The talented defender has gained multiple All-Australian selections and is a rock for the Demons in the AFLW.
Athletics
7. Kelsey-Lee Barber - The World Champion has made the javelin throw her own and is one of the favourites heading into the Tokyo 2021 Olympics.
8. Jessica Hull - The middle-distance runner holds multiple Australian records and is a star in the 1500m, 3000m and 5000m track events.
9. Genevieve Gregson - Queen of the 3000 metre steeplechase, Gregson is one of the best athletes Australia has produced. She also took time out to set a new record for The Tan in Melbourne.
10. Eleanor Patterson - The high jumper has broken multiple Australian and Oceanian records as she sets her sights on Olympic glory.
11. Jemima Montag - The long-distance walker has already booked her ticket to Tokyo and has already competed for Australia at the Commonwealth Games where she won the 20km Walk.
12. Jacinta Beecher - Beecher is quickly becoming Australia's best female sprinter, clocking the fastest times in the country in both the 100m and 200m in 2020.
13. Bendere Oboya - Was named the 2019 Athletics Australia Junior Athlete of the Year and has been dominating the 400m around the country.
14. Liz Clay - The 100m hurdler is incredibly quick and looks set for a massive 2021 which should feature the Tokyo Olympics.
Basketball
15. Liz Cambage - One of Australia's greatest ever basketball exports, has been a mainstay in the WNBA and an enforcer for the Opals.
16. Alanna Smith - Taken in the first round by the Phoenix Mercury in the WNBA Draft, Smith is quickly becoming one of Australia's best basketballers.
17. Ezi Magbegor - The 21-year-old has already gone international, making her mark on the WNBA and winning the WNBL Rookie Of The Year in 2017.
BMX Cycling
18. Saya Sakakibara - The BMX superstar has been racing with her brother since age four and has had a number of top-five finishes in World Cup series.
19. Caroline Buchanan - A two-time Olympian, Buchanan has shown incredible fortitude to return to the sport after being injured in a car crash and now has her sights set on a third Olympic Games.
Boxing
20. Shannon O'Connell - 'Shotgun' continues to build an impressive record with the 37-year-old boxer winning her last five fights on the trot.
21. Caitlin Parker - Parker is set to represent Australia at the Tokyo Olympics. She is a seven-time Australian champion and won silver at the 2018 Commonwealth Games.
22. Skye Nicolson - A gold medallist at the 2018 Commonwealth Games, Nicolson has also booked her ticket to Tokyo where the featherweight is looking to add an Olympic medal to her collection.
23. Taylah Robertson - Another fighter to experience plenty of success at the amateur level, Robertson turned professional in 2019 and won her first fight last year. The 22-year-old is on the way up.
Canoe
24. Jess Fox - There are no words to describe the dominance of Jess Fox. Multiple Olympic medals, 10 gold medals at World Championships. The only thing missing from the 26-year-old's collection is Olympic gold.
Cricket
25. Ellyse Perry - Named the ICC Women's player of the decade, Perry will do down in the history books as the greatest female all-rounder in cricket history and she's nowhere near finished.
26. Meg Lanning - Australia's formidable captain has led her side to multiple World Cups and record-breaking achievements. She's also one of the best batters we've ever seen!
27. Beth Mooney - Mooney continues to impress on the big stage, building up a record in tournaments that places her as arguably Australia's most important player heading into the 2022 World Cup.
28. Alyssa Healy - The diminutive wicketkeeper has changed the way Women's cricket is played. She has an incredible strike rate at the top of the order but has also set records for dismissals behind the stumps.
29. Megan Schutt - She has been a fixture of Australia's bowling line-up for a number of years and has an incredible knack of taking crucial wickets in big matches.
30. Sophie Molineux - The all-rounder has not only established herself on the international scene but has already proven her leadership skills having captained the Renegades at various stages in the WBBL.
31. Ashleigh Gardner - The talented all-rounder is incredibly dangerous with the bat, consistent with ball in hand and a gun fielder. Arguably her most important contribution has been setting up her Ashleigh Gardner Foundation and her advocacy for indigenous issues.
32. Jess Jonassen - Jonassen has become one of the leading all-rounders in world cricket and has become one of the most important players in Australia's world-beating side.
Cycling
33. Annette Edmondson - The track and road cyclist has won multiple gold medals at both the Commonwealth Games and World Championships in the Omnium, Scratch and Team Pursuit.
Diving
34. Melissa Wu - Wu is a three-time Olympian who won silver in Beijing in 2008 and has won two Commonwealth Games gold medals.
Football
35. Sam Kerr - The superstar of Australian football. Her backflip has become synonymous with the success of the Matildas and now she's taken her talents to Europe playing for one of the world's best female teams in Chelsea.
36. Lydia Williams - Like Kerr, the 32-year-old goalkeeper recently made the move to England with Arsenal but has had an incredible record with multiple W-League Premierships and has twice been named PFA Women's Footballer of the Year.
37. Ellie Carpenter - The 20-year-old secured a lucrative move to Olympique Lyonnais in France and has already made 42 appearances for the Matildas since debuting at 15.
38. Steph Catley - Catley has won four W-League Championships, was named the 2020 PFA Women's Player of the Year, and has also signed for Arsenal in the toughest women's league in the world. Superstar.
39. Alanna Kennedy - Fresh off signing a permanent deal with Tottenham, Kennedy has made 87 appearances for the Matildas and is a huge part of their success over the last decade.
40. Elise Kellond-Knight - With 113 caps to her name, Kellond-Knight has been named in two FIFA World Cup All-Star Team's and is one of the rocks of the Matildas' defence.
41. Caitlin Foord - Foord is scoring goals for fun since joining the Aussie take over at Arsenal and has emerged as a vital part of the Matildas attack as they prepare for a home World Cup.
42. Hayley Raso - Since returning from a horror back injury, Raso can barely stop scoring goals on the big stage and has continued that trend with Everton in the FA Women's Super League.
Golf
43. Hannah Green - Green is rocketing up the LPGA rankings and stunned the world by winning the 2019 Women's PGA Championship.
44. Minjee Lee - The 24-year-old is in the top-ten golfers in the world and has five career victories and 52 top tens.
Gymnastics
45. Georgia Godwin - The all-around gymnastics superstar continues to impress in the sport, coming off a silver in the Melbourne Gymnastics World Cup as she eyes success at the Tokyo Olympics.
Hockey
46. Emily Chalker - The 28-year-old is on track for her third Olympic Games and has amassed 230 appearances for the Hockeyroos.
47. Edwina Bone - A regular in the Hockeyroos defence, like Chalker she has brought up over 200 appearances for the national side.
48. Jane Claxton - Claxton is another to have been a fixture of the Hockeyroos side, 181 appearances for the national team, including a number of times as captain, and many more to come.
49. Steph Kershaw - Her love of hockey has pushed her to the greatest heights of the sport and now she has her sights set on Olympic glory.
50. Amy Lawton - One of the rising stars of the sport, Lawton has won numerous awards around the country including the Australian Institute of Sport's Emerging Athlete of the Year award in 2019.
Horse Racing
51. Jamie Kah - Kah is quickly become a fan-favourite, riding in the 2020 Melbourne Cup and inspiring a new generation of female jockeys.
MMA
52. Megan Anderson - Anderson will become the first Australian female to fight for a UFC title when she takes on Amanda Nunes at UFC 259 in March
53. Jessica-Rose Clark - The five-fight UFC veteran has wins at flyweight and bantamweight in the biggest promotion in the world and has done it all in her own inimitable style.
Modern Pentathlon
54. Chloe Esposito - Esposito won an incredible gold medal at the 2016 Olympics and after welcoming a boy into the world in 2020 she firmly has her sights set on defending her Modern Pentathlon title.
Netball
55. Caitlin Bassett - The Diamonds captain is a powerhouse of the Australian netball scene and has World Championship and Commonwealth Games gold medals in her collection.
56. Courtney Bruce - One of the best defenders in the Super Netball competition, Bruce is strong at the back and has plenty of leadership experience across her time at the West Coast Fever.
57. Steph Wood - A formidable attacker for the Sunshine Coast Lightning, Wood has quickly become a vital part of the Diamonds squad. She also played in five successive Super Netball finals between 2015 and 2019.
58. Gretel Bueta - Bueta has had a storied career in basketball and netball and was awarded the Liz Ellis Diamond award in 2019. She took 2020 out of the game to have a child but is sure to make an impact when she returns to the Diamonds' setup.
59. Sharni Layton - Layton is another cross-code superstar on this list, having been a formidable netballer who has turned to AFLW in recent years as well. Multiple gold medals as part of the Diamonds AND two awesome seasons for Collingwood in AFLW.
Rugby League
60. Ali Brigginshaw - Brigginshaw is one of the best players we have ever seen in the NRLW and basically completed her trophy cabinet after being named Dally M Women's Player of the Year in 2020.
61. Kezie Apps - An inspirational leader who leaves everything out on the field. She has won a World Cup and also has a Dally M medal in her locker.
62. Hannah Southwell - Southwell had a superb 2020 for the Roosters but the 21-year-old is another cross-code star having played rugby sevens and W-League for the Newcastle Jets.
63. Tamika Upton - An electric fullback who has been a part of the Broncos' historic three-peat, Upton brings her touch football footwork into the NRLW and starred for Queensland in her debut Origin performance in 2020 with two tries.
64. Isabelle Kelly - Kelly is a powerful centre who is next to impossible to bring down every time she has the ball in her hands. The 2018 Dally M winner, an Origin winner and a Golden Boot winner. Some record that.
65. Jessica Sergis - Sergis is one of the rising stars of rugby league and the 23-year-old gets better every game she plays. Her speed is electric and she is dangerous every time she gets her hands on the ball.
66. Sammy Bremner - Bremner has captained the Dragons and has been one of the pioneers of NRLW in Australia. Has played for the Jillaroos since 2013 and made a successful return to NRLW in 2020 after the birth of her first child.
Paralympics
67. Madison De Rozario - De Rozario is one of the most accomplished athletes Australia has ever produced. Three World Para Athletics Championships gold medals, three Paralympic silver medals, she absolutely dominates in the T54 800 metres event.
68. Jessica Gallagher - A skier, a track and field athlete AND a tandem cyclist. There's not much Gallagher can't do. She's also the first Aussie to win a medal at a summer and winter Olympics/Paralympics.
69. Amanda Reid - A swimmer and a cyclist, Reid has a number of medals across multiple World Championships and has been competing in international competitions since she was 14.
70. Maddison Elliott - The 22-year-old already has four Olympic gold medals to her name to go with six long-course World Championship golds. She became Australia's youngest Paralympic medallist at London 2012 at just 13.
Rugby
71. Evania Pelite - Pelite was part of Australia's gold medal-winning rugby sevens side at Rio 2016 and made a big impact in her inaugural season in the NRLW for the New Zealand Warriors in 2020.
72. Charlotte Caslick - Caslick is a bonafide superstar of Australian sport, she won the Shawn Mackay Women’s Sevens Player of the Year award in 2018-19 and had a fantastic impact in her first season of NRLW in 2020 for the Sydney Roosters.
73. Elia Green - The try-scoring machine is a fixture on the wing for Australia's women's sevens side and was a part of their 2016 Olympics success. She also represented Australia at Junior Athletics World Championships.
74. Emma Tonegato - Tonegato has played for Australia in rugby sevens and rugby league, was part of Australia's 2016 Olympics glory, and has been a regular in the national side for the best part of a decade.
75. Grace Hamilton - Hamilton has captained the Wallaroos on multiple occasions and has been a part of multiple Super W titles for the NSW Women's side. A formidable force on the field.
Sailing
76. Lisa Darmanin - An Olympic silver medallist, Darmanin was inducted into the Victorian Honour Roll of Women and has already booked her place at the Tokyo Olympics.
Shooting
77. Laetisha Scanlan - Scanlan has won gold medals at multiple Commonwealth Games and in 2019 won gold in the mixed trap pairs event at the World Championships. She's looking to add an Olympic medal to her collection in Tokyo.
Skateboarding
78. Poppy Star-Olsen - A multiple World Champion and a fixture at the X-Games, the 20-year-old from Newcastle is looking to add Olympic success to her growing trophy cabinet.
Surfing
79. Steph Gilmore - One of the most successful female surfers in history, she claimed her first world title in 2007 and now has seven to her name. Continues to get better as she keeps winning tournament after tournament.
80. Tyler Wright - Wright claimed the historic Maui Pro in December to secure her first WSL tour win since 2017. It was also the first women’s championship event held at the iconic reef.
81. Sally Fitzgibbons - Fitzgibbons has been a runner-up three times for the World Title and has her place booked for the Tokyo Olympics.
Swimming
82. Cate Campbell - Multiple world records. Two Olympic gold medals. She's preparing to add to that tally with her fourth Olympics in Tokyo.
83. Bronte Campbell - The younger of the two sisters, Bronte also has a formidable record with gold medals at Olympic Games, World Championships and Commonwealth Games.
84. Ariarne Titmus - 20-year-old Titmus is the new queen of Australian swimming, smashing PBs and breaking world records for fun. She's won multiple World Championship and Commonwealth Games gold medals and will be determined to add some Olympic medals to her tally.
85. Minna Atherton - Another 20-year-old making waves in the pool, the talented backstroker is making a big name for herself in swimming having won World Championship gold medals and dominating in the pool at the International Swim League.
86. Kaylee McKeown - McKeown has always been a highly-touted prospect but no one could have predicted her 2020. She broke Australian records in the 100 and 200-metre backstroke and then set a new 200-metre backstroke world record at the Australian national short-course championships.
87. Emma McKeon - McKeon continues to dominate in the pool after an incredible Rio 2016 Olympics. She won six medals at the 2019 World Championships alone and will want to replicate that success in Tokyo.
88. Kareena Lee - The marathon swimmer has already booked her place at the Tokyo Olympics and is one of Australia's best in open water events.
89. Kiah Melverton - Another talented young swimmer coming out of Queensland, Melverton is Australia's top-ranked female swimmer in Swiming Australia's 2019-20 Long-Course rankings for the 400m, 800m and 1500m freestyle.
Tennis
90. Ash Barty - Barty won the French Open in 2019 and is the current world number one. Need we say more??
91. Ajla Tomljanovic - Tomljanovic has a career-high ranking of 39th in the world and put in a memorable singles performance in the Fed Cup final against France in 2019.
92. Sam Stosur - Stosur’s 2011 US Open win remains one of the greatest moments in modern Australian tennis history. Stosur has remained a role model and a great ambassador for Aussie sport ever since.
93. Astra Sharma - One of the brightest young tennis stars Australia has, Sharma broke into the top 100 in the world in 2019 and is looking forward to another big year in 2021.
94. Daria Gavrilova - Former world number 20 Gavrilova has had a frustrating couple of years due to injury, but remains one of the most popular and exciting players in the country.
Trail Running
95. Lucy Bartholomew - Bartholomew ran her first 100km at the age of just 15, and hasn't looked back since. The ultra-runner has won races and set course records around the world while building a positive and inspiring online following (watermelon anyone??).
Triathlon
96. Ash Gentle - An incredible triathlete who wins events for fun, Gentle has had a number of strong results in the ITU World Triathlon Series and competed at the Olympics in 2016.
Winter Sports
97. Belle Brockhoff - Has dominated in Snowboard World Cups around the world, winning one title in 2020 and three other top-three finishes.
98. Emily Arthur - At just 18, Arthur made her Winter Olympics debut in Pyeongchang, making the 12-rider final in the Snowboard halfpipe.
99. Britteny Cox - The mogul skier has won a World Championship gold medal and was the youngest athlete to compete at the 2010 Winter Olympics in Vancouver. She is also the first female Australian Mogul skier to win the crystal globe.
X-Games
100. Tia Clair-Toomey - Toomey is one of Australia's most successful athletes on the world stage. She is a four-time CrossFit World Champion and also represented Australia at the 2016 Rio Olympics.
